ctrines of the
Mahommedan law adopted by the Sunnite sect; while the mountainous districts
are inhabited by Tajiks, professing the Shi'ite creed and speaking distinct
dialects in different districts.

_History._--Badakshan, part of the Greek Bactria, was visited by Hsuan
Tsang in 630 and 644. The Arabian geographers of the 10th century speak of
its mines of ruby and lapis lazuli, and give notices of the flourishing
commerce and large towns of Waksh and Khotl, regions which appear to have
in part corresponded with Badakshan. In 1272-1273 Marco Polo and his
companions stayed for a time in Badakshan. During this and the following
centuries the country was governed by kings who claimed to be descendants
of Alexander the Great. The last of these kings was Shah Mahommed, who died
in the middle of the 15th century, leaving only his married daughters to
represent the royal line. Early in the middle of the 16th century the
Usbegs obtained possession of Badakshan, but were soon expelled, and then
the country was generally governed by descendants of the old royal dynasty
by the female line. About the middle of the 18th century the present
dynasty of Mirs established its footing in the place of the old one which
had become extinct. In 1765 the country was invaded and ravaged by the
ruler of Kabul. During the first three decades of the 19th century it was
overrun and depopulated by Kohan Beg and his son Murad Beg, chiefs of the
Kataghan Usbegs of Kunduz. When Murad Beg died, the power passed into the
hands of another Usbeg, Mahommed Amir Khan. In 1859 the Kataghan Usbegs
were expelled; and Mir Jahander Shah, the representative of the modern
royal line, was reinstated at Faizabad under the supremacy of the Afghans.
In 1867 he was expelled by Abdur Rahman and replaced by Mir Mahommed Shah,
and other representatives of the same family.

(T. H. H.*)

BADALOCCHIO, SISTO, surnamed ROSA (1581-1647), Italian painter and
engraver, was born at Parma. He was of the school of Annibale Carracci, by
whom he was highly esteemed for design. His principal engravings are the
series known as Raphael's Bible, which were executed by him in conjunction
with Lanfranco, another pupil of Carracci. The best of his paintings, which
are few in number, are at Parma. He died at Bologna.

BADALONA (anc. _Baetulo_), a town of north-eastern Spain, in the province
of Barcelona; 6 m. N.E. of the city of Barcelona, on the left bank of the
small river Besos, and on