Parsis: The dynamic community of South Asia
Who we are:
A Parsi is a member of one of the two Zoroastrian communities found throughout South Asia. They are ethnically distinct from the Iranis even though both groups descend from Persian Zoroastrians.
The History of the Parsis:
At the time of the Muslim conquest of Persia, the dominant religion of the region was Zoroastrianism. Iranians rebelled against Arab invaders for almost 200 years in Iran, a period which now known as the "Two Centuries of Silence" or the "Period of Silence".During this time many Iranians who are now called "Parsi" rejected both options and instead chose to take refuge by fleeing from Iran to India.
Ancient Persian influence on Hinduism-
Hinduism pertains to Hindus but the word Hindu itself is actually a Persian word coined by Cyrus the great in the 6th century B.C. to describe people who lived beyond the river Indus which was the eastern boundary of the ancient Persian empire. The Persians had a phonetic problem with the letter ‘S’ hence, Sindhu became Hindu just as Rigveda’s Soma came from Zend Avesta’s Hoama. Such fascinating phonetic affinities! Even the word Shudra in Hinduism’s caste-system came from the Persian word Hatoksha. Originally, there were only three castes but the camp followers collected by Persians on their travels were called Hatokshas. The Romans, who separated from the original Aryan stock at a much earlier date than the Brahmins called fire Athar. In old Sanskrit, lightning is called Atharvan. In ancient Persia Arthvan meant a priest and this word evolved to become Brahmin. Persian herders of cattle were called Vastrayosh and after they settled down from their nomadic existence to become cultivators and later, traders, the word evolved into Hinduism’s Vaishya caste.
In the Vedas, waters are called Apo-Devi and in the Avesta, Apo-Vanghuish. Also, the prominent deities of the Rig Veda like Surya, Varun and Aryaman have come from the Avesta. In fact, originally, the Rig Veda was written in the Kharoshti script which like Persian is written backwards i.e. from right to left. The Brahmi script came much later and our Devnagri script even later than Brahmi. In Lemuria, Atlantis and Babylon, there existed the Akhadian script, found on Babylonian tablets during excavations, from which the Pali script evolved. This is why, since ancient Persia was the melting-pot of civilisations, Sanskrit sounds like old Persian e.g. Veeg the seed became the Sanskritised Beej. The Aryan settlers who lived in Persia and later, in India, had a lot in common by way of phonetics, language, spirituality and reverence for nature. The five elements of nature called Panchamahabhoot were worshipped, with fire and its apex in ancient India.This idea came from Persia, the oldest religion in the world viz. Zorastrianism which was and still is, the most eco-friendly religion in the world. It is a cardinal sin for a Parsi to defile any of nature’s elements which is why, a corpse, a shell after it’s energy has left it, is never to be burnt on fire. That would be a grave sin to the element of agni. Rather, a Parsi feeds the fire within a fire-temple with sweet-smelling sandalwood and frankincense.
Persian warriors were called ratheshwars, and this word evolved into kshatriyas. Even wars were fought in a noble fashion through there’s nothing noble about a war to my way of thinking. In the ancient world, man lived with nature. He depended on nature for his food, shelter and livelihood. To him, the forces of nature and her five elements appeared to be pulsating with life. The sun, moon, stars, clouds, earth, springs, rivers, oceans, trees, grass, flowers were, he believed, presided over by invisible intelligences which is a cosmic fact.
In return for nature’s bounties and blessings, man gave homage which took the form of the various hymns and prayers in the Avesta as well as the Rig Veda. Hence, there are so many similarities and spiritual parallels between Ancient Persian theology and that of the pre-vedic and vedic times. The Persian Goddess of water was Ahurani, similar to the vedic Asurani. Feeding the sacred fire was common to the Persians as well as the pre-vedic society. So many similarities, so much in common, because, in the final analysis, it’s the same supreme energy we all worship! Parsi Influence on all aspects of life in India-
The Parsi theatre was greatly influential in the 1850s and 1930s. It can be seen as the first modern commercial theatre in India. It was a combination of European techniques, pageantry, and local forms, hugely successful in the subcontinent. As the name suggests, it was subsidized to a great extent by the Parsis. They were chiefly engaged in shipbuilding and trading. They finally became a major business force on the west coast by the earlier parts of the nineteenth century, and began to cultivate the arts and philanthropy. Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, a Parsi, bought the colonial Bombay Theatre in the year 1835. In the year 1846 the Grant Road Theatre in Mumbai (Bombay), founded by Jagannath Sunkersett started to host plays in English, then in Marathi, Gujarati, and Hindi or Urdu.
There is hardly a discipline or human endeavour in which the Parsis have not demonstrated excellence. The armed forces, industry, science, medicine, sports, politics, philanthrophy, you name it, and a Parsi contribution will be conspicuous.The first elected Indian member of the British Parliament in 1892 was Dr. Dadabhoy Naoroji - a Parsi. Sir Pherozeshah Mehta was elected, on several occasions, President of the Indian National Congress, the Bombay Corporation and Bombay Presidency Association. The revolutionary Madam Bhikhaiji Cama was the first Indian (and Parsi) to unfurl the Indian National flag in Germany (1907). The Wadias were master-builders, while the Tatas gave India not just its first steel industry, but also hydro-electricity. Most of these families who generated wealth through industrial development put back the wealth in trust for the welfare of the people. The Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, for example, gave India its first Institute of Science in Bangalore, the first cancer hospital in Bombay, the first institute of social sciences, the first institute of fundamental research and a National Centre for the Performing Arts. The British Government granted Baronetcy and knighthood on three Parsis - Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, Sir Dinshaw M. Petit and Sir Cowasjee Jehangir, an honour which has no parallel in Indian history. Dr. K.N. Bahadurjee was the first Indian to pass the M.D. examination in London and worked tirelessly during the plague in Bombay, laying down his life at the age of 38. Dr. Rustom Jal Vakil has been referred to, in international journals, as "the father of Indian cardiology". India's first and only Field Marshal has been Sam Maneckshaw. Admiral Jal Cursetji has also been Chief of Naval Staff, while Air-Marshal Minoo Engineer was the most highly decorated air-marshal in Indian air-force history.India's first Atomic Research Centre is named after Dr. Homi Bhabha - a brilliant Parsi scientist, while Zubin Mehta is a household name all over the world as far as Western classical music is concerned. Interestingly, Pakistani founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah 's daughter also married a Parsi!
The list is almost endless. It may be rightly questioned - what makes this community tick? The answer is simple, their religious philosophy towards life and ethos for industry and hard work.