Culture: Homeland

HOMELAND

By JAYA SRIVALLI BANDI

The Parsis, who belong to a Zoroastrian community, migrated to the Indian subcontinent around the 8th century to 10th century AD, there was no mention about the date when they exactly arrived as it is still vague, yet some dates were proposed 716, 765 and 936 .

“The exact date of the Parsi migration is unknown. According to tradition, the Parsis initially settled at Hormuz on the Persian Gulf, but finding themselves still persecuted they set sail for India, arriving in the 8th century. The migration may in fact have taken place as late as the 10th century, or in both. They settled first at Diu in Kāthiāwār but soon moved to Gujarāt, where they remained for about 800 years as a small agricultural community.” 

(Britanicca & Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2024)

They are progeny of the Persian refugees who came to India after the Arab Islamic conquest at Iran. There is a tale named Qissa-i Sanjan which mentions the journey of  Parsis who migrated to India from Iran after the conquest. According to that account they were given permission by the ruler Jadi Rana to reside in India with some conditions, that they should adopt the local language which he meant was Gujarati and that the women should adopt traditional dressing style of that region to which these community people accepted. 

There is some other evidence other than the Qissa, like the Kanheri inscriptions in Maharashtra until the early 11th century. And some other Avesta and its commentaries include Sanskrit translations and transcriptions until the 12th and 13th centuries.

They initially tried to settle at Hormuz, near the Persian Gulf, despite moving there they still found themselves persecuted. So, they decided to embark on a journey to India. After coming to India, they initially settled at Diu  in Kathiawar (Peninsula in Gujarat), but later they moved to Gujarat. And they ended up living there for over 800 years as an agrarian community.

In the early 17th century the British established new trading posts in some places like Surat led to some circumstantial changes in the Parsis. Because they were influenced and more open to European ideas and got easily adapted to them. But they are not as receptive as they were to Europeans to Hindus or Muslims. So they got a little advantage in developing a talent in business ( trade and commerce) and in entrepreneurship.

In 1688, Bombay came under the control of East India Company, and soon after the introduction of complete religious toleration, The Parsis from Gujarat began settling in this region.

In the 18th century this city witnessed an expansion which was driven by their talent and ability in the industrial field and emerged as proficient merchants in that region.

In terms of how India is known today's world, they settled mostly in urban centers. The Parsis primarily reside in Mumbai, where their culture and community lifestyle can be evidently found, and they are also found in some other villages which are located in the northern parts of Mumbai. The homeland of Parsis in India is mostly in the coastal regions of Gujarat, particularly in the cities like Surat and Navsari. Apart from Mumbai and Gujarat they are settled in other urban areas like Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ooty, Dahanu and Bangalore. Till date Mumbai remains as the largest hub for this community, some other places in Gujarat also hold some historical significance like Bharuch and Ankleshwar, etc.

“One would thus have assumed that the independence of India would have threatened their position severely. This did not, however, happen. There was no resentment against the Parsees, and they immediately adapted themselves to the new situation. If their position is threatened today, then it is for quite different reasons which are very familiar to us as Europeans, i.e. they have become westernized to the extent that they have only a small number of children. Moreover, they are not prepared to accept positions not corresponding to their ideas of an elite status, and therefore have a high unemployment rate. The community is felt to be a sort of social insurance, a situation which clearly cannot persist for ever.”

(Eckehard, 1974, #)

References

Britanicca, T. E. o. E., & Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. (2024, October 10). Parsi | Religion, History, & Facts. Britannica. Retrieved November 3, 2024, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Parsi

Eckehard, E. (1974). The Parsees in India: a minority as agent of social change. https://archive.org/details/parseesinindiami0000kulk