History

 History 

BY TINA LAKRA

The story of Persia and Persians is fascinating to read as it’s one of the oldest civilizations in the world, which is centered in modern day ‘Iran’. Persia was made up of in total three dynasties- the Achaemenid empire, the Parthian empire, and the Sasanian empire. “The first Persian Empire, founded by Cyrus the Great around 550 B.C., became one of the largest empires in history, stretching from Europe’s Balkan Peninsula in the West to India’s Indus Valley in the East” (History.com Editors, 2023).The empire was known for its vast territorial expansion, innovative administration, and respect for local customs and religions. The Persian religion was shaped by Zoroastrianism, which is named after the Persian Prophet ‘Zoroaster’. Under rulers like Darius I and Xerxes I, Persia developed a cultured bureaucracy, a network of roads, and a postal service, fostering trade and communication across a diverse empire.

University of Punjab. (2014). Zoroastrians in Mughal Court. A story of Parsis and their rise in Mughal India.

The Persians endured several invasions done by several conquerors such as Macedonians, Arabs, Turkish and Mongolians.  Despite these invasions, Iran continually reasserted its national identity. But the Muslim conquest of Persia ended the Sasanian empire(between 633-651 A.D.) and marked a turning point in its history. It led to the Islamization of Iran and the decline of Zoroastrianism. Persians suffered a lot during this invasion. For instance, the Arab invaders charged taxes to the Zoroastrians who were living in Persia, for practicing their religious practices and implemented laws to make life difficult for them. After several years, most Iranian Zoroastrians converted to Islam because of the pressure they faced, this became one of the reasons for their migration. Along with this, there were many other several reasons for their migration to India-

• Due to conflicts and negative political goals, political instability grew constantly in Persia. Many leading nobles and educated people were executed or removed from their positions as part of the turmoil. As a result, in search of safety, many people migrated to India in large numbers.

• Another factor that led to the migration of the Persian immigrants was the religious atmosphere that was turning unfavorable for them.  A large number of people who rejected the ‘Ithna Ashariyah’ Faith in Persia were forced and sent into exile(sent away from their own country). Some of the people who were exiled went to Central Asia and Turkey, but most of them came to India. 

• One of the major factors behind the migration of Iranians to India was political turbulence in their home country. Internal revolt in some cases caused confusion and insecurity, and on the other hand, foreign invasions created insecurity among certain regions. 

• India has been a meeting point for many different ideas because of its location since ancient times. The Indian principle of tolerance also helped parsis live peacefully in the country.

• It is also assumed that the reason for their migration is not just the religious persecution that they faced but some recent excavations indicate that there was a well- established trade relationship between Persia and North-west India, in particular with Gujarat.

So from the above information, it is clear that the Parsis migrated to India primarily to escape religious persecution done by the Muslims during the Islamic conquest of Persia in the 7th century. However, it is not just the sole reason for their migration. Many Zoroastrians happily accepted to become refugees in India, where they could practice their faith freely.

Arrival of  Parsis in India-

“The arrival of Parsis in India had been shared in ‘Qissa-i Sanjan or Kisse-i Sanjan’  or story of Sanjan and Qisseh-i Zartustian-i Hindustan, the former story was written by Parsi priest Behman Kaikobad Sanjana in 1599 and the later was written by Shapurji Maneckji Sanjana in Navsari between 1765 and 1805”(Langrial, 2014, 16). However, the exact date of the Parsi migration is not known yet. “It is often assumed that the Persian Zoroastrians were travelling by boat or ship to Khurasan, where they stayed 100 years and then they proceeded to the island of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, where they stayed 15 years. For next nineteen years they selected Diu as their residence in southern India, then they reached on the western coast of India and settled in the Gujarat town of Sanjan”(University of Punjab, 2014, 2). Upon reaching India, they were received by ‘Jadi Rana’, a ruler of Gujarat during that period. They were then allowed to settle there under certain rules and regulations. The place where they settled is named as ‘Sanjan’, which is said to have been named after their own city of origin. Since then, they stayed in India and lived with others in harmony. The Parsis are India’s smallest minority, yet they have gained huge influence and importance on the country.

It should be noted that Zoroastrianism is an ancient religion that originated and was prevalent in Iran before the Islam invasion. And the people who follow Zoroastrianism are called Zoroastrians. Whereas, Parsis are descendants of Zoroastrian migrants from Persia who emigrated to India. They are related to each other. But they(Parsis living in India) also adapted themselves according to the current conditions in India.

“The Parsis are now one of India’s smallest religious minorities. They are to be found mainly in Mumbai (Bombay) and Gujarat, especially in the city of Surat and the old religiously important town of Navsari (Desai 2008), but there are also communities in Pune (Poona), Kolkata (Calcutta) (Ray 2005), Bangalore (Unvalla 2004), Chennai (Madras), and a few in Delhi. Despite numbering only 69,601 (according to the Census of India 2001), a tiny community among India’s teaming millions, they have nevertheless contributed significantly to India’s modern history”(Blackwell, 2015, 187). Parsis now have a global presence, with large communities in many countries, including Pakistan, Hong Kong, Britain, and North America.

 

References

Blackwell, W. (2015). The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Zoroastrianism. Dr.M.Stausberg. https://iranianstudiesnews.ir/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/The-Wiley-Blackwell-Companion-to-Zoroastrianism-by-Michael-Stausberg-Yuhan-Sohrab-Dinshaw-Vevaina-Anna-Tessmann-z-lib.org_.pdf#page=187

History.com Editors. (2023, May 30). Persian Empire. History. https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-middle-east/persian-empire

Langrial, A. H. (2014, December). Zoroastrians in Mughal Courts. A short story of Parsis and their rise in Mughal India, 16. https://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/szic/pdf_files/6-%20Altaf%20Langrial%20Artcle%20Zorostrians%20edited_Dec%2014.pdf