Today, we celebrate Navroz or Nowruz that marks the Parsi New Year for the followers of the Zoroastrian faith. The Parsi New Year begins with the first day of Farvardin, the first month in the Zoroastrian calendar. The day is also known as Jamshed-i-Nouroz, after the Persian king Jamshed who is believed to have introduced the Parsi calendar. Across the world, Navroz is celebrated at the time of the vernal equinox around March 21. However, Parsis in India follow the Shahenshahi calendar which does not recognise leap years. Hence, the Parsi New Year in India is celebrated almost 200 days after it is celebrated across the world.
History
The Parsi New Year celebration is believed to date back to 3,000 years ago. Zoroastrianism, which was founded by the prophet Zarathustra in Persia (now Iran), is one of the earliest known monotheistic religions in the world. It was one of the most important religions in the ancient world until the emergence of Islam in the seventh century. During the Islamic invasion of Persia, many Persians fled to India and Pakistan. Since then, their festivals have become a part of Indian culture and are celebrated by people from diverse cultures.
Celebrations
Navroz is a day when people pray for health and prosperity. Parsis also believe it to be a day of remittance of sins and a time for repentance. On Navroz, Parsis visit the fire temple. The community pays a visit to the fire temple after a scrumptious traditional breakfast. Jashan is an important prayer of thanks and repentance on this day. People wear new clothes and decorate their homes with flowers. Families and friends sit together for an elaborate meal. The day is also marked with philanthropic gestures.
Traditional delicacies are at the heart of the Parsi New Year. Dishes like mora dhan chawal, saas ni machchi, berry pulao, marghi na farcha (fried chicken), cutlets, custard and more are cooked on this day.
Zoroastrians in India and Iran
In 652 CE, the Sassanian Empire was defeated by Arab Muslims. The majority of Zoroastrians were forced to accept Islam; others continued to practice their faith quietly and were often persecuted. A few shiploads of Zoroastrians, many from the Iranian region of Pars, fled to India. These refugees, who would later be known as “Parsis,” first began arriving in 936 to Sanjan, Gujarat, on the Indian subcontinent. Thus began the parallel development of two distinct communities of Zoroastrians: the Iranians and the Parsis.
Modern-day Parsis recount a folktale of the Zoroastrian arrival in India, their ships arriving in Sanjan and being met by the local raja, or king. Lacking a common language, the raja presented the refugees with a full glass of milk, indicating that there was no place for them. The Zoroastrians responded by adding a spoonful of sugar to the milk, demonstrating that they would blend into their surroundings and sweeten the proverbial glass of milk without causing it to overflow. Ultimately, the Zoroastrians were allowed to settle in India with some provisions: first, the mobeds, or priests, were to explain their religion to the raja; at the raja’s request, marriages were to be performed after sunset for discretion; the immigrants were to speak the local language; and the women were to wear the sari. The result was the development of a distinct Parsi community, characterized by “selective assimilation” and by its creative contributions to an adopted homeland.
While many Iranian fire temples were being converted into mosques, the Parsis began to establish fire temples, or agiaries, in the Indian subcontinent. Absence of intermarriage and a low birthrate kept the community small, but their contributions to the area were considerable, and the small religious community enjoyed great economic success. The Parsi community flourished under British rule; by the early 1800s, although fewer than 10,000 Parsis lived in Bombay, they owned more companies than either the Hindus or the Europeans. They were also known for their emphasis on education and charity, which included the establishment of schools for girls.
From the late 19th century to the present, some Iranians began immigrating in small numbers to India to join their co-religionists in a more hospitable environment.
Parsis had contributed to India richly over the centuries through personalities like Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Dr Homi Bhaba, Field Marshall Sam Maneckshaw and maestro Zubin Mehta, who had all played a great role in various fields in modern Indian history.
Due to persecution of Zoroastrians in other countries and the liberal atmosphere and patronisation of India, today the largest population of Zoroastrians resides in India, where Zoroastrians have been allowed to play a notable role in the Indian economy, entertainment, the armed forces, and the Indian freedom movement during British Raj. The Zoroastrian groups are regarded as either Parsi or Irani depending on the time of migration to India.
The Zoroastrians moved to India in successive migrations in the Islamic period. The initial migration following the conquest has been characterized as a religious persecution by invading Muslims. According to the account, the Zoroastrians suffered at their hands and in order to protect themselves and safeguard their religion, fled first to northern Iran, then to the island of Hormuz and finally to India.
Their settlement was approved by the Hindu king of Sanjan (a city in Gujarat) who addressed certain conditions for it: they would explain their religion, promise not to proselytise, adopt Gujarati speech and dress, surrender their weapons and only conduct their rituals after nightfall. During this period, Zoroastrian traders faced execution outside India, including in China where many were killed during the Guangzhou massacre.
The immigration of Zoroastrians to India continued, and by 1477 they had lost all contact with Persia. Not until three hundred years had passed would they come into contact. Zoroastrians also played a notable role during the freedom movements of India. There were also subsequent migrations, especially resulting from attempts of Safavids' to convert their subjects to Shia Islam in the sixteenth century. This added to the Parsi population and cemented their close association with Iran.
Communities
There are two major Zoroastrian communities in India.
Parsi
The word Parsi in the Persian language literally means "Persian". Persian is the official language of modern Iran, which is also known as Persia. The language (Parsi) is commonly referred to as Farsi, because, after the Arab invasion of Persia, because of the absence of the "P / G / Zh / Ch" sounds in the Arabic language, Parsi became Farsi.
The long presence of the Parsis in the Gujarat and Sindh areas of India is supported by a genetic study and it also distinguishes them from the smaller Zoroastrian Indian community of Iranis, who are more recent arrivals.
Iranis
Although the term 'Irani' is first attested during the Mughal era, most Iranis are immigrants who arrived on the subcontinent during the 19th and early 20th centuries, that is, when Iran was ruled by the Qajars and when religious persecution of non-Muslims was rampant. The descendants of the immigrants of those times remain culturally and linguistically closer to the Zoroastrians of Iran, in particular to the Zoroastrians of Yazd and Kerman. Consequently, the Dari dialect of the Zoroastrians of those provinces may be heard among the Iranis.
Under British rule, the Parsis, who previously had been humble agriculturists, started to enrich themselves through commerce, then through industry. They became a most prosperous and “modern” community, centred in Bombay (Mumbai). Formerly they had adopted the Gujarati language and the dress of their Hindu milieu. Later they adopted British customs, British dress, the education of girls, and the abolition of child marriage. In their enterprises as well as in their charities, they followed the example of the West. From the 19th century on, they were able to help their less-favoured brethren in Iran, either through gifts or through intervention with the government.
They also adapted themselves to their Indian culture by minimizing what was repugnant to the Hindus—namely, blood sacrifice—and they surrendered to some extent to the vogue of astrology and to theosophy.
India’s Parsis are one of the most successful minority and migrant groups in the world. They make up less than 0.005% of India’s population but there are several billionaires from the Parsi community. They fled Iran and settled in India in the 10th century and have since played an outsized role in the evolution of India’s economy as pioneers of trade and industry.
For centuries, prominent Parsis have shared their success through philanthropy–their religion encourages wealth creation as well as charity–so the names of top Parsi traders and industrialists are plastered on the hospitals, schools, libraries and streets of Mumbai and other cities.
Notable Parsis who shaped India
The Parsi community in India has been responsible for the industrial revolution in India. They have a rich cultural history and have made a lasting impact on India. They migrated to India to escape the Muslim Conquest of Iran in 636–651 CE and settled mainly in Southern Gujarat. The other group which migrated to India were the Iranians. The first settlement of Parsi refugees were granted asylum by the king Jadi Rana and since then as the years have passed, the Parsis adopted the local language (Gujarati) and dress code.
The story of the Parsis has been recorded in Qissa-i-Sanjan - the only known account of the story of the early settlers. Parsis have played a very pivotal role in India’s economic development since the days of the British Raj.
Rustom Maneck and Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy were two of the most influential Parsis of the early days and held positions of influence in the society. They were the most prolific in areas of education, society and industrialisation.
Notable Parsis of India
Wadia
Current leader: Nusli Wadia
Net worth: $5 billion
Established: 1736
Industries: Textiles, property, food, health
Companies: Bombay Dyeing, Britannia, Go Airlines
Godrej
Ardeshir Godrej : He and his brother Pirojshah Burjorji co-founded the Godrej Brothers Company (today the Godrej Group).
Current leader: Adi Godrej
Net worth: $4 billion
Established: 1897
Industries: Consumer durables, retail, property
Companies: Godrej Consumer Products, Godrej Properties, Gorej Industries
Ardeshir Godrej firmly believed that freedom would remain a distant dream until India became self-reliant. Despite hailing from an affluent family, Ardeshir did not approach his father for a loan and arranged it from elsewhere. He began his business by starting manufacturing locks on May 7, 1897, in Lalbaug. Gradually, he expanded his business interest from security engineering to soaps to typewriters to white goods. Godrej became a household name in India, notching up a majority of the market share.
Mistry
Pallonji Mistry : Construction tycoon of India
Pallonji Mistry is the father of ex-Chairman of Tata Group Cyrus Mistry
Net worth: $15 billion
Established: 1865
Industries: Property development, construction, energy
Companies: SP Real Estate, SP Infra, Eureka Forbes
Byramjee Jejeebhoy Esq. : He was a philanthropist and founded the B.J. Medical College.
Sir Dorab ji Tata : The founder of Tata Steel and a noted philanthropist.
Net worth: $1 Billion
Established: 1868
Industries: Software, steel, autos, hospitality, airlines
Companies: Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Tetley Tea
Aruna Irani: Noted Bollywood actress and dancer.
Diana Edulji: She’s the first Indian Women’s Cricket team captain.
Homai Vyarawalla : India’s first woman photojournalist.
Dadabhai Naoroji : Economist and political activist; first to publicly demand independence for India.
Homi Nusserwanji Sethna : Chemical engineer and guided the development of India’s first nuclear explosive device.
Dinshaw Maneckji Petit : Founded the first textile factories in India.
Poonawalla
Head: Cyrus Poonawalla
Industrialist, pharmacologist and the founder of the Serum Institute of India
Father of Adar Poonawalla, CEO of SII
Net worth: $12 billion
Established: 1966
Industries: Biotech, vaccines
Companies: Serum Institute of India, Poonawalla Stud Farms
Fali S Nariman: An eminent lawyer and constitutional scholar, Nariman had been a counsel in several high-profile cases. A recipient of the Padma Vibhushan (2007) and Padma Bhushan (1991), Nariman’s contribution to jurisprudence and public affairs is unmatched. Born in a Parsi Family, Nariman completed his BA in Economics and History from St Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and thereafter got his law degree from Government Law College in 1950. He also served as Additional Solicitor General of India from May 1972 to June 25, 1975, however, he quit the post upon declaration of Emergency.
Ratan Tata: Chairman emeritus of Tata Sons. Tata was the Chairman of Tata Group, a global business giant, from 1991 to 2012. During his stint, the conglomerate’s revenues grew over 40 times, and profit over 50 times. His tenure also saw the acquisition of tea brand Tetley with Tata Tea, Jaguar Land Rover with Tata Motors and most notably steel giant Corus’s merger with Tata Steel. Recipient of Padma Vibhushan (2008) and Padma Bhushan (2000), the business magnate continues to head Tata Group’s charitable trusts – Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Sir Ratan Tata Trust – and their allied trusts.
Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy (JRD) Tata: Industrialist and founder of Air India — India’s first commercial airline. He has the rare distinction of being the first licensed pilot of India. A pioneering entrepreneur in his own right, it was under his leadership that several firms emerged from the Tata Group, including Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors, Titan Industries, Tata Tea and Voltas. He is also the founder of India’s first Airlines Tata Airlines in 1932, which became Air India in 1946. His tenure as Tata Group chairman also saw the group’s assets growing from US$100 million to over US$5 billion. He was also associated with several social welfare initiatives. Under his guidance, Asia’s first Cancer Hospital – Tata Memorial Centre for Cancer, Research and Treatment – was established in 1941. He was awarded India’s highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna, for his humanitarian endeavours.
Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw: Manekshaw was the Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army during the Indo-Pak war of 1971. In his miltary career that spanned over four decades, he served the army in five wars beginning with World War II under the British Army. Born in Punjab to a Parsi family, his father was also an army man, having served in the British army in the first world war. He was selected as part of the first batch of cadets to attend Indian Military Academy in 1931. He was also the first military officer to attain the rank of Field Marshal. During his stint as COAS, he played a key role in preventing the implementation of reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the army.
Homi Jehangir Bhabha: The father of India’s Nuclear program and the first chairman of Indian Atomic Energy Commission. Homi Jehangir Bhabha hailed from an illustrious Parsi family of Mumbai. His father, Jehangir Hormusji Bhabha, was a well-known lawyer. Being a brilliant student, he attended Mumbai’s Elphinstone College at the age of 15. He then attended the Royal Institute of Science and moved to Cambridge University to pursue mechanical engineering and did extensive research on his favourite subject, Physics. He was instrumental in starting India’s nuclear programme. With help of JRD Tata, he played a major role in establishing the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai.
Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore: One of the bravest soldiers to serve in the Indian army, Tarapore was awarded the highest gallantry award Param Vir Chakra for his valour and sacrifice in the 1965 Indo-Pak war. During the war, he was in command of the Poona Horse regiment which launched an attack on Phillora in the Sialkot sector, which was met with fierce armour charge by Pak army. His tank was hit several times, which left him wounded but the brave-heart refused to be evacuated. Inspired by his bravery, the regiment attacked the Pakistani armour and destroyed nearly sixty Pakistani Army tanks, suffering only nine tank casualties. Even when he achieved martyrdom, his regiment continued to defy the enemy.
Fali Homi Major: Born on May 29, 1947, in a Parsi family, Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major served as the 21st Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force. In his distinguished career spanning nearly four decades, he worked in a variety of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments. With a flying experience of 7,765 hours, Major oversaw several dangerous missions. His helicopter unit took part in operations in Siachen (world’s highest battlefield) and commanded a Mi-17 squadron during the IPKF operations in Sri Lanka, rescue mission of 11 tourists stranded in cable car among others.
Jamshetji Tata: Industrialist and the founder of the Tata Group of Companies. Born on March 3, 1839, Jamshetji is known as the grandfather of modern Indian Industry thanks to his business acumen and entrepreneur skills. He established India’s trade relations with England, America, Europe, China, and Japan. A visionary in his own right, he had four goals in life – starting an iron and steel company, a world-class learning institution, a grand hotel and setting up a hydro-electric plant. Of them, he only succeeded in building the Taj Mahal Hotel at Colaba (1903) during his lifetime. At that time, Taj was the only hotel in India to have electricity.
Rustom KS Gandhi: Vice Admiral Rustom Khushro Shapoorjee Gandhi was not only a great soldier but also an able administrator. Born in 1924 in Jabalpur, Gandhi joined the Royal Navy with a permanent commission as an officer cadet on January 1, 1943. He has the distinction of being the only officer to have commanded ships in all naval wars fought by India. He played a decisive role in “Operation Vijay” of 1961 that saw the end of Portuguese rule in Goa. He was awarded Vir Chakra for his role in the 1971 Indo-Pak War. After his retirement, he served as the governor of Himachal Pradesh.
Nanabhoy Palkhiwala: Another stalwart of the Parsi community who was a prominent jurist and economist, he joined the bar in 1946 and quickly became famous as an eloquent and articulate barrister. Along with Sir Jamshedji Behramji Kanga, he wrote The Law and Practice of Income Tax, which is still considered an authoritative work in commercial and tax law. He was one of the most ardent defenders of the rights of freedom of expression and freedom of the press. When the Indira Gandhi government imposed import controls on newsprint in 1972 to stifle dissent, he argued in the Supreme Court that newsprint served more than just a general commodity.
SH Kapadia: Another top legal luminary from the Parsi community, Sarosh Homi Kapadia served as the thirty-eighth Chief Justice of India. He joined Bombay High court as an advocate in 1974. In 1991, he was appointed as an additional judge at Bombay High Court and in March 1993, he was appointed as a permanent judge. He became the Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court in 2003 and soon was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court. He will perhaps be remembered for his most notable judgement that came in Vodafone versus the Union of India, where he ruled that the Indian revenue department did not have territorial jurisdiction to tax offshore transactions.
Soli Sorabjee: The former Attorney-General of India and an eminent jurist, Soli Sorabjee is a strong proponent of civil liberties and protection of human rights. He was admitted to the bar in 1953 after completing his studies at St Xavier’s College, Mumbai and Government Law College. He was designated as a senior Supreme Court lawyer in 1971. He also served as Solicitor-General of India from 1977 to 1980. At present, he is the Chairman of Transparency International and Convenor of the Minority Rights Group.
Polly Umrigar: Born on March 28, 1926, in Maharashtra’s Sholapur, Pahlan Ratanji Umrigar was a legendary cricketer who played from the late forties to the early sixties. He had then held the record of the Indian player with most Tests, most runs and most hundreds. In fact, his records stood from 1962 to 1978, only to be broken by little master Sunil Gavaskar. Cricketers from the Parsi community dominated the Indian cricket scene in the 50s and 60s. Cricketers like Phiroze Edulji Palia, Rustomji Jamshedji, Rusitomji Sheriyar Modi, Keki Khurshedji Tarapore, Nariman Jamshedji Contractor are some of the notable names.
Modi government to boost ‘Jiyo Parsi’ scheme
For decades, Parsis have been facing a low infertility rate leading to the fear of their extinction. Taking this into consideration, the Centre-sponsored Jiyo Parsi scheme had been allocated a budget of Rs 12 crore for the financial year 2019-2020 so that the fertility rate of Parsis could be improved using ART. Based on the review of the scheme, the government will consider if there is a need to increase the amount.
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