Zoroastrianism and the Parsis
From "Zoroastrianism and the Parsis" Great Religions of the World by D. Menant, 1912.
From: 1200 B.C.E. To: 1912 C.E.
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.
From "Zoroastrianism and the Parsis" Great Religions of the World by D. Menant, 1912.
Owing to the conflict of traditions, ancient and modern, there is much uncertainty as to the personality of Zoroaster, Zarathustra, or Zerdusht, as he was variously called, the founder of the religion of the Parsis. Prof. Martin Haug, the distinguished German Orientalist, rather infers that there were two persons of the name, and, if so, that the first one lived as early as Moses, or, at least, not later than Solomon.
Another high authority declares that Zoroaster was by birth a Bactrian, that he was the son of Pourushaspa, and that he lived under King Vistaspa, or Gushtasp. Professor Hammer was of the opinion that this king was the same as Darius Hystaspes, and if this supposition were true Zoroaster must have flourished not long before the time of Cyrus; but later scholars have discredited this supposition, as Persian traditions make Vistaspa the last Kaianian prince who ruled in Bactria, and place Zoroaster's day before the conquest of Bactria by the Assyrians, some 1200 years B.C.
Still another investigator tells us that Zoroaster was born in Urmia, a town in the present North Persian province of Azerbijan, about B.C. 589, and in the reign of Lohrasp, father of Vistaspa, and not in the reign of the latter, as others have maintained.
His parents came from noble families, his mother, Daghda, being credited with princely birth, but in his youth they occupied an humble station in life. It is traditionally related that his mother was of such spotless character that she attracted the special favor of the Deity, who foretold to her the greatness of her son in dreams before his birth.
It is also said that his birth was attended with many miraculous circumstances, some of which later found their way into classical literature. Dr. Henry Lord, in his Account of the Modern Parsees in India, quotes Pliny as mentioning that Zoroaster laughed on the day of his birth, and that his brain palpitated so violently as to repel the hand when placed on it.
Zoroaster passed his childhood in his native town, and in his student days seems to have given his earliest attention to the investigation of the phenomena of nature. We are told that he passed twenty years in the deepest caves of Elbrooz Mountains, secluded from the society of men, a statement, with some modifications, that has been corroborated by many authorities.
Parsi authors call Zoroaster's journey to the mountain and his seclusion there his journey to Heaven, and give very full details of his reception and experiences in the abode of Eternal Bliss. It was in Heaven that he received the Zend-Avesta, with instructions to make it known to the king. There Ormuzd, on Zoroaster's departure for the earth, said to him:
"Teach the nations that my light is hidden under all that shines. Whenever you turn your face towards the light and you follow my command, Ariman (the evil Spirit) will be seen to fly. In this world there is nothing superior to light."
When Zoroaster went to the court of Vistaspa he is said to have been only thirty years of age. He first met the king at Balkh, and soon influenced him to become a zealous and powerful propagator of his faith.
Asfandiyar, son of Vistaspa, became Zoroaster's first convert, and through the son's persuasion the father speedily followed his example. The king ordered twelve thousand cowhides to be tanned with extra skill that the precepts of the new faith might be written on them for preservation, and these testaments were deposited in a vault hewn out of a rock at Persepolis, where they were guarded day and night by a specially chosen body of holy men.
Zoroaster died in B.C. 513, when about seventy-six years of age, some records asserting that he was murdered during the persecution of his followers by the Turanians.
According to the census of 1901 there were 94,190 Parsis in British India, the largest numbers being in Bombay (78,880), and Baroda (8,409). In Persia the number was reported at about 10,000.
[...]
Max Müller long ago pointed out that the extreme simplicity of Parsi-ism is the cause of the great attachment of its devotees, the cause, also, of the rare facility with which the Parsi accepts outward changes without incurring the risk of impeaching his faith.
We cannot attempt to sum up the whole history of Zoroastrianism in a few lines. Every one keeps in his memory the glorious career of the Persian Empire. After the Mohammedan conquest, it disappeared from the view of the world, and for centuries was faithfully preserved in the two small communities of Persia and India. The European scholars were left to their own speculations, and possessed only such information as could be derived from the classics.
When Anquetil Duperron brought Avesta to Europe, it created a great sensation. He gave a new impetus to science, and people know the glorious work done later by Burnouf and his followers. The Parsis, at first, were totally ignorant of the European studies bearing upon their sacred books.
In fact, the attacks of a missionary. Dr. J. Wilson, on the question of conversion, obliged the dasturs to come forward and explain the tenets of their religion. They did it in full earnestness and fairness, preserving their pure traditional doctrine. It was only when Dr. Haug was appointed superintendent of Sanscrit studies in the Poona College, and was brought into contact with the priests, that the distrust subsided.
Dr. Haug even collaborated with one of the dasturs, Hoshanji Jamaspji. Another decisive step was taken by a clever beh-din, Mr. K. R. Cama: on his return from Europe, where he had been acquainted with savants of high repute—Spiegel, for instance—he undertook to teach Zend and Phelvi on the modern philological principles, and introduced them among his co-religionists. Now there is a complete parallelism between the methods of the two schools of Europe and India. The latter produces original works and valuable translations, which do the greatest honor to the community.
Moreover, the dasturs, who for so long had carefully concealed the tenets of their religion, grew even more and more willing to give information about them. Sometimes they do not quite agree with the views of our Western scholars. No wonder; science and faith cannot use the same criterion.
Zoroastrianism, or Parsi-ism, is a monotheistic form of religion, not a polytheistic one, as some people would have it. There is but one God under different names, Mazda, Ahura, and Ahura-Mazda. He manifested himself to a Bactrian or Median philosopher or reformer, Zoroaster, who is considered to have constituted a religious doctrine, set forth in the sacred books of Avesta.
According to Herodotus, the Persians had no images of the gods, no temples, no altars, and they considered the use of them a sign of folly. The modern Parsis are of the same opinion as their forefathers, and repudiate any representation of the deity.
Zoroaster's speculative philosophy teaches us that the world is the work of two hostile principles, Spenta-Maynu, the good principle, and Angra-Maynu, the evil principle, both serving under one God—the first being the author of whatever is bright and shining, good and useful; the second of what is dark and noxious. The conflict will end in the triumph of the good principle.
The confusion of the philosophical and theological system has given rise to the belief in dualism, and led to the identification of the principle of good with Ahura-Mazda himself. Let us here quote Dr. Haug, whose authority is so great in these matters. ''The Parsis are strict monotheists, and, whatever may have been the views of former philosophical writings, their one supreme divinity is Ahura-Mazda. Their view of Angra-Maynu seems to differ in no respect from what is supposed to be the orthodox Christian view of the devil.''
In man himself we find the same struggle. Salvation depends entirely on his own efforts and deeds; so it becomes his peremptory duty to lead a holy life and to think, to speak, and to act righteously. The Mazdayasnian religion enjoins a sublime code of ethics. Mgr. de Harlez has rightly said that the Mazdian religion is distinguished from all other ancient religions in this—that it has a ''moral systematized and founded upon philosophic principles.” The late lamented Dr. Haug also observes that the moral philosophy of Zoroaster is moving in the triad of thought, word, and deed. These three words form the pivot upon which the moral structure of Zoroastrianism turns.
But in the company of holy souls will be the reward of the pure; the wicked will go to the house of impurity and utter darkness. But at the end of the world (which is to be synchronous with the end of the present cycle) there will be a general purification and regeneration. All souls will be furnished with new bodies and commence a life of ineffable bliss. ''Then he [the Saostryant] shall restore the world, which will [thenceforth] never grow old and never die, never decaying and never rotting, ever living and ever increasing, and master of its wish, when the dead will rise, when life and immortality will come, and the world will be restored at [God's] wish.''
Zoroastrian worship consists of oral recitations of portions of the sacred words, or such recitations combined and accompanied with the performance of ritual. The offerings are fruit, flowers, milk, incense, especially the juice of the haoma plant. The offices are few; they are performed by priests, who constitute a distinct class apart from the rest; no layman can become a priest; no priest can even marry the daughter of a layman. In the priestly class, all the youths now do not pass through the Navar and Martab ceremonies which made them priests (ervad).
The dignity of dastur is the highest in the craft. Their duties are numerous; they have to attend to the service of the temples and keep the fire constantly burning there. The ancient Iranians always regarded this element as the symbol of divinity and, as such, worthy of respect; but they never professed themselves to be the worshippers of the Fire. The modern Parsis consider fire "as an emblem of refulgence, glory, and light, as the most perfect symbol of God and as the best and noblest representative of his divinity."
Bishop Aleurin has given his opinion about fire reverence in such excellent and choice expressions that we cannot help quoting them. ''I am, therefore, very far from supposing that the Parsi fire worship is idolatry. Whoever accuses the Parsis of that most heinous of all crimes, and is not able to prove that they believe fire or sun to be God himself, is certainly guilty of the most detestable sin of calumny''
The Zoroastrian is not forced to attend places of worship in order to say his prayers nor to wait for a priest. The old Iranians, as is well known, deemed that nature in all its grandeur is their temple of worship. Often, at Bombay, numbers of Parsis go to the sea-shore and recite their prayers, with their faces turned to the rising or the setting sun.
The religious obligations of the Parsi are few. Between the age of seven and five a Zoroastrian must be invested with the sudeah (shirt) and kushti (girdle), which are the visible symbols or emblems of the Mazdayasni religion. The ceremony is called naojot (new, or first, worship). The candidate declares himself to be a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zoroaster, an opponent of daevas (false gods), and subject to the laws of Ahura.
Marriage is blessed by a priest; the outward pomp is, or rather was, totally Hindu. As to death and funeral rites, the ceremonies are most antique; the mode of disposing of the dead on high walls or stone platforms (towers of silence) is purely Avestic. Of course, it has long been and it still is an object of wonder to foreigners; but, after a consideration of the laws of hygiene and sanitation, the most averse to the custom grow reconciled to it.
A remarkable feature of modern Parsi-ism is the repugnance of the whole community either to proselytism or conversion. It is a fact that the Parsis have always been deaf to the allurements of the Brahminic worship and to the earnest appeals of Christian missionaries. The coarse Hinduism of the present could not tempt the pure soul of the monotheistic Mazdayasni; as to the appeals of the missionaries, they have been also fruitless for other reasons.
The remembrance of the few conversions made by Dr. Wilson (1839) is still very bitter. At that time, a Zoroastrian boastingly could say to the ardent apostle: ''With regard to the conversion of a Parsi, you cannot even dream of the event, because even a Parsi babe crying in the cradle is firmly confident in the venerable Zarthust.” Since then conversions have been rare.
The best proof of the attachment of the enlightened Parsi to his religion is to be found in Dr. Wilson's protege, Mr. Malabari, whose companion and class-fellow, S. D. B. , embraced Christianity. Mr. Malabari has stated that he resisted the influence of his old and respected friend, simply because he believed in salvation by faith and by word, but did not think the mediation of another absolutely necessary for salvation. However, he is not one of those who speak lightly of Christ. "I know not,'' he says, ''if India will become Christian, and when. But this much I know, that the life and work of Christ must tell in the end. After all. He is no stranger to us Easterns. How much He brings back to us refined and modernized!''
As to the missionaries, he fully acknowledges their good service to the cause of civilization.
"We are indebted to them for the first start in the race for intellectual emancipation. It is to them that we are beholden for some of our most cherished political and social acquisitions. ... Apart from its active usefulness, the Christian mission serves as a buffer for the side of skepticism usually inseparable from intellectual emancipation. At a time when doubt and distrust are to take the place of reasoned inquiry among the younger generation of India, I feel bound to acknowledge in my own person the benefits I have derived from a contact with the spirit of Christianity. But for that holy contact I could scarcely have grown into the stanch and sincere Zoroastrian that I am, with a keen appreciation of all that appeals readily to the intelligence and a reverend curiosity for what appeals to the heart, knowing full well that much of what is mysterious to man is not beneath, but beyond, the comprehension of a finite being."
The Parsis are totally ignorant of propaganda; they are most tolerant and never attempt to change the creed of any one. Were they always so? Is their present reserve in keeping with the Zoroastrian precepts? It seems that in days of yore they were more zealous. Some ancient treatises are of an essentially propagandist character, and we cannot help alluding to the most severe persecutions that the Christians had to endure under the Sassanian princes.
Nevertheless, the Parsis, in India, show the greatest reluctance to increase their number, not only by conversion, but also by any alliance with people of other religions. So that they have to multiply by marrying among themselves; fortunately, they belong to a prolific race, if we consider the small number of the first settlers and their present position.
According to the general census of 1891, the number of Parsis then in India was 89,904; 76,774 are quartered in the Bombay Presidency. The city of Bombay has a flourishing Parsi population of 47,498 souls; Surat, 12,757; then we can mention Broach, Thana, Karachi, etc. The priestly town of Nausari is, perhaps, the most important of the settlements outside British territory.
The occupations in the lower classes are varied and numerous. It is remarkable that the Parsis have never taken to the more menial employment, such as those of daylaborers, scavengers, palki-bearers, barbers, washermen, grooms, etc. Before the terrible trials of plague and famine, among thousands of mendicants there were only five Parsis, four males and one female. As to the victims of immorality, a Parsi was proud to record that "not a single Parsi female returned herself as living on the wages of shame.''
The Parsis are not exclusively quartered in India. Some are to be found in China (Canton, Macao, Hong-Kong), Penang, Rio, Mauritius, Cape Town, Madagascar, Australia. We do not mention Europe, where they come frequently, either for study or pleasure, never for a permanent stay, except in London.
We must not forget the small group of the Zoroastrians living in the Persian provinces of Yezd and Kirman. Their condition was for years miserable to a degree. The number of the educated few is limited; the head of the Yezd community is Mr. Ardashir Mihraban, with whom the writer became acquainted through Mr. E. G. Browne, the eminent lecturer on Persian at Cambridge, his guest in Persia. In spite of his endeavors, he has not yet succeeded in raising the intellectual level of his co-religionists. Their social status is very low, indeed; and it is even difficult—this we know from experience—to lighten their burdens, as they are still too ignorant to understand the benefits of certain improvements.
Their condition has been greatly ameliorated by Nasr-Eddin, who, by a firman, restored them to a footing of equality with his Mohammedan subjects (1882). Their number did not exceed 9,269 in 1891. They are remarkable for their honesty and chastity. Their Indian brethren have started a fund on their behalf.
What is the future of the Parsis? The question is momentous, and it is difficult for an outsider to decide. Socially, they are growing more and more important; the number of their distinguished men is daily increasing, and they have acquired a wide-spread influence. Now, as to religion, they are certainly more enlightened than their fore-fathers; but are they the same stanch believers as their predecessors? European rationalism does not spare their sacred books, and the spirit of free inquiry seems to have inflamed some of their young men. It has rightly preoccupied thoughtful philosophers. Mr. Malabari calls his co-religionists "a flock without a shepherd.” and he is right.
The community lacks unity; that is evidently the weak point. For years and years the Parsis were led by their own Panchayet, which ceased to exist after the promulgation of the laws of marriage and inheritance. The courts took the place of the anjuman. On the other hand, the authority of the Dastur Dasturan, being purely nominal, had ceased also to be effective. So that the two supports, religious and civil, happened to fail at almost the same time.
The Parsis have thus reached a turning-point in their national career, a period as important
as that when they began to mingle with Mohammedans and Europeans. The revival which followed has not yet ended, and they seem launched on the path of progress; but there are symptoms of such a rapid change in customs and ideals that one feels almost afraid of such rapidity.
Fortunately—if we can say so—all the classes are not yet won over. The contest between the old class and the young one is by no means settled. There are still Parsis in the Mofussil who are steeped in a pure conservatism. These are the very men who will serve as a dam to restrain the violence of the flood. Gradually, they will be gained to the cause of modern education, and they will allow the forward party to try experiments which will guard the new generation against exaggerated theories. They will also learn that they lack cohesion, and that they have to make their own religion and philosophy the guides that they need. Both have aided them in their social development; both will continue to support them in their new, modernized life in India and abroad; and both will enable them to wait for the final triumph of the Good Principle.
D. Menant.
Menant, D. "Zoroastrianism and the Parsis" Great Religions of the World. Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1912.
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