Lecture 9 Zoroastrianism

How did the Parsis live in the 1800s?

They saw great economic growth which was largely due to Bombay

Most parsis began to live in and move to cities

Despite the movement, the Parsis did still communicate with the centers in Gujarat

How did Parsis live in the 1900s?

Experienced Hostility from the Hindus because of the Parsis close ties to the British

Golden era of the Parsi community ended due to progresses made by other groups

large majority of Parsis lived in cities

What are the causes for the declining Parsi population?

Low birth rate

High number of intermarriages

Many are not engaged in religion

What can generally be said about Parsis in our day?

Have a very active communal life

Generally highly educated

Constant causes of friction are their different views on intermarriage and conversion

How were Parsis pioneers in terms of education in the 1800s?

Many Parsis attended Western-run schools

Both sexes attended schooling

The Parsis were encouraged to create their own schools, to avoid sending their children to schools ran by missionaries

Parsis built more and more schools in the 1840s and 50s and children attended them more regularly than other communities

How were the Parsis pioneers in politics in the 1800s?

The British were looking for a community native to the land that could mediate their influence on the country, the Parsis fit into this role perfectly

Dadabhai Naoroji, was from a prominent priestly family and was the first indian to be elected as a member of the British parliament, there were 2 more Parsis elected to this position and several Parsis apart of the Indian national congress

How did the Parsis view the British?

They saw them as superior to other cultures and the values were consistent with Zoroastrian values and British society is what Parsi communities should strive to become

They would emulate and mimic British lifestyle on many different aspects, for instance Parsi women would imitate British manners

What did Reverend John Wilson of the Church of Scotland do?

He launched a direct attack on Zoroastrianism through presenting several accusations against zoroastrianism citing the Avesta and the Pahlavi texts

Main point he mentioned that it was a polytheistic religion

Many could not provide a response on this attack by John Wilson and this sparked some Parsis to get an in-depth grasp of their own religion

What is the reform movement in Parsi Identity?

Many western educated Parsis wanted to modernize the religion

This movement encountered opposition from the more conservative people

How did the reformists and the conservatives go about educating the priests?

K. R. Cama spend a year in Europe visiting scholars of Iranian studies and when he returned to Bombay he taught Avestan and Pahlavi to a group of priests

What was Haug’s interpretation of Zoroastrianism?

He identified the Gathas only as texts of Zoroaster and argued that Zoroaster was a strict monotheist and preached a religion with ethical dualism

Haug claimed that Zoroaster did not preach a ritualistic system

How did Haug’s interpretation help the Parsis?

The perspective had a positive impact on the intellectual and psychological planes, as it gave the parsis an answer to the accusations that had been made by WIlson

How did Haug’s interpretation negatively affect the Parsis?

It decreased the sacredness of all of the other holy texts that are not the Gathas, the texts were all seen to be equally sacred

How did M. N. Dhalla combine innovation and tradition?

Saw Zoroastrianism as a monotheistic faith that had been corrupted by polytheism and deeply distrusted rituals

He followed the traditional beliefs, such as other divine beings existing other than Ahura Mazda

What are the changes and constants of the Parsi community in a contemporary setting?

Several traditional religious practices have been abandoned or simplified, many have preserved

This in spite of the Indian and Western Influences

What are the steps of disposing of the body in the house?

Washing the dead’s body with bull’s urine and water, and dressing it

Putting the body on the floor, drawing a circle around it, which was thought to protect the environment from its pollution

Bringing fire into the room, also to protect from pollution

How was the body prepared for the last journey?

The first of Zoroaster’s Gathas was recited

The body would be carried to the Dakhma

What happens in the Dakhma?

Male friends and relatives would follow the corpse

the body would be put out on the floor and undressed to be eaten

The bones would be placed within a well inside the Dakhma

What are the ceremonies that take place on the first 4 days after someone passes?

Specific ceremonies are done for the first 3 days and on the 4th morning (the soul stays next to the body for 3 days and on the 4th morning after death it goes to the afterlife)

How many days after the passing are ceremonies held for the deceased?

On the 10th and 30th day from death and on the anniversary of the death