The Zoroastrian race is vanishing, yet there’s much people of all religions can learn from its legacy
I can’t decide which would make a better story – a community’s tale of 3,000 years of survival or it nearing disappearance after all those years of glory and struggle. Zoroastrianism – world’s oldest revealed religion that has directly or indirectly influenced mankind more than any other faith, is left with not more than 1,90,000 followers across the world. While the majority of the community is settled in India (called Parsis), its roots rest in Iran and the Persian Empire that flourished some 3,000 years back. Though the Persian Empire was tolerant towards the cultures and faith of its subjects to the extent of patronising their temples, the rulers – Cyrus and Darius – followed a religion of ‘goodness’ – Zoroastrianism taught by Prophet Zarathustra. While the religion doesn’t allow proselytising or converting others to their religion, its essence – good mind, good thoughts, good words and good deeds – finds its influence on other popular faiths of the world – from Islam to Christianity to Buddhism – which came in afterwards.
So while conversion by force or by offering incentives has always been a way of growing for any community, it is comforting that this religion of ‘good deeds’ doesn’t engage in proselytising especially at a time when the world is literally a battlefield of faiths continually seeking to increase their numbers. However, this could be a reason behind the dwindling Parsi population both in Iran and in India, where they had first landed in the 10th century after Islamic conquests had begun in Iran. Yazd – once the heart of the Persian Empire – is today a forgotten city.
Some traditional Parsis even consider lesser number of people getting married as another reason of reduction in numbers! Around 30% of the Parsi population is single.
I can’t decide which would make a better story – a community’s tale of 3,000 years of survival or it nearing disappearance after all those years of glory and struggle. Zoroastrianism – world’s oldest revealed religion that has directly or indirectly influenced mankind more than any other faith, is left with not more than 1,90,000 followers across the world. While the majority of the community is settled in India (called Parsis), its roots rest in Iran and the Persian Empire that flourished some 3,000 years back. Though the Persian Empire was tolerant towards the cultures and faith of its subjects to the extent of patronising their temples, the rulers – Cyrus and Darius – followed a religion of ‘goodness’ – Zoroastrianism taught by Prophet Zarathustra. While the religion doesn’t allow proselytising or converting others to their religion, its essence – good mind, good thoughts, good words and good deeds – finds its influence on other popular faiths of the world – from Islam to Christianity to Buddhism – which came in afterwards.
So while conversion by force or by offering incentives has always been a way of growing for any community, it is comforting that this religion of ‘good deeds’ doesn’t engage in proselytising especially at a time when the world is literally a battlefield of faiths continually seeking to increase their numbers. However, this could be a reason behind the dwindling Parsi population both in Iran and in India, where they had first landed in the 10th century after Islamic conquests had begun in Iran. Yazd – once the heart of the Persian Empire – is today a forgotten city.
Some traditional Parsis even consider lesser number of people getting married as another reason of reduction in numbers! Around 30% of the Parsi population is single.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
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