History of the Parsis : including their manners, customs, religion and present position : with coloured and other illustrations : in two volumes

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CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. HISTORICAL SKETCH.

Parsi community—Their proud traditions—The early history of Persia —The heroic dynasties—Zoroaster—Cyrus the Great—Cambyses—Darius —Xerxes—The Sassanian dynasty—The wars of Persia and the Roman Empire—The Emperors Valerian and Julian—The glorious reign of Naoshirvan—Origin of name of Parsi—The rise of Mahomedan aggressionThe first invasion of Persia—The batile of Marwaha—Repulse of the Arabs—Persian suceess neutralised by dissension—Yazdezard—Receives an Arab deputation at Ctesiphon—The commands of the prophet—An unfortunate gift—‘‘ The soil of Persia is ours!”—The battle of Kadesia —The decisive battle of Nahayand—Sir John Malcolm’s account of itThe fate of Yazdezard—Changes effected by Mahomedan conquest—Only a few Persians hold ont—Their places of refuge—Khorassan—The island of Ormus—The Parsis sail for India—Early intercourse with IndiaThe Parsis arrive first at Diun—Leaye Diu for Gujarat—Nearly meet with shipwreck—Reach Sanjan—Their own account of their religion—Their acquaintance with Hindu customs—The sixteen ‘‘schloks”—They adopt the Gujarati language—Parsi settlements in other parts of India—Referred to by early travellers—Attempt at wholesale conversion—How the Parsis baffled the Portuguese—They abandon Thana—A warlike incident—The Mahomedan inyasion of Gujarat—The tragedy of Variav —The Parsis settle in Bombay—Induced to do so by English

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CHAPTER II.

THE ZOROASTRIANS IN PERSIA,

Zoroastrians in Persia—The misfortunes of that state—Majority of people adopt Mahomedanism—The Zoroastrian colonies—The Ghilji AfghansTheir invasion of Persia—The part taken by the Zoroastrians—Their treatment by Nadir Shah and his successors—They gradually lose their