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

CHAP. IV.] DEFYING THE LAW. 173

Bombay, and their numbers increased; many sensible persons among them perceived the absurdity of infant marriages and did all in their power to check the evil, but unfortunately without success. In the year 1777 the Parsi Panchayet issued an edict against the practice, but it remained a dead letter. An instance is recorded of a Parsi watchmaker named Beramji Nasarvanji having in the year 1785 betrothed his son one or two years of age to a daughter of Hormasji Beramji Patel who was only seven weeks old. The Panchayet waxed wroth at this step, and strongly remonstrated with the offenders, as it was contrary to their edict, but their opposition produced little or no effect. They thereupon summoned the whole of the Parsi community to Dadiseth’s fire-temple, and with the unanimous consent of the people passed a resolution excommunicating the above-named Parsis, forbidding all laymen from haying any intercourse with them as recusant, and prohibiting all priests from performing religious ceremonies at their houses. The excommunicated Parsis, however, were not without friends and supporters, who often opposed the Panchayet in their subsequent measures, and it was this opposition which led the synod to appeal to Government to support their authority.’

1 How this appeal was received by Government will be seen later on in our account of the rise and fall of the Parsi Panchayet.