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

238 HISTORY OF THE PARSIS. [CHAP. V.

In the year 1838, however, backed up by almost the whole of the wealthy and respectable part of the community, the Panchayet again made an effort to recover its position by soliciting a formal mandate from the Legislative Council of India. They also sent to that assembly, through the Bombay Government, certain questions and answers embracing the rights of inheritance among their own people, with a request that, upon the basis of those answers, a law regulating the subject might be framed.

In their petition to the Legislative Council the Parsis, with a view to obtain power for the Panchayet,

thus expressed themselves :—

“Tf as we hope, your Lordship and the Legislative Council of India may be graciously pleased to pass a regulation in conformity with our desires, the next point to be considered is the enforcement of such regulation. The Panchayet, we regret to inform your Lordship, is now almost powerless, either for good or evil; and unless that body is made respected by the act of Government, the most serious consequences must ensue to the best interests of our caste. So long as the caste continued limited in number, and willing to obey the decisions of the Panchayet, the want of recognised authority in that body did not appeal so forcibly as it now does to the feelings and understandings of those interested in the welfare and prosperity of the Parsi nation. Of late, however, a new spirit has sprung up, and each man claims a right of acting as he may think fit, and very often in defiance of the decisions of the Panchayet and in wilful opposition both to the spirit and letter of our laws and usages. To be useful and of avail both the law and those who administer it must be respected ; and respect in ignorant minds seldom exists without some portion of fear. The lower orders of Parsis see that the Panchayet has no power to punish, and