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

154 HISTORY OF THE PARSTS. [CHAP. III.

apostles of the Zoroastrian doctrine, and succeeded in converting all the people of Iran to the new religion.

The example of the king was soon followed by the nobles and the people. When the monarch accepted the new religion there was little difficulty in propagating it among his subjects. On learning that the king was prepared to acknowledge his claims, Zoroaster produced the sacred books of the Avesta, which he had brought with him to court. These books were written in the Avesta language, a language understood to have existed as far back as three or four thousand years.

Besides Frashaoshtra and Jamaspa, whom we have already mentioned, there are named in the Fravardin Yasht about two hundred persons as his principal disciples. Mediomah is given the first rank, and Gushtasp the twentieth ; Hutosh, the queen, is also mentioned as one of them.

Of the latter days of Zoroaster’s life we know nothing from the Avesta. But the later Pehlevi and Persian books assert, in reference to his death, that one morning when engaged in prayer he was killed by a sharp instrument thrown at him by Turbaratur, a general of King Arjasp, who hated the new monotheistic religion. Zoroaster is then stated to have flung at Turbaratur his rosary, which killed him on the spot.

It appears from the different parts of the Avesta that Zoroaster had three daughters—Freni, Thriti,