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

CHAPTER I. DISTINGUISHED PARSIS OF GUJARAT.

Early opinion of Parsis—Their settlement of Naysari—Merji Rana—The Desais—Changa Asa—Removal of the sacred fire—Du Perron’s trayels—The Ravayets—Manaksha Desai—Translations of Persian poems —Temulji Desai—Divisions of the priesthood—Mancherji Kharshedji —First British connection with Baroda—Parsi services— Expulsion of Arab mercenaries—Parsis at Surat—Their good qualities—European factories at Surat—Parsi brokers—Rastam Manak—His visit to Aurangzeb—Rastam’s servyices—A Turkish merchant in distress—Rastam and Sir Nicholas Waite—The claims of Rastam’s family—Persecution—Naorozji Rastamji sails for Europe—Obtains justice in England—The first native of India to visit London—A despatch of the East India Company—The suburb of Rastampura—Manakji Seth—The first Parsi entailed estateMancherji Seth—Nanabhai Punjiabhai— Ancestor of the Modis—Bhimji Kuvarji—Imperial firman—Sorabji Kavasji—His mechanical knowledgeConsequences of repairing a clock—The Sorabji family—A Mahdi—Death of a Parsi—Phirozsha Dhanjisha—His popularity—His public funeralArdeshir Dhanjisha—His great services—Famine and flood—A piratical confederacy—Ardeshir receives a gold medal—Public darbars—False charge against Ardeshir—His exoneration—Grand darbar—Dadabhai Nasaryanji Modi—Ratanji Manakji Enti— Pilgrimage to Mecca—The Bhaynagris — Nasarvanji Kohiyar— Kharshedji Kohiyar—Lieutenant Birdwood—Kharshedji Modi—Intrigues at Poona—Maniar Parsi—His visit to England—The guest of Edmund Burke—Burke’s letter to Ragunath Rao—Bhikhaji Bharda—Manakji Damanvala.

AFTER their exodus from Persia the Parsis lived, as we have seen, at Sanjan for about six hundred years in tranquillity and in the full enjoyment of their religious rites under the government of the Hindu

rajas at that place. They chiefly occupied themselves VOL. II. B