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

CHAPTER I. HISTORICAL SKETCH.

The Parsi community—Their proud traditions—The early history of PersiaThe heroic dynasties—Zoroaster—Cyrus the Great—Cambyses—Darius —Xerxes—The Sassanian dynasty—The wars of Persia and the Roman Empire—The Emperors Valerian and J ulian—The glorious reign of Naoshirvan—Origin of name of Parsi—The rise of Mahomedan aggressionThe first invasion of Persia—The battle of Marwaha—Repulse of the Arabs—Persian success 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 batile of KadesiaThe decisive battle of Nahayand—Sir John Malceolm’s account of it—The fate of Yazdezard—Changes effected by Mahomedan conquest—Only a few Persians hold out—Their places of refuge—Khorassan—The island of Ormus—The Parsis sail for India—Early intercourse with India—The Parsis arrive first at Diu—Leave 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 invasion of Gujarat—The tragedy of Variav —The Parsis settle in Bombay—Induced to do so by English.

Tue Parsis are probably the smallest community in the whole world, for they number scarcely a hundred thousand. They are chiefly to be found in India, where Bombay, the metropolis of the Western Presidency, has been for nearly a century their headquarters. In the midst of the many distinct races that form the Indian population they are like but a VOL, I, B

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