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

108 AISTORYV OF THE PARSTS. [CHAP, III.

well-known Mulla Firoz), to Persia to obtain any information calculated to advance the views of the sect he represented. Mulla Kavas was reputed to be an excellent Persian and Arabic scholar. To fulfil the object of his mission he lived in Persia and Turkey for twelve years, during which time he visited Yezd, Isfahan, Shiraz, and Constantinople. Having made all the necessary inquiries, he returned to Surat in the year 1780. While in Persia he had an audience with His Majesty the Shah Mahomed Karim Khan. A few months before the return of Mulla Kavas his patron Dhanjisha Manjisha came to Bombay, and laid there the foundation of the Kadmi sect, under the influence and auspices of Dadiseth, one of the most opulent and influential Parsis of the time. Mulla Kavas followed Dhanjisha to Bombay, and soon ingratiated himself with Dadiseth, who afterwards built an Atash-Behram, or the chief sacred fire-temple for the Kadmi Parsis, and appointed Mulla Kavas as their chief “ dastur.” The Kadmi sect, whose numbers had been very small, was much strengthened by this new

Bombay, and having made the acquaintance of the well-known Dadibhai Nasarvanji (the Dadiseth), he persuaded him to build a fire-temple in Bombay for the benefit of the Kadmis. Dadiseth agreed to this proposal, took wp the matter in earnest, and the building was ready in 1783. It was consecrated by Mulla Kavas on the 29th September of that year. On the same date Mulla Kavas was appointed chief “dastur” of the Kadmi sect of the Parsis. In the following year, however, he resigned his sacred office, and went to Hydrabad in the Deccan, where he was much honoured and respected by the Nizam. He remained there till his death in 1802.