The Zoroastrian Myth of Migration from Iran and Settlement in the Indian Diaspora

Download or read book The Zoroastrian Myth of Migration from Iran and Settlement in the Indian Diaspora written by Alan Williams and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2009-09-24 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Qesse-ye Sanjān is the sole surviving account of the emigration of Zoroastrians from Iran to India to form the Parsi (‘Persian’) community. Written in Persian couplets in India in 1599 by a Zoroastrian priest, it is a work many know of, but few have actually read, let alone studied in depth. This book provides a romanised transcription from the oldest manuscripts, an elegant metrical translation, detailed commentary and, most importantly, a radical new theory of how such a text should be “read”, i.e. not as a historical chronical but as a charter of Zoroastrian identity, foundation myth and justification of the Parsi presence in India. The book fills a lacuna that has been acutely felt for a long time.