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Parsi...

A Parsi or Parsee is a member of one of the twoZoroastrian communities in India. They are legally and

ethnically distinct from the Iranis even though bothgroups descend from Persian Zoroastrians.

According to the Qissa-i Sanjan tradition, the present-dayParsis descend from a group of Zoroastrians fromGreater Iran who immigrated to Gujarat in western Indiaduring the 8th or 10th century to avoid persecution byMuslim invaders who were in the process of conquering

Iran. At the time of the Muslim conquest of Persia, thedominant religion of the region was Zoroastrianism.Iranians rebelled against Arab invaders for almost 200years; in Iran this period is now known as the "TwoCenturies of Silence" or "Period of Silence".[10] Duringthis time many Iranians who are now called Parsirejected both options and instead chose to take refuge byfleeing from Iran to India.

The word "Parsi" in the Persian Language literally meansPersian. Persian is the official language of modern Iran,which is also known as Persia. The Persian language(Parsi) is commonly referred to as Farsi, the reasonbeing that, after the Arab invasion of Persia and thesubsequent rule of the Arabs, because of the absence ofthe "P / G / Zh / Ch" sounds in the Arabic language, theyreferred to the Persian language as "Farsi". For example,

Babak Khorramdin's original first name was Papak (Papa +Kuchak = Papak) meaning "Young Father" in the Persianlanguage.

The long presence of the Parsis in the regiondistinguishes them from the Iranis, who are more recentarrivals and represent the smaller of the two ZoroastrianIndian communities.

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Over the centuries since the first Zoroastrians arrived inIndia, the Parsis have integrated themselves into Indiansociety while simultaneously maintaining or developingtheir own distinct customs and traditions (and thus ethnic

identity). This in turn has given the Parsi community arather peculiar standing: they are Indians in terms ofnational affiliation, language and history, but not typicallyIndian (constituting only 0.006% of the total population) interms of consanguinity or cultural, behavioural andreligious practices. Genealogical DNA tests to determinepurity of lineage have brought mixed results. One studysupports the Parsi contention (Nanavutty 1970, p. 13)

that they have maintained their Persian roots by avoidingintermarriage with local populations. In that 2002 study ofthe Y-chromosome (patrilineal) DNA of the Parsis ofPakistan, it was determined that Parsis are geneticallycloser to Iranians than to their neighbours (Qamar et al.2002, p. 1119). However, a 2004 study in which Parsimitochondrial DNA (matrilineal) was compared with thatof the Iranians and Gujaratis determined that Parsis are

genetically closer to Gujaratis than to Iranians. Takingthe 2002 study into account, the authors of the 2004study suggested "a male-mediated migration of theancestors of the present-day Parsi population, wherethey admixed with local females [...] leading ultimately tothe loss of mtDNA of Iranian origin" (Quintana-Murci etal. 2004, p. 840)------------------

he traditional estimate of the number of Parsis worldwideis between 125,000-200,000, although individualestimates can deviate significantly. One source[14]states "Zoroastrianism faces extinction today, with barely125,000 members left", while another[15] states "At most,there are 200,000 Zoroastrians worldwide; 15,000 ofwhom live in North America", and a third[15] author,Rashna Writer, lists their numbers at under 150,000.

These figures are based on data from 1996, in particular

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that of the Indian census of 1981, which counted 71,630Parsis in that country. The latter figure is based onrevised reports of Parsis in the diaspora, and on theresults of the Indian census of 2001, which counted

69,601 Parsis in that country, with a concentration in andaround the city of Mumbai. In the recent years manydoubts have risen on the accuracy of India's statisticaldata.[16][17][18]

Countries other than India with reported (by localParsi/Zoroastrian associations) Parsi populations are:"Britain, 5,000; USA, 6,500; Canada, 4,500; Singapore,

300; Australia, 300; Pakistan, 3,000; Hong Kong, 150;Kenya 80." (Hinnells in [19]). With the exception ofPakistan, which is part of the region where Parsis havetraditionally settled, the majority of the Parsis in thesecountries are typically part of the (first/second generation)diaspora.

The Bombay Parsi Punchayat is apprehending a further

decline in population numbers in 2011 census ascompared to 2001 census.[20]

Population trends[edit]Indian census data has established that the number ofParsis has been steadily declining for several decades.The highest census count was of 300,000 individuals in1983.[21] The population continues to decline by about

10% every decennial census.[22]

According to the National Commission for Minorities,there are a "variety of causes that are responsible for thissteady decline in the population of the community", themost significant of which were childlessness andmigration (Roy & Unisa 2004, pp. 8, 21). Demographictrends project that by the year 2020 the Parsis will

number only 23,000 (less than 0.002% of the 2001

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population of India). The Parsis will then cease to becalled a community and will be labeled a 'tribe'.(Taraporevala 2000, p. 9).

One-fifth of the decrease in population is attributed tomigration (Roy & Unisa 2004, p. 21). A slower birthratethan deathrate accounts for the rest: as of 2001, Parsisover the age of 60 make up for 31% of the community.Only 4.7% of the Parsi community are under 6 years ofage, which translates to 7 births per year per 1000individuals (Roy & Unisa 2004, p. 14).----------------------

The gender ratio among Parsis is unusual: as of 2001,the ratio of males to females was 1000 males to 1050females (up from 1024 in 1991), due primarily to the highmedian age of the population (elderly women are morecommon than elderly men). As of 2001 the nationalaverage in India was 1000 males to 933 females.

Parsis have a high literacy rate: as of 2001, the literacy

rate is 97.9%, the highest of any Indian community (thenational average is 64.8%). 96.1% of Parsis reside inurbanised areas (the national average is 27.8%).

In the Greater Mumbai area, where the density of Parsisis highest, about 10% of Parsi females and about 20% ofParsi males do not marry (Roy & Unisa 2004, pp. 18, 19).-----------------------

The Parsis have made considerable contributions to thehistory and development of India, all the moreremarkable considering their small numbers. As themaxim "Parsi, thy name is charity" reveals, their greatestcontribution, literally and figuratively, is their philanthropy.The name Parsi references the Persian name. The term"Parsi" in Sanskrit means "one who gives alms")[citationneeded]. Mahatma Gandhi would note in a much

misquoted statement[26] "I am proud of my country,

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India, for having produced the splendid Zoroastrian stock,in numbers beneath contempt, but in charity andphilanthropy perhaps unequalled and certainlyunsurpassed" (Rivetna 2002). Several landmarks in

Mumbai are named after Parsis, including Nariman Point.Parsis prominent in the Indian independence movementinclude Pherozeshah Mehta, Dadabhai Naoroji, andBhikaiji Cama.

Particularly notable Parsis in the fields of science andindustry include physicist Homi J. Bhabha, Homi N.Sethna, Jamsetji Tata, regarded as the "Father of Indian

Industry",[27] and members of the Tata, Godrej, andWadia industrial families, including Neville Wadia, son-inlaw of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and Rattanbai Petit and hisdescendents.

The Parsi community have given India severaldistinguished military officers. Field Marshal SamHormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, Military Cross,

the architect of India's victory in the 1971 war, was thefirst officer of the Indian Army to be appointed a FieldMarshal. Admiral Jal Cursetji was the first Parsi to beappointed Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy. AirMarshal Aspy Engineer served as the 2nd Chief of AirStaff (India), post independence, and Air Chief Marshal.

Air Marshal Minoo Jehangir Dotiwalla was anothernotable Parsi who contributed to the Indian Air Force; he

was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal. Fali HomiMajor served as the 18th Chief of Air Staff (India). Vice

Admiral RF Contractor served as the 17th Chief of theIndian Coast Guard. Lieutenant General FN Bilimoriawas a senior officer of the Indian Army and the father ofLord Karan Bilimoria, founder of the Cobra Beercompany.

Particularly notable Parsis in other areas of achievement

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include rock star Freddie Mercury, composer KaikhosruShapurji Sorabji and conductor Zubin Mehta; culturalstudies theorist Homi K. Bhabha; screenwriter andphotographer Sooni Taraporevala; authors Rohinton

Mistry, Firdaus Kanga, Bapsi Sidhwa, Ardashir Vakil andPakistani investigative journalist Ardeshir Cowasjee;actors John Farhan Abraham and Boman Irani; radio

jockey Fali R Singara; Naxalite leader Kobad Ghandy;educator Jamshed Bharucha and India's first womanphoto-journalist Homai Vyarawalla. Actress PersisKhambatta was a Parsi who appeared in Bollywood.Dorab Patel was Pakistan's first Parsi Supreme Court

Justice.

The husband of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi andson-in-law of Nehru, Feroze Gandhi, was a Parsi withancestral roots in Bharuch, while Muhammad Ali Jinnah'swife, Rattanbai Petit, came from the prosperous Petitfamily of Parsis. For a list of Parsis with Wikipediaarticles, see Category:Parsi people.