History of Zoroastrian Migration and Settlement in Western India

Zoroastrians migrated from Greater Iran to the western coast of India following the fall of the Sasanian Empire to Arab Muslim forces in the 7th century CE. Seeking to preserve their faith and rituals, they arrived in Gujarat, where local rulers granted them refuge. Over subsequent centuries, this community established religious institutions, integrated into Indian society, and formed the Parsi community.

Historical Background and Emigration from Iran

Following the decisive Battle of Nihavand in 642 CE and the death of Yazdegerd III, Zoroastrians faced political collapse in Persia. Groups of Zoroastrians took refuge in the mountainous region of Khorasan and later moved south to the coastal port of Hormuz on the Persian Gulf. From Hormuz, they sailed across the Arabian Sea toward the western coast of India.

The Qissa-i Sanjan Account

The primary historical narrative detailing this migration is the Qissa-i Sanjan (Story of Sanjan), written in Persian verse by Bahman Kaikobad in 1599 CE.

• The text records that the refugees first landed on the island of Diu off the coast of Saurashtra around the 8th or 10th century CE.
• After spending roughly two decades in Diu, the migrants sailed south to mainland Gujarat and landed at the port of Sanjan.
• The local ruler, identified in texts as Jadi Rana (a Silhara or Rashtrakuta feudatory associated with the Chavda or Solanki sphere), granted them asylum.
• Jadi Rana imposed several conditions for settlement: the newcomers had to explain their religion, adopt the local Gujarati language, wear local attire, surrender their weapons, and conduct marriage ceremonies after sunset.

Key Phases of Zoroastrian Settlements

Consecration and Movement of the Holy Fire

The migrants consecrated the Atash Behram (Fire of Victory), named the Iranshah Fire, at Sanjan using embers brought from Iran and local natural sources.

Relocation of the Iranshah Fire

• Following the military invasion of Sanjan by Mahmud Begada’s general Alp Khan in the late 15th century, priests moved the sacred flame into the nearby Bahrot Caves.
• The sacred fire was later sheltered in the forests of Vansda for fourteen years.
• In 1419 CE (or according to later records, 1516 CE), the flame moved to Navsari, which emerged as the primary religious and intellectual center of the Parsis.
• Internal disputes among priestly factions led to the relocation of the fire to Udvada in 1742 CE, where the Udvada Atash Behram continues to burn continuously.

Socio-Economic Evolution in Western India

In the early centuries, settlers engaged in agriculture, toddy-tapping, carpentry, and weaving, producing textiles such as Tanchoi and Gara embroidery.

Integration into Trade and Industry

• Under Mughal rule, Surat developed into an international trading port, attracting Parsi merchants and brokers.
• During the Portuguese, Dutch, and British presence, community members acted as trade intermediaries (dubashes) and naval contractors.
• Lowjee Nusserwanjee Wadia moved to Bombay in 1736 to establish the Bombay Dockyard, initiating modern shipbuilding in western India.
• In the 19th and early 20th centuries, families such as the Tatas, Petits, Readymoneys, and Godrejs established cotton textile mills, steel plants, financial firms, and educational institutions.

Key Terms and Cultural Identifiers

• Parsis: Descendants of the original group of Persian Zoroastrian refugees who settled in Gujarat between the 8th and 10th centuries.
• Iranis: Zoroastrian migrants who moved from Qajar-era Iran (mainly Yazd and Kerman) to India during the 19th and 20th centuries.
• Avesta: The primary collection of Zoroastrian sacred texts composed in the ancient Avestan language.
• Dokhma (Tower of Silence): Circular, raised structures built for excarnation, where bodies are exposed to scavenging birds to prevent contact with earth, water, or fire.
• Navjote: The formal initiation ceremony through which a child receives the sacred undershirt (Sudreh) and the holy cord (Kusti).
• Panchayat: The Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), established in the 18th century, originated as a self-governing council managing community trusts, properties, and internal dispute resolutions.

Important Facts

• The Qissa-i Sanjan remains the earliest written historical chronicle recording the landing of Zoroastrian refugees in Gujarat.
• Sanjan is situated in the present-day Valsad district of Gujarat, near the Maharashtra border.
• Archaeological excavations at Sanjan conducted between 2002 and 2004 revealed glazed ceramics, coins, and brick structures confirming medieval maritime trade with the Persian Gulf.
• Navsari is divided into five priestly administrative zones called Polas, which were governed by five Bhagaria priestly lineages.
• The Udvada Atash Behram houses the oldest continuously burning sacred fire of the Zoroastrian tradition in India.
• In 1892, Dadabhai Naoroji became the first Indian elected to the British House of Commons, representing Finsbury Central.
• Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy became the first Indian baronet in 1857 in recognition of his public philanthropy and municipal contributions to Bombay.