There are two versions of the story about how the early Parsis of India came into existence. One of them is popularly called as “Sugar in Milk”. The Parsis were forced to flee their home country, Iran during the Arab invasion which is when they set sail for a new homeland.
When the Parsis arrived in Sanjan,
Gujrat, there were asked to prove their innocence and that they would not be of
any harm to their state. The King, Jadi Rana asked the priests to guarantee the
people of Sanjan that they would not be a burden.
The version mentioned in the history
and holy books say that that the King showed a jug full of milk to the priest
and said that Sanjan is just as full as this jug of milk, to which the high
priest asked for sugar and mixed it in the milk.
The priest replied that just as the
sugar is invisible, does not increase the level in the milk and sweetens it
instead, the Parsis will do the same and bring prosperity to his land. The second
version of this story is called, “Coin in Milk”.
In this version, the priest dropped a
coin in the milk and said that they would disappear in the milk like the coin
but also bring prosperity to their land. In both the versions of the story, the
King grants them asylum but it is important to understand the different
versions of these stories in order to gain an insight of the assimilation.
The newly migrated Zoroastrians from
Iran adopted the term “Parsis”, which refer to the Persians who migrated to
India. Since then they have abided by the King’s rules, adopted the gujrati
language and coexist in society.
The two metaphors change the entire perspective on the contribution of the Parsis since the coin would raise the level of the milk while the sugar would only sweeten it.
This continues to be debate among the orthodox and reformed
Parsis since the orthodox believe that they should bring prosperity to the
country as well as increase the population of the community but the reformed
Parsis believe in only sweetening the milk.
Why Are Most Parsis Rich?
The
Parsis of India brought prosperity to the country in the early 1800’s and
1900’s, but there was a significant impact in the 20th century.
Along with the British rule in India coming to an end, the Parsi community
began to financially decline along with a decrease in their population too.
Many
people even today, question why most of the Parsi community residing in India
and particularly Bombay, are rich. This was because the Parsis flourished under
the British with their trading techniques including the Opium trade with China.
Besides, the British were taken aback by the Parsi philanthropists and made
sure that their contribution was not wasted.
Some
may question their nationalism but let us understand their point of view. The
Parsis were forced out of their own country by the Arabs and when they were
finally granted asylum in Gujrat, they pledged to the country and made it their
home.
What other choice would a minority community have but to choose their life over agitation? However, there have been a significant number of Parsis who fought against the British including Dadabhai Naoroji.
Apart from freedom fighters,
the community has given birth to several entrepreneurs like the Godrej family,
Tata family, Homi Bhabha, Pallonji family, Petit family and the most recent
Poonawalla family who rose to fame for developing the Covid-19 vaccine.
Parsis and Real Estate
After the decline of the British rule and with the financial help of the British, many Parsis migrated from Gujrat to settle in different parts of India. Most of them settled in Bombay, occupying the south and central parts of the city. Since they were the early settlers in Bombay, they were able to buy real estate and land which is today controlled by the Bombay Parsi Panchayat (BPP).
This
elected body has existed since the 17th century and is responsible
for the Parsi community’s code of conduct, funds, trust and maintenance of holy
places of worship including the funeral home, the Tower of Silence, located at
Malabar Hill in South Mumbai.
Who Built the Tower of Silence in
Bombay?
The
first tower of silence was built in Gujrat in 1300. Further, in 1670’s the
Parsis of India were granted permission to build fire temples and the Tower of Silence
in Mumbai which was historically important to the city and migration of the
community.
Due
to close availability of their religious space along with an increase in
economic opportunities, a large proportion of Parsis migrated to Mumbai. The
religious ethnicity of this community is portrayed since this was possible only
under the British rule in the 19th century.
Since
the Parsis had better opportunities to flourish in Bombay, most families began
to start and settle in Bombay. In 1669, a wealthy Parsi named Mody Heerjibhoy
Vachhagandhi, made a petition to the British Governor of Bombay to construct a
dokhmenashini on his land at Malabar Hill.
During
that time this plot was a jungle, filled with hyenas and jackals amongst other
animals. Since this plot of land was located at a slope with limited access and
easily accessible to a majority of Parsis who had settled in the Fort area, the
Tower of Silence was functional by 1675. After a few years, more towers/
bungli’s (prayer hall) began to be built for the prayer facilities to be held.
Today,
this Tower of Silence remains to be one of the oldest burial practices to exist
in the modern world. It is not only a natural method that helps the
environment, but also a trademark identity of the Zoroastrians in the world.
Written
by Jerusha Patel
0 Comments