The Parsees: Their History Manners Customs and Religion

PAO' Zoroastrians in the ranks of the Afghan Troops—Their further persecutions in the reign of Nadir Shah and of Agra Mahomed Khan Kujur—Condition of the Zoroatrians at Yezd and Kirman—Measures taken by the Parsees of Bombay for the improvement of the condition of their co-religionists in Persia—Miseries and hardships of the capitation tax—Treatment of the Zoroastrians by the other subjects of [...] The antiquity of the Parsee religion—Identity of ZoroasteBirth of the Parsee prophet—His persecutions—Progress of Zoroastrianism—The Zend language—The AvastThe fragments of the Avesta in the possession of modern Parsees—Disputes as to the liturgical works of the Pasees—Nature of the Parsee religion—Fire the emblem of the Almighty—The Parsees not worshippers of the elements—Ardai Veraf's v [...] Rajah—Terms of landing—Building of a Fire Temple —Emigration to different Cities of Guzrat—Fight with the Mahomedam Army of the Sultan of Ahmedabad—Ultimate Defeat of the Hindoo Rajah—Conquest of Sanjan by the Mahomedans—The Parsees quit Sanjan.—Their Opposition to the Troops of the Rajah at Ruttonpoor—Massacre of the Parsees at Variao—Improvement of their Condition at Surat and Nowsaree—Arrival a [...] Thus on the conquest of Persia the Mahomedan soldiers of the Caliphat of Bagdad traversed the length and breadth of the country presening the alternative of death or the Koran and compelling the conquered nation to accept the one or the other. [...] The remains of mighty causeways cut step by step on the Bakhtyari mountains which divide the valley of the Tigris from the plains of Ispahan and form the natural defence on that side of the modern Moslem empire of Persia tell of the passageDECLINE OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE.