zoroastrians

Zoroastrianism is considered as one of the most ancient religions in the world; since, it was the official religion of Iran from the 6th century B. C to the 7th A. D. Consistent with the advent of Islam in Iran, the resistance of a few Zoroastrian followers to join the new religion led to failure due to the various factors; moreover, the Zoroastrian population was gradually reduced to small and scattered minorities. The survivors of Zoroastrians, mostly living in Iran and India at the present time, still believe in the prophet’s instructions.This study, done through the descriptive-analytical method, has presented the socio-cultural history of the Zoroastrians based on the information provided by the writers of travel books in Safavid and Qajar eras and the findings clarifies that the Zoroastrians were always different from the Muslims from Safavid era to the middle of Qajar era they often played a minor role in the society with their difficult life. However, they maintained their adherence to their religion and tradition. From the middle of Qajar era, Zoroastrians' living conditions was improved due to the assistance of Indian Persians, and this issue caused the existing pressures and discriminations to fade over time, and Zoroastrians gradually regained their special cultural and social identity.

Throughout history, governments have generally been formed in convergence with the religion of the majority of society and from this point of view, due to the government's tendency and emphasis on a particular religion, religious minorities were exposed to neglect or sometimes restrictions and pressure; As the followers of Zoroastrianism in Sassanid Iran had the privilege of participating in power and benefiting from its benefits, but due to the change of religion of the majority of the people after Islam, their status was changed to a religious minority group. Dealing and facing with this Iranian minority by rulers and religious groups has been accompanied by ups and downs. During the Safavid era, they were sometimes treated peacefully and sometimes they were under pressure and were deprived of social rights. The harshness that was imposed on Zoroastrians at the end of the Safavid period caused them to sympathize with the Gholjai Afghans, who were considered as minority within the Iranian society, which it led to the fall of the Safavid government. In this research, the reasons for Zoroastrians joining the Gholjai rebels as one of the religious minorities of the Safavid era, and their role in the fall of Isfahan have been investigated.

After the arrival of Islam to Iran, Zoroastrians converted to Islam with different political, social, religious and economic motivations. This research intends to study the effect of Zoroastrian economic motives in converting to Islam by using descriptive-analytical method and benefitting from historical sources. This is a topic that has not been much paid attention by the researchers. The result of this study shows that in the first century AH, in addition to political, social and religious motivations, Zoroastrians converted to Islam due to various economic motives, such as sharing booties (G̲h̲anīmat), receiving a pension from the Court of Atta (Dīwān-iʿaṭāʾ), attainment of government positions, exemption from paying per capita tax (Djizya), and reduction of tribute (Kharāj).

Since textiles are very old in Yazd, this industry is tied not only to the "economy" but also to the "identity" of this city. Therefore, the transformation of the traditional textile industry into a modern textile industry affected the economic and social life of almost all the inhabitants of this city. and All social groups had a role in this process according to their "interpretation" of their advantages and disadvantages and their interests and values. The main question of this research is who were the initial and main "carriers / founders" of the development of the modern textile industry of Yazd (between 1931 and 1963) and on the basis of what "material and ideal interests" did so? And basically, what has been the role of the government and various economic, political and social groups in the development this modern industry. This research is part of historical sociology and is taken from the approach of "social construction of technology" and the research method used is qualitative and descriptive-analytical. The findings of the study indicate that although the Pahlavi government and merchants were the primary and main "carriers / founders" of the modern textile industry in Yazd. But how this industry develops and stabilizes in Yazd is the result of the interaction or conflict of all social groups related to this industry, including politically influential individuals and families, traditional textiles (sharbafan) and industrial workers, clerics and Zoroastrians, and the interaction of their "material and ideal interests"

After the eighth century AD., following the Arab conquest of Iran and the decline of local stability, some the Iranians rose against the Arab rulers. According to some scholars, the purpose of the leaders was to achieve Iranian independence and restore the Zoroastrian religion. If these uprisings were nationally motivated and patriotic, how would the clerics, who were the custodians of the Zoroastrian religion and Iranian culture and customs in the absence of the Shah, react to these uprisings? This study shows that the Iranian movements had more social and economic aspects; their founders and participants were mostly the followers of Zoroastrian sects such as Beh Afridiyeh and Khorramdini (Nomzdakian). They sometimes had eclectic beliefs that their clerics considered heretical and dangerous for the Zoroastrian community. The clerics considered these beliefs as heresy, which destroys Zoroastrian unity and cohesion, so they didn't support and even opposed these movements.

By reviving and strengthening the Zoroastrian religion, the Sassanid government gave it an official-governmental aspect and the Zoroastrian clergy became one of the basic institutions of the Sassanid Empire. Zoroastrian clerics, as guardians of the Zoroastrian religion, were in solidarity with the political and powerful organizations of the country. The present study seeks to examine the influence of the Moghans on the class system of the Sassanid era.

This descriptive and analytical article analyzes the influence of Zoroastrian clerics and the social relations of the Sassanid Iranian society.

Despite the influence of Zoroastrian priests in government affairs and within society, it is not far from the mind that this class had wide authority in all matters during the Sassanid era.

Moghan's thought overshadowed the Zoroastrian religion In fact, Zoroastrian religious thought became Moghan's thought. During this period, social movements took place, which shows that people were looking for better conditions. Following these just relations, Iranian society became fascinated with the idea of ​​equality after the arrival of Islam in Iran. After this period, a stagnation in the body politic.

The Zoroastrians converted to Islam about four centuries. They needed their conversion to be demonstrated and accepted. This article aims to study the acceptable proofs that historically were presented by Zoroastrian for conversion to Islam. The result shows that even not explicitly mentioned in historical sources; we have a list of actions for proving the conversion: performing some religious rituals and practices such as the shahada (the Muslim declaration of faith), salah (prayers), paying zakat and khums, circumcision, adopting an Arabic name, and even speaking in Arabic; also some modifications in their lifestyle such as a change in the foods, clothing, and occupation.

After the overthrow of the Sassanid dynasty and the spread of Islam in Iran, many followers of Zoroaster continued to adhere to their beliefs. One group was Zoroastrians who migrated to other countries, including India, due to tightening restrictions. According to the available sources, after enduring a lot of Trouble and Suffering, First, they went to the island of Hormuz, and after the political pressure of the Arabs and the occupation of Hormoz, they fled to the island of Dave, and finally, after a few years, they emigrated to India. Few sources are available on how they settled in India and their fate after this migration. According to remaining sources, Sanjan, as the first of Zoroastrians in India, played an important role in their history. Based on the available sources, including historical and religious texts of Zoroastrians and contemporary research on Zoroastrians, this study tries to study how the city of Sanjan was formed, its religious status among Zoroastrians and its influence on their political and religious destiny in India. study of historical sources and archaeological data confirms the history of Zoroastrian migration in the early second century AH and the presence of Zoroastrians in India on the same date And shows that the city of Sanjan was probably the first Zoroastrian settlement in India during their early migration. These sources also show that Sanjan had a very important religious status and continued to exist as a Zoroastrian religious center until the Muslim invasion of India and even after that.

In 880 AH, with the arrival of Nariman Houshang, one of the Parsis of India, to Iran and his meeting with the High Priests of Turkabad, a special relationship was established between the Parsis of India and the Zoroastrians of Iran, which lasted for nearly three hundred years. The result is a collection of narrations in Persian, each of them is usually called the bearer of that narration. A considerable number of these narrations  appear in a collection called Narrations of Darab Hormazdyar (Rivāyāt-e Dārāb Hormazdyār). In addition to clarifying the various aspects of the Zoroastrian religion, the narration also expresses the concerns and challenges that Zoroastrian communities in India and Iran have faced. The present study, which is descriptive-analytical research based on the historical research method, relying on the Narrations of  Darab Hormazdyar, seeks to answer thequestion what factors or motives, despite some challenges, caused the beginning and continuation of the relationship between the Parsis of India and the Zoroastrians of Iran in three hundred years. Analyzing the content of these narrations and recognizing the issues and conditions that these two societies faced shows that the beginning of relations between the Parsis and the Zoroastrians of Iran was probably a coincidence and not planned and aimed at gaining religious information from the Zoroastrians of Iran, but there is no doubt that the continuation of such relations is due to a set of religious, social, and economic motives of both societies.

During Reza Shah's reign, the policies of centralization, authoritarian modernity, and national unity led to reforms in the field of education. This period is considered as an important period in the history of Iran due to the efforts leading the society towards modern education in the shadow of nationalism and centralism. The present article seeks to answer this question, "What effects did the nationalist and centralist policies of Reza Shah era have on the situation of schools of religious minorities (Armenians, Zoroastrians and Jews)?" This work implemented a descriptive-analytical method and relied on the available documents. At that time, religious minority schools were affected by these two policies. In some educational programs, schools activities were not in line with the new educational policy, and there was resistance from the minority community, which challenged the schools. The findings of this study show that education among religious minorities was affected by the new changes in terms of Persian language teaching, curriculum, school names, holidays and extracurricular activities. The closure for some schools was permanent and their students merged into public schools, and for some schools, it was temporary (one or more months) until they were required to implement the ministry programs. The reason for their resistance to the new educational policy was the tendency towards educational independence and the fear of losing their identity, and the consequence was the relative control of the government and the dissatisfaction of the minorities with the rule of the time.

There are a number of palaces and other monuments in southern, western, and north eastern Iran, as well as in modern Iraq, Azerbaijan, and to some extent Syria and Jordan which display architectural features recalling those of the monuments of Qal‘a-ye Doxtar and of the Palace of Ardašīr I (so-called Ātaškada) near Firūzābād (Fars), considered to belong to the early Sasanian period, as well as of the complex located in Sarvestān (Fars), dated to the Early Islamic period. The construction date of the first two monuments and of the Sarvestān complex have so far been proposed on the basis of archaeological, architectural and historical elements, which allow only a tentative relative chronology. Here, an absolute chronology based on radiocarbon datings of wood samples from the buildings is presented to shed more light on their construction dates. The obtained ages suggest that the construction of the Firūzābād palatial monuments was accomplished during the reign of Ardašīr I (224-240 CE) and the beginning of the reign of Šābuhr I (240-270 CE) with a probability that the Palace of Ardašīr I was finished after the Qal‘a-ye Doxtar. This fact is in accordance with other archeological and historical documents that suggest that the second palace was built after the establishment of the political stability at the beginning of the Empire. The absolute datings, however, revealed a complex timing for construction and use of the Sarvestān complex dating to post-Sasanian period and put an end on the ambiguous discussions about the chronology of this monument.

Triumph was a significant subject in the antiquity. Some nations were after the victory in the battles with their enemies and others were interested in the triumph of the good over evil. The Urartians developed their borders from the shores of Lake Van to the north west of Iran in about 8th century B.C. The victory was crucial for Urartians and Zoroastrians. Ḫaldi in Urartu and Bahrām in Iran were worshiped accordingly. It is the aim of this paper to answer the question of the possibility of their similarities and differences as Triumph Deities and what was the meaning of triumph for these two nations

Participation is a phenomenon that can be described as contributing to decisions, actions, and involvement of individuals in collective situations, which works to fulfill the objectives of groups. This phenomenon has specific conditions in Iran due to the presence of different ethnic and religious groups, and the synergy and cooperation of different groups of the population play an essential role in the formation of participation. The Iran-Iraq War is a significant part of Iranian history, and the motivation of different groups of people for participating in this war is worth being examined. Zoroastrians were among minority religious groups who participated in the war. Based on Talcott Parsons’ action theory, the present descriptive-analytical study thus investigated Zoroastrians’ motivations and intellectual and cultural backgrounds for participating in the Iran-Iraq War. The findings revealed that the cultural system of Zoroastrianism and a sense of duty and personal satisfaction among Zoroastrians motivated them to perform the action of participating in the war.

In the Zoroastrian tradition, the most important and comprehensive issue is the ambiguity in history and the disregard for time and chronology. Perhaps the recording of time in the sense of its finiteness, with the clear validity of its inevitable beginning and execution, as well as the destruction of evil as the wisdom and providence behind the finiteness of time, has caused the Zoroastrian tradition to never record events and study them in a historiographical process. Zoroastrianism, from the time of the prophet to the present day, has never produced a specific historiographical text. As much as the future and the end of history have been dealt with in the form of futurity and prophecy, the present and ultimately the past, which is the result of the chronology of the present, have not been considered. History in the Zoroastrian tradition is a predetermined narrative which, according to the necessity of the battle between good and evil, takes place gradually and over time, by the will of Ahura and the help of man; hence, it is not the past and present, but the future and the time of salvation and the triumph of good that matters. Thus, looking back and remembering the past is limited to myths and legends that reinforce the hope of a certain future. In addition to scattered documents, especially historical narratives outside the Zoroastrian tradition, often the narrations of neighbors and enemies of the Zoroastrian religion, some texts within the tradition also have historical value. It is true that religious texts are all timeless and oversee religious and ideological issues, but they have retained valuable inscriptions, memoirs, conclusions, and additions to the margins of their papers that have somewhat emptied historical texts. They fill it especially chronologically. In the following speech, the study, identification, classification and mention of the margins of the religious texts of the Zoroastrian tradition, as a tool and framework for the chronology of the history of the mentioned religion, will be discussed.

As one of the ancient and well-reputed cities of Iran, Yazd possesses numerous material and spiritual treasures. Since long ago, this city has been knownas the city of patient people, house of worship, and the city of qanats (underground channels),qunut (a supplication type of prayer made when standing in Islam), and qana’at (contentment). It was recognized as a World Heritage Site in Iran in 2018. The Zoroastrians of Yazd are among the early inhabitants of this land; they have lived there for several centuries and preserved many of their ancient customs and traditions until the present day. The purpose of this paper is to introduce one of the very important and respectable temples of Iranian Zoroastrians,called Yazd AtashBehram, as a noteworthy Iranian cultural and civilizational heritage. This study, which was conducted following the documentary and library methods as well as field method (through conducting interviews with local informants), introduces the architecture, background, and functions of this fire temple.

Religious minorities of Iran have mainly participated in constituting Iranian historical communal lifeworld and cultural enrichment. Their endeavors to retain their identity and existence among an other-religion majority have occasionally been reflected in occupational and professional domains. In the present article, the main and prominent occupations and walks of life of Qajarid Iranian Zoroastrians, as followers of an ancient and genuine religion, have been investigated mainly based on the non-Iranian authors’ accounts and travel logs which typically comprise more details of life of popular classes. Besides, some documents about the Zoroastrians of the mentioned period have been used. In consequence, Zoroastrians’ main occupations have been categorized in the labors such as gardening, masonry, and silk weaving, which Zoroastrians do based on familial or local traditions, or careers like currency exchanging and winemaking, which have not been admirable in Muslims’ common sense. Furthermore, occupations which have somehow been forbidden for Zoroastrians, such as martial jobs, have also been described.

J. K. Choksy evaluated the relationship between Zoroastrians and Muslims in Conflict and Cooperation; Zoroastrian Subalterns and Muslim Elites in Medieval Iranian Society. In this paper, we tried to critically review Choksy's book and clarify its position in Islamic and Iranian studies. It seems that his work suffers from major weaknesses in terms of historical insight and methodology because he is primarily a scholar of religions, not a historian. However, his work is admirable for using Zoroastrian resources, its evaluating end of time literature and overviewing the mutual influences of Zoroastrian and Islamic texts from each other in writing the life conducts of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Zoroaster. Nevertheless, Choksy's sympathy for Zoroastrians, low proficiency in Arabic, weakness of historical methodology and recognition of resources as well as of his sometimes false historical views and analyses are of the most important shortcomings of Conflict and Cooperation.

The entry of Islam into Iran and the expansion of it as the main religion of this land, as a major social transformation, led the followers of Zoroastrianism into a minority. The Zoroastrian community of Iran in the early Islamic centuries, as part of a dynamic and dynamic society, suffered from a great deal of transformation. One of these developments was the change in the geography of their residential areas. In the Islamic society of Iran, which experienced radical changes in terms of social and religious structure, Zoroastrians were forced to accept new laws governing the community in all aspects of their lives. Therefore, they preferred to stay in areas that would make them less restricted. Based on this, the change in Zoroastrian settlements in Iran was a function of the spread and influence of Islam in different regions. In the early centuries of Islam, the growing spread of Islam and the formation of Islamic sects and cultures in Iran had confronted Zoroaster's survival. Therefore, Zoroastrians as a group of dhimma for reasons such as the role and influence of religious and belief factors and components, the effect of Iranian uprisings and the extent of its attachment to Zoroastrian followers from the viewpoint of the caliphate, the role of the economic and commercial factors of Zoroastrian settlements, the type of attitude of the Arab commanders towards the vast areas and the effects of the migration of the Arab tribes into Iran have chosen a specific population geography to protect their religion. The present study intends to investigate how and why the geographic distribution of Zoroastrians in Iran during the first to the fourth centuries of Hijra was studied using historical texts and descriptive-analytical method, as well as using some ideas about the changes of societies in the social sciences. Make

During the Sassanid dynasty, Zoroastrian merchants (in Chinese: "Po-se") were the most famous businessmen in the Indian Ocean and the coast of China, in the other word they dominated marine trade there. They not only traded for Iran, but also met the requirements of the Arab lands. At that time, Arab merchants often made business trips to East Africa. But during the seventh and eighth centuries AD, after Iran's conquest by Muslim Arabs, as a result of their dominance over the Persian Gulf ports, Arab traders (i.e. Ibādhis of Oman and Iraqis) activated along with Zoroastrian businessmen in the Indian Ocean. So they made trade voyages as far as to the Chinese city port of "Khānfu" (Canton, Guangzhou). But political developments in the Persian Gulf, which always resulted in competition or business alliance between the Muslim merchants, reflexed in their relationships and influenced their status in the court of Canton. This article seeks to study the impact of economic ups and downs of the historical development of the Persian Gulf and religious competitions of its merchant groups in the formation of the their competitions in the port of Canton.