Persians of Persia - Their plights and pledge

History the witness, points to motives of greed namely- land, lady and lots of treasure troves, the main causes of invasions in this world. Some invaders hunt for opportunities to invade like heirless thrones and internal fights in regions while some to quench their thirst to expand their rule over the world. Battles fought over centuries to conquer other’s motherland. But the invasion does not stop just at acquiring other's land. In fact, it moves to next level of invasion, the invasion of the lives and the livelihoods of the people on that land. Just like rubbing salt on wounds, in the name of religion and beliefs people of that land are either punished, executed or left with the option to once and for all flee their own motherland.

One such chapter in history is the series of invasions that change forever many lives and their generations, known as The Arab conquest of Iran. This brought the fall of Sasanian empire, the demise of Zoroastrianism on the land of Persia now known as Iran. Zoroastrianism was the faith followed by Persians with Avestan as their language. They the followers of Prophet Zoroaster called the Zoroastrians. Through many invasions they survived. But alas, once Islam started to become the dominant religion in the late middle age, some of the Persian artists and Industrial workers readily converted while some accepted money and got converted. The remaining Zoroastrians bore the brunt and were forced to convert while their priests being executed and the scriptures being burnt in front of their eyes. Such was their plight that they were forced to flee to keep their sacred fire burning and their faith in their religion too. This led to the eventual decline of the Zoroastrianism in Persia. These few followers, under all the brutally of punishment never succumbed, instead fled from Persia in small boats carrying their sacred fire with them. They bore the wrath of sea-storms and faced many challenges but never let their faith waver. In different parts of the world including in India they landed. In India they came to be known as Parsis from Persia. They become the most peaceful community in India for they knew what greed can do to lives of others as they had gone through those horrors.

Am one of their descendants one of the few Zoroastrian Parsis in India. Have lived their stories though the pain in the eyes of my grandmother and tales told from the hearts of my parents. I have not had a chance to visit this land of my ancestors yet but I want to visit it once in my lifetime. Even today I am often asked this question, is your motherland the land your ancestors fled from or is the land that they settled on. There is no straightforward answer and so I tell this short story about how Parsis came from Persia and kept their faiths alive till date. The story goes like this:

“Around the 8th century in a few boats some Zoroastrians fled from Persia. On the shores of India at “Port Sanjan” they anchored. But they received a bowl of milk filled to the brim from the then ruling King, clearly indicating that there was no place on his land for any foreigners. One of the priests from these immigrants mixed a teaspoon of sugar in the bowl of milk and returned it to the king indicating that they too like sugar shall mingle in king’s kingdom and sweeten his land. The king allowed them to stay and as they were from Persia, they got the name Parsis. Till today Zoroastrians Parsis have kept their pledge and contributed in the progress and prosperity of this land just like the teaspoon of sugar in the milk bowl. They colored themselves in the colors of India, embracing its language and culture with their open arms and charitable hearts”.

Well, I always wondered if it is different for those who leave their motherland for betterment when they move to another land and is different for those who from their motherland are forced to flee in search of some land. Some questions have no answers that are straight forward and easy. When torn from one’s motherland, life dives into a pit of commotion and hearts are filled with longing an unfathomable emotion. No words can describe their need of belonging nor their pain and their losses. To top it all the fear of unknown and uncertainty of their future a nightmare they must have had to live once they fled. Some of these memories must have kept them haunting and hurting forever. While this longing and their stories are passed on from generations to generations each individual is different and have different ways of coping. My feelings are in this little verse that I sing to myself and my children:

“I wonder at times how different our today would have been- 

if they were not forced to flee

I also wonder at times how different our today would have been- 

if they weren’t embraced by mother India like she did.

A tiny space in my soul

I do keep for this land of my ancestors, they had to flee

Full of surprises is our life, full of highs and lows too

In numerous ways each day life teaches us to

adjust, accommodate, adopt and appreciate 

everything around us while being at peace 

Motherland is there

where heart feels at home and soul at peace

Motherland is a place where one lives and breathes 

My motherland, is my “Incredible INDIA” and that’s where I love to be”