Parsis

Parsis are an ethnoreligious group within Zoroastrianism who originated in the Persian realm and migrated to the Indian subcontinent to preserve their faith after the Muslim conquest of Persia. The name Parsi (or Parsee) derives from the Persian term for a person of Persia. In India and among the global diaspora, Parsis form one of the oldest continuously established Zoroastrian communities, historically concentrated in western India, especially Maharashtra and Gujarat, with a later pattern of urban settlement in cities such as Mumbai (Bombay) and Pune.

Historical migration to India occurred mainly between the 8th and 10th centuries, when religious and political upheavals in Iran prompted refugees to seek safety in the western coast of India. Over time, Parsis established thriving communities, developing distinctive endogamous social networks, philanthropy, and influence in commerce and public life. The community’s growth accelerated during the 19th and early 20th centuries as trade and industry expanded under British rule.

Religious practice among Parsis centers on Zoroastrian worship, with priests known as Mobeds and, in some contexts, more senior Dasturs. Important rituals include the Navjote initiation (the adolescent initiation into the faith) and the wearing of the sudreh and kusti. Traditionally, many Parsis practiced exposure of the dead in towers of silence, though in modern times urbanization and legal restrictions have led to alternative burial or cremation arrangements in some communities. Fire temples, or agiaries, serve as places of worship, with distinct ritual spaces such as Atash Behram and Adaran temples.

Global demographics are small and aging, with a majority of Parsis residing in India and substantial diaspora communities in North America, Europe, Australia, and elsewhere. Parsis have been influential in business, science, and culture in India, producing notable figures in industry, politics, literature, and the arts, and maintaining a strong philanthropic tradition.