Essay On Indian Diaspora

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The aim of the paper is to explore the identity and voice of the surviving Diaspora in India. Parsi (Parsee), a group of followers in India of the Iranian prophet Zoroaster. The Parsis, is also called "Persians", are descended from Persian Zoroastrians who from Greater Iran to Gujarat and Sindh between the 8th and 10th century CE to avoid the religious persecution of Zoroastrians by Muslim invaders who conquered Iran. They live chiefly in a few towns and villages mostly to the north of Bombay, but also a few minorities nearby in Karachi (Pakistan) and Kolkata, Chennai Bangalore, Pune as well in Hyderbad (India). The word "Hindu" was used by Iranians to refer to anyone from the Indian subcontinent, "Parsi" was used by the Indians to refer to …show more content…

have been a people curiously marked, and perhaps favoured, by fate.”1 Around the year 650 A.D., the Parsis, a peace-loving and hard-working community, harassed much by the religious persecution of Muslims, fled from Persia and came to settle in India at the Gujarat coast. They achieved a smooth entrance in Gujarat with the help of their wisdom, which has become part of a legend. According to this legend when the Parsis landed near Sanjan harbour on the Gujarat coast, they were taken to the local king. As there were barrier in language to communicate, the king ordered his soldiers to bring a cup full of milk, insinuating that there was no place to stay for Parsis. The Parsis instantly plucked few leaves from a tree and sprinkled in the bowl, conveying that they would mingle with natives as leaves in milk . The king happily welcomed them. On their part the Parsis adopted Gujarati language. The intermarriages took place.2 They were allowed to practice their own religion after the sunset. And in spite of many changes and advancement among the community, the Parsis have retained their specific identity through their customs and rituals and by the way of living as a

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