Re: The PT Series: The Three Great Zoroastrians Kings.

Whilst talking of great Zoroastrian Kings, we must try and perceive the matter with circumstances too. For example at times the circumstances are more difficult yet the leaders performed well and at times though performing well, lose out too. It has been noticed that when Zoroastrians talk of our Empire, we either go to the Achmenid Period of Kourush (Cyrus) the Great, Darayus 1 and Xerxes, and then jump straight to the Arab Invasion. We completely forget the era and reason for the Arabs being able to defeat the Zoroastrian Empire, which takes us to Pre-Islamic, Byzantine thirst to convert Zoroastrian Persia into Christianity which led to a near 700 year war between the Zoroastrians and Byzantum though it was the Zoroastrians who gave early Christians refuge in Persia during the end of Parthian Dynasty.

Unfortunately, the Zoroastrians have forgotten this era where the Zoroastrian Kings had to fight to keep strategies of Byzantum to divide the Zoroastrians, invade Persian lands and convert Zoroastrians into Christianity, whereby Armenia was the first to fall to the conversions and break away from Zoroastrianism. A lot of Zoroastrian Kings, like Piroz, who even gave land from Zoroastrian Persia to the byantines to profess their faith, were only back-stabbed when the Byzantines regrouped to attack Zoroastrian strongholds. Another ploy as done by Maurice on being defeated was to give the Byzantum noble women in hand to Zoroastrian Monarchy to then make the offspring revolt against the Zoroastrian Father and Empire!

It is no coincidence that Mazdakism, Mancheism suddenly sprung up during these era dividing the Zoroastrians, just like spring revolutions, crop up out of nowhere in the modern world. The Byzantines screamed “Intolerance”, labelling the likes of Mubed Maresand Adurbad and Kartir and even kings like Kushro 2 as “Anti God” just because they protected the Zoroastrian Faith and people from being converted by Missionaries. An interesting fact of Mubed Kartir is the propaganda attached with him… he did re-convert Zoroastrians converting out and broke idols from Zoroastrian homes that had gone astray, but he also gave land for other faiths to practise their own faith. Whilst the former is propagated to show Kartir in bad light, the latter part is purposely omitted to show that there was no tolerance in Sasanid Persia.

Once Zoroastrian lands were overcome by the Byzantines by creating mischief and instigating people against their own Sasanian kings, Agiaries gave way to Churches, as seen in Armenia where Vartaan Magmonian is known to boast of breaking “Heathen fire temples and worship of false Gods” to then be baptized into churches. The mishief created by the missionaries was the reason for Zoroastrian kings having stricter rule. To cut a long story short, later on it was the Byzantines which held hands of the new born religion of the Arabs to extinguish the Zoroastrian flame and they together gave the last push to our Empire. Once the Zoroastrians were made a minority, these two divided the conquered land, which could in a way be said to have the prelude to the crusades as then these two started warring amongst themselves for power through religion.

Thus, it was these Sasanian kings who faced the greatest challenge and tirelessly worked to save Zoroastrianism from the onslaught of those who wanted to convert Persia out of Zoroastrianism into Christianity and Islam. The irony is that whilst the Zoroastrian Flame continues to flicker on, both these continue to fight in Persian lands and elsewhere to quench their thirst to convert the world.

Thus, whilst talking of Great Zoroastrians, we must remember that it was kings like Ardeshir Papakan, Shapur, Khusrow 2, Piroz, and the Sasanian hierarchy that fought most to preserve Zoroastrianism from enemy onslaught.

I foresee us Zoroastrians falling prey to the same strategy as history repeats unto those who forget it, when the same strategy is repeated in India by those who want to retain power through conversions.

-Rustom Jamasji

 

Dear Editor,

Simple Lucid Thought Provoking!!! I must start by expressing my true delight to read your editorial piece in today’s Parsi Times. What a lovely and lucid way of getting the message across to the self-proclaimed liberals and conservatives.

The editorial was real and progressive in its entirety and the best advice for our pseudo-religious fellow Parsis who just fail to understand and appreciate the powers of our self-sustaining Mazdayasni religion.

Thank you for your honest effort at reinstating the lost faith in Zoroastrianism.

What a way to start my Saturday, reading it out to my beautiful wife as we look out at the free flight of birds gliding across our window.

May you continue to move matters and minds with your pen (key-board).

From a believer in the faith and the power of our prayers,

– Homiyar Mistry

mistryhomiyar@gmail.com

Dadar Parsi Colony