Zoroastrians in Iran
Encyclopedia
Zoroastrians in Iran are the oldest religious community of the nation, with a long history continuing up to the present day.
Prior to the Islamization of Iran, Zoroastrianism
was the primary religion of the Iranian peoples
. Since the Sassanid Empire
was conquered by Muslims in the 7th century CE, Zoroastrians in Iran have faced much religious discrimination, including forced conversions and harassment although technically, Zoroastrians are protected as "People of the Book
" in Islam
.
Prophet Zoroaster
and his first followers have been the proto-Indo-Iranians that lived between the Stone Age
and Bronze Age
(est. 1400-1200BC). The proto-Indo-Iranians (Aryans) were later divided in to two distinct branches of Iranian
and Indians
; the Iranian branch migrated to Iran as early as 2000 BC.
The time of the Iranian peoples
' migration to Iran can be mainly estimated through Assyrian records. Also, Herodotus
(I, 101) had recalled one of the Mede tribes to be called "Magoi", better known as "Magi
s", a tribe known to have included many priests, who served both Medes
and Persians. By the time of the Median empire (est. 612 BC), Zoroastrianism is known to have been well established in both Pars region (later capital of Persia) as well as in the Eastern regions.
soon established the second Iranian dynasty, and the first Persian empire by defeating the Medes
dynasty in 549BC. As Persians expanded their empire, Zoroastrianism was introduced to Greek historians such as Hermodorus
, Hermippus
, Xanthos
, Eudoxus
and Aristotle
; each giving a different date regarding the life of Zoroaster
but naturally believed him to be a Persian prophet and called him "Master of the magi"
Although there are no inscriptions left from the time of Cyrus about his religion, the fire-altars found at Pasargadae
, as well as the fact that he called his daughter Atossa
, name of the queen of Vishtaspa (Zoroaster's royal patron), suggests that he indeed may have been a Zoroastrian.
However, it is clear that by the time of Darius the Great (549 BC– 485/486 BC), the empire was clearly in favour of Zoroastrianism. Darius declares in one of his inscriptions that:
Persepolis (or Parsa) was one of the four capitals of the Achaemenid empire, built by Darius the Great and his son Xerxes; it was a glorious city known to the world as the "richest city under the sun". It was also the trading capital of the Near East.
One of the main functions of Persepolis was to serve as the host of the ancient Zoroastrian festival, Norouz
. Therefore, every year representatives from each country under the rule of Persia would bring gifts to Persepolis to show their loyalty to the king and the empire.
as the state religion
and promoted the religion more than ever. It is believed that Avesta (a compilation of Zoroastrian sacred texts) was first gathered and put together at this time.
The prophet Mani was an Iranian of noble Parthia
n roots who established Manichaeism
which contained many elements of Zoroastrianism
as well as Gnosticism
, however it saw the experience of life on earth by humans as miserable, which was a contrast to the Zoroastrian view which was to celebrate life through happiness.
Mani was received kindly by king Shapur I
and spent many years at his court where he was protected during all of Shabuhr's reign. However Mani wrote in a semitic language and all his work had to be translated in to Middle Persian
by his followers, who rendered the name of Mani's supreme god as Zurvan and called him the father of Ohrmazd (Ahuramazda, God of Wisdom, main deity of Zoroastrianism
).
Unlike Mazdean Zoroastrianism, Zurvanism considered Ahura Mazda
not the transcendental Creator, but one of two equal-but-opposite divinities under the supremacy of Zurvan. The central Zurvanite belief made Ahura Mazda (Middle Persian: Ohrmuzd) and Angra Mainyu
(Ahriman) twin brothers that had co-existed for all time.
Non-Zoroastrian accounts of typically Zurvanite beliefs were the first traces of Zoroastrianism to reach the west, which misled European scholars to conclude that Zoroastrianism was a dualist
faith.
The Zoroastrian cult of Zurvan should not be confused with the Manichaeism
's use of the name Zurvan in Middle Persian texts to represent the Manichean deity of light. Mani
had himself introduced this practice (for perhaps political reasons) in his Shapurgan, which he dedicated to his patron Shapur II
. For much of the rest of the Sassanid era, the Manichaens were a persecuted minority, and Mani was sentenced to death by Bahram I
.
The three great sacred fires of Persia at the time of the Sassanids were the Adur Farnbag, Adur Gushnasp and the Adur Burzen-Mihr which burnt in Pars, Media and Parthia respectively. Of these three the Adur Burzen-Mihr was the most sacred fire as it was linked to the prophet Zarathustra himself and king Vishtaspa
.
Mongol empire
The Mongol invasion of Iran resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and ruined many cities. The early Mongol invaders were, however, pagans
or buddhists
so most of their attention was directed towards Muslims, whom they hated. However, Within half a century of the conquest, the leader of the Il-Khanate, Ghazan Khan, became a Muslim, which did not help the status of Zoroastrians in Iran. However, by the time that the Mongols were expelled, Pars province had escaped major damages and the Zoroastrians moved to the North of Pars mainly in the regions of Yazd
and Kerman
, where even today the main Zoroastrian communities are found.
Safavid dynasty
Shiite Safavid dynasty destroyed what was once a vibrant community of Zoroastrians, the original inhabitants of Iran. As per the official policy, Safavids wanted everyone to convert to their sect of Islam and killed hundreds of thousands of Sunnis, Zoroastrians, Jews, and other minorities when they refused to follow these orders.
Thousands of Jews left Iran for India, Syria and Turkey with only about 10% remaining. Majority of Zoroastrians also left for India though about 20% remained; most of which had to migrate in the late 19th century as Qajar dynasty imposed greater restrictions on them.
Qajar dynasty
During the Qajar Dynasty, religious persecution of the Zoroastrians was rampant. Due to the increasing contacts with influential Parsi philanthropists such as Maneckji Limji Hataria, many Zoroastrians left Iran for India. There, they formed the second major Indian Zoroastrian community known as the Iranis.
Pahlavi dynasty
Starting from the early twentieth century, Tehran
, the nation's capital, experienced rapid migrations from all Iranian minorities. The Zoroastrian population increased from about 50 merchants in 1881 to 500 by 1912.
During the reign of the Pahlavi dynasty
, Zoroastrians changed from being one of the most persecuted minorities in Iran to a symbol of Iranian nationalism
. This notion carried on all the way through the 1979 Islamic revolution of Iran when Ayatollah Sadughi proclaimed that "We Muslims are like the branches of a tree, if our roots are cut off, we shall shrivel up and die", also the last prime minister before the revolution Shapour Bakhtiar
held an anti-Khomeini meeting in Los Angeles on the day of the Zoroastrian Mehregan
festival (1980), in tribute to "true nationalism" (See Iranian nationalism
).
following the Iranian revolution of 1979 posed many setbacks for Iran's religious minorities. Since that time many Zoroastrians, aided by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society program, have emigrated to the US, as well as to Canada, Australia, and the UK. Together with the issues of out-marriage and low birth rates, this is leading to a steady decline in Iran's Zoroastrian population which is currently estimated at under 20,000.
Like the Armenian, Assyrian
and Persian Jewish
communities, Zoroastrians are officially recognized and on the grounds of the 1906 Constitution allocated one seat in the Iranian Parliament
, currently held by Esfandiar Ekhtiari Kassnavieh.
Important Zoroastrians in the 20th century:
Prior to the Islamization of Iran, Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
was the primary religion of the Iranian peoples
Iranian peoples
The Iranian peoples are an Indo-European ethnic-linguistic group, consisting of the speakers of Iranian languages, a major branch of the Indo-European language family, as such forming a branch of Indo-European-speaking peoples...
. Since the Sassanid Empire
Sassanid Empire
The Sassanid Empire , known to its inhabitants as Ērānshahr and Ērān in Middle Persian and resulting in the New Persian terms Iranshahr and Iran , was the last pre-Islamic Persian Empire, ruled by the Sasanian Dynasty from 224 to 651...
was conquered by Muslims in the 7th century CE, Zoroastrians in Iran have faced much religious discrimination, including forced conversions and harassment although technically, Zoroastrians are protected as "People of the Book
People of the Book
People of the Book is a term used to designate non-Muslim adherents to faiths which have a revealed scripture called, in Arabic, Al-Kitab . The three types of adherents to faiths that the Qur'an mentions as people of the book are the Jews, Sabians and Christians.In Islam, the Muslim scripture, the...
" in Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
Background
Zoroaster
Zoroaster , also known as Zarathustra , was a prophet and the founder of Zoroastrianism who was either born in North Western or Eastern Iran. He is credited with the authorship of the Yasna Haptanghaiti as well as the Gathas, hymns which are at the liturgical core of Zoroastrianism...
and his first followers have been the proto-Indo-Iranians that lived between the Stone Age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
and Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
(est. 1400-1200BC). The proto-Indo-Iranians (Aryans) were later divided in to two distinct branches of Iranian
Iranian peoples
The Iranian peoples are an Indo-European ethnic-linguistic group, consisting of the speakers of Iranian languages, a major branch of the Indo-European language family, as such forming a branch of Indo-European-speaking peoples...
and Indians
Indic
Indic can refer to:* Indo-Aryan languages* Indic scripts* Related to the Indian Subcontinent* of or related to India ; see Indica...
; the Iranian branch migrated to Iran as early as 2000 BC.
The time of the Iranian peoples
Iranian peoples
The Iranian peoples are an Indo-European ethnic-linguistic group, consisting of the speakers of Iranian languages, a major branch of the Indo-European language family, as such forming a branch of Indo-European-speaking peoples...
' migration to Iran can be mainly estimated through Assyrian records. Also, Herodotus
Herodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
(I, 101) had recalled one of the Mede tribes to be called "Magoi", better known as "Magi
Magi
Magi is a term, used since at least the 4th century BC, to denote a follower of Zoroaster, or rather, a follower of what the Hellenistic world associated Zoroaster with, which...
s", a tribe known to have included many priests, who served both Medes
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
and Persians. By the time of the Median empire (est. 612 BC), Zoroastrianism is known to have been well established in both Pars region (later capital of Persia) as well as in the Eastern regions.
Achaemenid dynasty
Persians led by Cyrus the GreatCyrus the Great
Cyrus II of Persia , commonly known as Cyrus the Great, also known as Cyrus the Elder, was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. Under his rule, the empire embraced all the previous civilized states of the ancient Near East, expanded vastly and eventually conquered most of Southwest Asia and much...
soon established the second Iranian dynasty, and the first Persian empire by defeating the Medes
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
dynasty in 549BC. As Persians expanded their empire, Zoroastrianism was introduced to Greek historians such as Hermodorus
Hermodorus
Hermodorus , who lived in the 4th century BC, is said to have circulated the works of Plato, and to have sold them in Sicily. Hermodorus himself appears to have been a philosopher, for we know the titles of two works that were attributed to him: On Plato , and On Mathematics ....
, Hermippus
Hermippus
Hermippus was the one-eyed Athenian writer of the Old Comedy who flourished during the Peloponnesian War. He was the son of Lysis, and the brother of the comic poet Myrtilus. He was younger than Telecleides and older than Eupolis and Aristophanes. According to the Suda, he wrote forty plays, and...
, Xanthos
Xanthos
Xanthos was the name of a city in ancient Lycia, the site of present day Kınık, Antalya Province, Turkey, and of the river on which the city is situated...
, Eudoxus
Eudoxus
Eudoxus or Eudoxos was the name of two ancient Greeks:* Eudoxus of Cnidus , Greek astronomer and mathematician.* Eudoxus of Cyzicus , Greek navigator....
and Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
; each giving a different date regarding the life of Zoroaster
Zoroaster
Zoroaster , also known as Zarathustra , was a prophet and the founder of Zoroastrianism who was either born in North Western or Eastern Iran. He is credited with the authorship of the Yasna Haptanghaiti as well as the Gathas, hymns which are at the liturgical core of Zoroastrianism...
but naturally believed him to be a Persian prophet and called him "Master of the magi"
Although there are no inscriptions left from the time of Cyrus about his religion, the fire-altars found at Pasargadae
Pasargadae
Pasargadae , the capital of Cyrus the Great and also his last resting place, was a city in ancient Persia, and is today an archaeological site and one of Iran's UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-History:...
, as well as the fact that he called his daughter Atossa
Atossa
Atossa was an Achaemenid queen and daughter of Cyrus the Great and his wife, Cassandane...
, name of the queen of Vishtaspa (Zoroaster's royal patron), suggests that he indeed may have been a Zoroastrian.
However, it is clear that by the time of Darius the Great (549 BC– 485/486 BC), the empire was clearly in favour of Zoroastrianism. Darius declares in one of his inscriptions that:
Persepolis
One of the main functions of Persepolis was to serve as the host of the ancient Zoroastrian festival, Norouz
Norouz
Nowrūz is the name of the Iranian New Year in Iranian calendars and the corresponding traditional celebrations. Nowruz is also widely referred to as the Persian New Year....
. Therefore, every year representatives from each country under the rule of Persia would bring gifts to Persepolis to show their loyalty to the king and the empire.
Sassanid dynasty
The Sassanid dynasty (224-651 CE) was the first Persian empire which declared ZoroastrianismZoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
as the state religion
State religion
A state religion is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state...
and promoted the religion more than ever. It is believed that Avesta (a compilation of Zoroastrian sacred texts) was first gathered and put together at this time.
Prophet Mani
ManichaeismManichaeism
Manichaeism in Modern Persian Āyin e Māni; ) was one of the major Iranian Gnostic religions, originating in Sassanid Persia.Although most of the original writings of the founding prophet Mani have been lost, numerous translations and fragmentary texts have survived...
The prophet Mani was an Iranian of noble Parthia
Parthia
Parthia is a region of north-eastern Iran, best known for having been the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasty, rulers of the Parthian Empire....
n roots who established Manichaeism
Manichaeism
Manichaeism in Modern Persian Āyin e Māni; ) was one of the major Iranian Gnostic religions, originating in Sassanid Persia.Although most of the original writings of the founding prophet Mani have been lost, numerous translations and fragmentary texts have survived...
which contained many elements of Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
as well as Gnosticism
Gnosticism
Gnosticism is a scholarly term for a set of religious beliefs and spiritual practices common to early Christianity, Hellenistic Judaism, Greco-Roman mystery religions, Zoroastrianism , and Neoplatonism.A common characteristic of some of these groups was the teaching that the realisation of Gnosis...
, however it saw the experience of life on earth by humans as miserable, which was a contrast to the Zoroastrian view which was to celebrate life through happiness.
Mani was received kindly by king Shapur I
Shapur I
Shapur I or also known as Shapur I the Great was the second Sassanid King of the Second Persian Empire. The dates of his reign are commonly given as 240/42 - 270/72, but it is likely that he also reigned as co-regent prior to his father's death in 242 .-Early years:Shapur was the son of Ardashir I...
and spent many years at his court where he was protected during all of Shabuhr's reign. However Mani wrote in a semitic language and all his work had to be translated in to Middle Persian
Middle Persian
Middle Persian , indigenously known as "Pârsig" sometimes referred to as Pahlavi or Pehlevi, is the Middle Iranian language/ethnolect of Southwestern Iran that during Sassanid times became a prestige dialect and so came to be spoken in other regions as well. Middle Persian is classified as a...
by his followers, who rendered the name of Mani's supreme god as Zurvan and called him the father of Ohrmazd (Ahuramazda, God of Wisdom, main deity of Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
).
Zurvanism
Although the origins of Zurvanite Zoroastrianism are unclear, it was during the Sassanid period that it gained widespread acceptance, and many of the Sassanid emperors were at least to some extent Zurvanites. Zurvanism enjoyed royal sanction during the Sassanid era but no traces of it remain beyond the 10th century.Unlike Mazdean Zoroastrianism, Zurvanism considered Ahura Mazda
Ahura Mazda
Ahura Mazdā is the Avestan name for a divinity of the Old Iranian religion who was proclaimed the uncreated God by Zoroaster, the founder of Zoroastrianism...
not the transcendental Creator, but one of two equal-but-opposite divinities under the supremacy of Zurvan. The central Zurvanite belief made Ahura Mazda (Middle Persian: Ohrmuzd) and Angra Mainyu
Angra Mainyu
Angra Mainyu is the Avestan-language name of Zoroastrianism's hypostasis of the "destructive spirit". The Middle Persian equivalent is Ahriman.-In Zoroaster's revelation:...
(Ahriman) twin brothers that had co-existed for all time.
Non-Zoroastrian accounts of typically Zurvanite beliefs were the first traces of Zoroastrianism to reach the west, which misled European scholars to conclude that Zoroastrianism was a dualist
Dualism
Dualism denotes a state of two parts. The term 'dualism' was originally coined to denote co-eternal binary opposition, a meaning that is preserved in metaphysical and philosophical duality discourse but has been diluted in general or common usages. Dualism can refer to moral dualism, Dualism (from...
faith.
The Zoroastrian cult of Zurvan should not be confused with the Manichaeism
Manichaeism
Manichaeism in Modern Persian Āyin e Māni; ) was one of the major Iranian Gnostic religions, originating in Sassanid Persia.Although most of the original writings of the founding prophet Mani have been lost, numerous translations and fragmentary texts have survived...
's use of the name Zurvan in Middle Persian texts to represent the Manichean deity of light. Mani
Mani (prophet)
Mani , of Iranian origin was the prophet and the founder of Manichaeism, a gnostic religion of Late Antiquity which was once widespread but is now extinct...
had himself introduced this practice (for perhaps political reasons) in his Shapurgan, which he dedicated to his patron Shapur II
Shapur II
Shapur II the Great was the ninth King of the Persian Sassanid Empire from 309 to 379 and son of Hormizd II. During his long reign, the Sassanid Empire saw its first golden era since the reign of Shapur I...
. For much of the rest of the Sassanid era, the Manichaens were a persecuted minority, and Mani was sentenced to death by Bahram I
Bahram I
Bahram I was the fourth Sassanid emperor of the second Persian Empire. He was the eldest son of Shapur I and succeeded his brother Hormizd I , who had reigned for only a year....
.
Sacred fires
Vishtaspa
Vishtaspa is the Avestan-language name of a figure of Zoroastrian scripture and tradition, portrayed as an early follower of Zoroaster, and his patron, and instrumental in the diffusion of the prophet's message...
.
Mongol empireMongol EmpireThe Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
The Mongol invasion of Iran resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and ruined many cities. The early Mongol invaders were, however, pagansPaganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
or buddhists
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
so most of their attention was directed towards Muslims, whom they hated. However, Within half a century of the conquest, the leader of the Il-Khanate, Ghazan Khan, became a Muslim, which did not help the status of Zoroastrians in Iran. However, by the time that the Mongols were expelled, Pars province had escaped major damages and the Zoroastrians moved to the North of Pars mainly in the regions of Yazd
Yazd
Yazd is the capital of Yazd Province in Iran, and a centre of Zoroastrian culture. The city is located some 175 miles southeast of Isfahan. At the 2006 census, the population was 423,006, in 114,716 families....
and Kerman
Kerman
- Geological characteristics :For the Iranian paleontologists, Kerman has always been considered a fossil paradise. Finding new dinosaur footprints in 2005 has now revealed new hopes for paleontologists to better understand the history of this area.- Economy :...
, where even today the main Zoroastrian communities are found.
Safavid dynastySafavid dynastyThe Safavid dynasty was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran. They ruled one of the greatest Persian empires since the Muslim conquest of Persia and established the Twelver school of Shi'a Islam as the official religion of their empire, marking one of the most important turning...
Shiite Safavid dynasty destroyed what was once a vibrant community of Zoroastrians, the original inhabitants of Iran. As per the official policy, Safavids wanted everyone to convert to their sect of Islam and killed hundreds of thousands of Sunnis, Zoroastrians, Jews, and other minorities when they refused to follow these orders.Thousands of Jews left Iran for India, Syria and Turkey with only about 10% remaining. Majority of Zoroastrians also left for India though about 20% remained; most of which had to migrate in the late 19th century as Qajar dynasty imposed greater restrictions on them.
Qajar dynastyQajar dynastyThe Qajar dynasty was an Iranian royal family of Turkic descent who ruled Persia from 1785 to 1925....
Pahlavi dynastyPahlavi dynastyThe Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi (reg. 1925–1941) and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty ...
Starting from the early twentieth century, TehranTehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, the nation's capital, experienced rapid migrations from all Iranian minorities. The Zoroastrian population increased from about 50 merchants in 1881 to 500 by 1912.
During the reign of the Pahlavi dynasty
Pahlavi dynasty
The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi (reg. 1925–1941) and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty ...
, Zoroastrians changed from being one of the most persecuted minorities in Iran to a symbol of Iranian nationalism
Iranian nationalism
Iranian nationalism refers to nationalism among the people of Iran and individuals whose national identity is Iranian. Iranian nationalism consists of political and social movements and sentiments prompted by a love for Iranian culture, language and history, and a sense of pride in Iran and...
. This notion carried on all the way through the 1979 Islamic revolution of Iran when Ayatollah Sadughi proclaimed that "We Muslims are like the branches of a tree, if our roots are cut off, we shall shrivel up and die", also the last prime minister before the revolution Shapour Bakhtiar
Shapour Bakhtiar
Shapour Bakhtiar was an Iranian political scientist, writer and the last Prime Minister of Iran under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi...
held an anti-Khomeini meeting in Los Angeles on the day of the Zoroastrian Mehregan
Mehregan
Mehrgân or Jashn-e Mehregân is a Zoroastrian and Persian festival celebrated since the pre-Islamic era to honor the Yazata of "Mehr" , which is responsible for friendship, affection and love. It is also widely referred to as Persian Festival of Autumn...
festival (1980), in tribute to "true nationalism" (See Iranian nationalism
Iranian nationalism
Iranian nationalism refers to nationalism among the people of Iran and individuals whose national identity is Iranian. Iranian nationalism consists of political and social movements and sentiments prompted by a love for Iranian culture, language and history, and a sense of pride in Iran and...
).
Post-Revolution
The establishment of an Islamic RepublicIslamic republic
Islamic republic is the name given to several states in the Muslim world including the Islamic Republics of Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Mauritania. Pakistan adopted the title under the constitution of 1956. Mauritania adopted it on 28 November 1958. Iran adopted it after the 1979 Iranian...
following the Iranian revolution of 1979 posed many setbacks for Iran's religious minorities. Since that time many Zoroastrians, aided by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society program, have emigrated to the US, as well as to Canada, Australia, and the UK. Together with the issues of out-marriage and low birth rates, this is leading to a steady decline in Iran's Zoroastrian population which is currently estimated at under 20,000.
Like the Armenian, Assyrian
Assyrians in Iran
Assyrians in Iran was a thriving community, but was diminished from around 200,000 prior to the Islamic Revolution in Iran to a mere 50,000....
and Persian Jewish
Persian Jews
Persian Jews , are Jews historically associated with Iran, traditionally known as Persia in Western sources.Judaism is one of the oldest religions practiced in Iran. The Book of Esther contains some references to the experiences of Jews in Persia...
communities, Zoroastrians are officially recognized and on the grounds of the 1906 Constitution allocated one seat in the Iranian Parliament
Majlis of Iran
The National Consultative Assembly of Iran , also called The Iranian Parliament or People's House, is the national legislative body of Iran...
, currently held by Esfandiar Ekhtiari Kassnavieh.
Important Zoroastrians in the 20th century:
- Jamshid Bahman JamshidianJamshid Bahman JamshidianJamshid Bahman Jamshidian, also known as Arbab Jamshidi, was a prominent Zoroastrian figure in Iran who introduced the idea of modern banking in Iran as well as being the first representative of the Zoroastrian community in the Iranian parliament....
also known as Arbob Jamshidi - Dr. Farhang MehrFarhang MehrFarhang Mehr is a Zoroastrian scholar and former politician.-Background:Mehr was born to a Zoroastrian family in Tehran. His father, Mehraban Mehr, was from the province of Kerman, and at the age of 14 migrated to Tehran for greater economic and social opportunities...
- Keikhosrow ShahrokhKeikhosrow ShahrokhKeikhosrow Shahrokh was the mastermind and designer of the mausoleum for Persian poet Ferdowsi at his burial site in the city of Tus. As elected representative of the Zoroastrian community, he was an active member of the Iranian parliament...
also known as Arbob Keikhoshrow
See also
- Firooz Bahram Zoroastrian high school in IranFirouz Bahram High SchoolFirooz Bahram High School is one of Tehran's oldest high schools still in operation.-History:Built in 1932, it was constructed on the property of Zoroastrians such as Ardeshir Kiamanesh. The school was named after an Iranian Zoroastrian that died in the Meditarranean in World War I...
- Persian peoplePersian peopleThe Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
- Religious minorities in Iran