Zoroastrian Parsis (India)
Indian Zoroastrian community descended from 8th–10th century Persian refugees. ~50,000 in India today; endogamy disputes are a major intra-community fault line.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
0 — endogamous ancient Zoroastrian community of India; moderate communal pressure on inter-marriage and hereditary priesthood.
In context
Parsis (and the smaller Iranian-origin Iranis) are India's surviving Zoroastrian community, with strong concentrations in Mumbai and Gujarat. The community is mostly low-control voluntary, but the Bombay Parsi Punchayet's traditional position that the children of Parsi mothers married to non-Parsi fathers cannot be initiated (navjote) — and the related Tower of Silence access disputes — function as significant communal-control levers. Demographic decline has intensified the debate.
This profile is in progress — history, deeper BITE evidence and survivor voices are still being added. Contributions welcome via GitHub.
Timeline
- 936 CE (trad.)Parsi refugees land at Sanjan, Gujarat
- 1909Parsi Punchayet case (Bombay) on community membership
Sources
- John R. Hinnells, 'The Zoroastrian Diaspora' (2005)
- Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India statements
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. Search the source title plus the group name to find the original.