![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() They enjoyed several peaks of influence, notably as the state religion under the Iranian-based Achaemenid empire, which stretched from the Nile to the Indus and from the Caucasus to the Arabian Sea until swept away by Alexander the Great in 330BC. The followers of the prophet Zoroastra or Zarathustra or Zarathushtra (depending on how close to the old Persian you want to get it translates as "rich in camels") have been around since 1200BC. As Paul Kriwaczek shows, it left more of a mark on Judaism, Christianity and Islam than any of this holy trinity would care to admit. Parsees (meaning Persians) are the last remnant of Zoroastrianism, a religion that one dominated much of the Middle East and central Asia. ![]() On the modern roll of honour are the conductor Zubin Mehta and Freddie Mercury. A Parsee was the first Indian undergraduate at Oxford, another the first English baronet of Indian origin, another the first Indian-born MP. In India, it was a Parsee who established the first printing press and the oldest newspaper and captained the first national cricket team. From the Indian state of Gujarat, this small group of believers with its distinctive interest in fire-worship has spread into a worldwide diaspora, making notable contributions wherever they settled. The Parsees are often likened to the Jews. ![]()
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