From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Qissa-i Sanjan
Qissa-i Sanjan
Part of a series on subcontinent. In the absence of alternatives, the text is
Zoroastrianism generally accepted to be the only narrative of the events
described therein, and many members of the Parsi com-
munity perceive the epic poem to be an accurate account
of their ancestors.
The account begins in Greater Khorasan, and narrates
the travel of the emigrants to Gujarat, on the west coast
of present-day India. The first chapter, which is the
Portal
longest, ends with the establishment of a Fire Temple
Primary topics at Sanjan (Gujarat), and the later dispersion of their de-
Zoroastrianism scendants. In later chapters, the Qissa narrates the suc-
Ahura Mazda cess in repelling Islamic invaders, then the failure in the
Zarathustra same, and the subsequent flight of the Zoroastrians. The
aša (asha) / arta account closes with a chapter on the conveyance of the
Angels and demons "Fire of the Warharan" to Navsari.
In its conclusion, the story is signed by a Parsi priest
Amesha Spentas · Yazatas named Bahman Kaikobad (or ’Bahman Kaikobad Hamjiar
Ahuras · Daevas Sanjana’[1]). The date of authorship is recorded as 969 YZ
Angra Mainyu (1599 CE, see Zoroastrian calendar) - several centuries af-
Scripture and worship ter the described events are thought to have occurred.
Avesta The account is in verse, in the highly verbose style com-
Gathas · Yasna mon to Persian poetry.
Vendidad · Visperad The Kisseh-i Sanjan, as Abraham Anquetil-Duperron
Yashts · Khordeh Avesta transliterated the name, became available to European
Ab-Zohr scholarship in 1771, when Duperron published a French
The Ahuna Vairya Invocation translation. However, it was not until the beginning of
Fire Temples the 20th century that the poem attracted widespread at-
tention, particularly among the Parsi-Zoroastrian priest-
Accounts and legends
hood.[2]
Dēnkard · Bundahišn
Book of Arda Viraf
Book of Jamasp
Story of Sanjan Contents
History and culture Quotations in the following section are from an English language translation
by Shahpurshah Hormasji Hodivala, published in 1920.[3]
Zurvanism
Calendar · Festivals The first chapter of the narrative begins with the fall
Marriage of the Sassanid Empire in 642CE, as part of the Muslim
Eschatology conquest of Persia. The subsequent persecution of
Zoroastrians led to the dispersion of the people "of good
Adherents
faith", and ultimately the Zoroastrians’ departure from
Zoroastrians in Iran Greater Khorasan.
Parsis · Iranis The refugees first made for a major port city [a1] near
••• Bushire, where they stayed for 15 years. From there they
Persecution of Zoroastrians sailed for Hindustan, the northern territories of the In-
See also dian subcontinent. They landed on the Island of Div, in
southern Saurashtra, where they stayed for another 19
Index of Related Articles
years. From Div, they sailed along the coast, weathered a
The Story of Sanjan (also Qissa-i Sanjan or Kisse-i Sanjan) severe storm at sea, and finally landed in Gujarat. Some
(Persian: ,قصه سنجانGujarati: િકસે સનજાન) is an account accounts state that about 18,000 Parsis came in seven
of the early years of Zoroastrian settlers on the Indian
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Qissa-i Sanjan
junks, five of them landing in Div, one at Variav near Su- In the Story of Sanjan, it appears as if the Zoroastrians
rat and one at Cambay in Gujarat. must have had some contact with Gujarat prior to their
There, they approached the local king, Jadi Rana, and journey there, which has prompted suggestions that the
requested asylum. The ruler, fearing for his kingdom, Zoroastrians of the story were not in fact the first mi-
asked them to explain their beliefs, and made four other grants. Whether these were also asylum seekers is un-
stipulations for granting asylum: clear, but Iranian influence and emigrants are discernible
• they were to adopt the local language (Gujarati) in India long before the Parsis of the narrative arrive. The
• their women were to wear the garments of the local text states the migrants knew in advance that Gujarat
women (the Sari) was governed by a monarch tolerant towards other (i.e.
• they were to cease to carry weapons non-Hindu) religious beliefs, and this may have been de-
• marriages were only to be performed in the evenings termined through trade with the region (the city[a2] near
(as the Hindus do) Bushire - where the narrative’s Zoroastrians are said to
The refugees, accepting the demands, expounded on the have lived for 15 years before setting sail - had extensive
teachings of their faith, and "when the Hindu Raja heard trading connections with the east).
the oration, his mind regained perfect ease." Having been The story’s chronology is the basis of several differ-
granted asylum, the emigrants established the settle- ent estimates of the year of migration. Although the sto-
ment of Sanjan (Gujarat), which was soon flourishing. ry is precise with respect to some elapsed periods, it is
Some time thereafter, the priests of the fledgling vague or contradictory with respect to others. Conse-
community approached the king with a request to estab- quently (and in conjunction with an unrelated document
lish a Fire Temple. Their wish was granted, and a tem- from 1826[5]), three dates - 936, 785 and 716 - have been
ple was subsequently installed and consecrated. The Fire proposed as the year of landing. The sacking of Sanjan re-
is subsequently referred to in the story as the "Fire of ferred to in the fourth chapter probably occurred in 1465
Warharan."[b] (see Delhi Sultanate), which would put 716 CE c. 750 years
The narrative then glosses over the next five or seven before the Islamic invasion and 936 CE c. 530 years before
centuries (both periods are mentioned). At the end of the that event. Both periods (seven centuries and five cen-
first chapter, many of the descendants of the original set- turies) are mentioned in the text.
tlers are said to have dispersed in all directions. The question of whether Sanjan or Diu was the site of
In the subsequent three chapters, the account nar- the first settlement in India was discussed with intensity
rates the invasion by Islamic troops. At first, with the as- in the early 20th century when a memorial commemorat-
sistance of the Zoroastrians, the invaders are repelled. In ing their arrival was first proposed. That memorial was
the battle on the next day, "Fortune [...] turned its face", finally constructed at Sanjan, where it is today known
and the Raja was killed. as the Sanjan Stambh. Although the narrative is unclear
The fifth chapter narrates the fleeing of the Zoroas- on where precisely the Zoroastrians came from, the text
trians to Bahrot, taking the fire from the temple in San- may be interpreted such that the emigrants originated
jan with them. They stayed there for twelve years, then from Sanjan (Khorasan), a settlement near the ancient
moved to Bansdah, where a new temple was consecrated. city of Merv (in today’s Turkmenistan). Although the text
In the sixth and final chapter of the narrative, the ac- states that many of the settlers took the name of ’San-
count describes the conveyance of the fire to a new tem- jana’, the text is unclear as to whether they had done
ple at Navsari. so before the naming of the settlement of Sanjan (that is,
they had brought the name with them), or as a response
Issues raised by the text to the naming of the settlement. The settlers were sim-
ply called ’Khorasanis’ by the local citizens.[6] Moreover,
In the absence of alternatives, the Story of Sanjan is gen- (family) names are not believed to have been common
erally accepted to be the only narrative of the early years until much later. The author of the text does not give
of the Zoroastrian migrants to the Indian subcontinent. himself a family name.
Among the Parsi community, the story is perceived to be Scholars of Parsi history are divided over interpre-
an accurate account of their forebearers. tations of the stipulations for asylum, in particular that
The importance of the story lies in any case not so of the last, i.e. that marriages only be performed in the
much in its reconstruction of events than in its depiction evenings, as the Hindus do. Even without any inclination
of the Parsis - in the way they have come to view them- to infer a hidden meaning, it does raise the question why
selves - and in their relationship to the dominant culture. was such a minor issue was a condition for asylum. In
As such, the text plays a crucial role in shaping Parsi general, "that [the Parsis] clothe their cultural conces-
identity. But, "even if one comes to the conclusion that sions to their Indian environment in the form of condi-
the chronicle based on verbal transmission is not more tions set by a Hindu prince can be considered as self-jus-
than a legend, it still remains without doubt an extreme- tification of this group which, without these concessions
ly informative document for Parsee historiography." [4] - that is, giving up only a few customs while traditions
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Qissa-i Sanjan
were otherwise strictly kept - would hardly have been [7] Kulke 1978, p. 29.
able to survive [...] as a minority in India."[7] [8] Maneck 1997, p. 15.
Notes Bibliography
a.^ ^ The text calls this port "Hormuz," but this not • Boyce, Mary; Kotwal, Firoze M. (2003), "Irānshāh",
the same settlement as the present-day city of the Encyclopaedia Iranica, sup. 4, Costa Mesa: Mazda,
same name on Jerun/Gerun Island. Sir Lewis Pelly http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/supp4/
traced the site of the ancient (or ’continental’) Iranshah.html
Hormuz to be near Bushire. Ancient Hormuz • Bulsara, P. P. (1963), Highlights of Parsi History,
served as port for much of the inland, and had Bombay
extensive trading connections with India and the • Hodivala, Shahpurshah Hormasji (1920), "Kissah-i-
far-east. Sanjan", Studies in Parsi History, Bombay
• Kotwal, Firoze M. (1974), "Some Observation on the
b.^ The "Fire of Warharan" was moved from History of the Parsi Dar-i Mihrs", Bulletin of the School
Navsari to Udvada in 1742 following disputes over of Oriental and African Studies 37 (3): 664–669,
sacerdotal jurisdiction of the fire. The present use doi:10.1017/S0041977X00127557
of the expression Iranshah to refer to the fire there • Kulke, Eckehard (1978), The Parsees in India: A Minority
dates to the beginning of the 20th century.[2] (see as Agent of Social Change, New Delhi: Bell
Udvada for details) • Maneck, Susan Stiles (1997), The Death of Ahriman:
Culture, Identity and Theological Change Among the Parsis
c.^ For a review, see Kulke[4] and Maneck.[8]
of India, Bombay: K. R. Cama Oriental Institute
• Modi, Jivanji J. (1905), A few events in the early history
References of the Parsis and their dates, Bombay
• Vimadalal, Jal Rustamji (1979), What a Parsee Should
[1] Kotwal 1974, p. 664,n.2.
Know, Bombay
[2] ^ Boyce & Kotwal 2003.
[3] Hodivala 1920, pp. 94–117.
[4] ^ Kulke 1978, p. 25. Further reading
[5] cf. Modi 1905, pp. 9ff.
• Hodivala’s uncritical translation of the narrative.
[6] Vimadalal 1979, p. 2.
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