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From Samarkand to San Francisco-Talk by Dr. Jenny Rose

August 25, 2013, 10:37 am
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Asian Art Museum, San Francisco
 
In collaboration with
 
School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), London
 
and Society for Art & Cultural Heritage of India (SACHI)
 
Presents:

 

From Samarkand to San Francisco: A Zoroastrian Synopsis

by Dr. Jennifer Rose

Sunday, September 22, 2:00–3:30 pm
Samsung Hall, Asian Art Museum
200 Larkin Street, San Francisco
$5.00 after museum admission. Ticket includes entry into the museum’s collections, and the special exhibitions Cyrus Cylinder: A New Beginning, and In the Moment: The Larry Ellison Collection
Closing Day for Cyrus Cylinder exhibition. Viewing opportunity, first come, first served.


Advance reservation recommended.  Link for ticketing details
http://www.museumtix.com/program/program.aspx?vid=822&pid=6513464&pvt=aam

In a lively, illustrated presentation, Dr. Jennifer Rose will provide an introduction to the Zoroastrian religion, one of the world’s oldest surviving belief systems. From its origins in Bronze Age Central Asia to its evolution across three powerful Iranian empires, and its expansion to India, Europe, and North America, Zoroastrianism has had a profound impact on surrounding cultures and religions.  The talk will explore these points of interaction by tracing the religion’s history in relation to artifacts on display in The Everlasting Flame: Zoroastrianism in History and Imagination, an upcoming exhibition at the School of Oriental and African Studies (London), as well as objects in the Cyrus Cylinder exhibition currently on view at the Asian Art Museum.  Images from Dr. Rose’s recent travels in Iran and Central Asia will be included.

The presentation will be followed by a Q & A. Participants will have the chance to view a rare artifact newly acquired by the Asian Art Museum—a silver Muktad bowl, used by Parsis (Zoroastrians from India) to hold flowers in memory of the departed during the last 10 days of the Zoroastrian year.

About the Speaker:
Dr. Jennifer Rose, adjunct professor of Zoroastrian studies in the Department of Religion at Claremont Graduate University, holds an MA in Religious Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London, and a PhD in Ancient Iranian studies from Columbia University, New York.  She has published extensively, including two recent books – Zoroastrianism: An Introduction (I.B. Tauris) and Zoroastrianism: A Guide for the Perplexed (Continuum). Dr. Rose has lectured internationally at universities, museums and Zoroastrian Association events and led tours to important archaeological, cultural and devotional sites in Iran and Central Asia. She is currently on the advisory panel for The Everlasting Flame exhibition, on view at SOAS this fall.
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SACHI (Society for Art and Cultural Heritage of India) is a nonprofit, educational organization that was formed to serve as a forum for promoting, understanding, and appreciating the richness and diversity of the art, culture, and heritage of India.

For more information, visit  http://www.sachi.org


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The Palace of Darius at Susa

August 26, 2013, 10:32 am
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The Palace of Darius at  Susa – By Jean Perrot
The Palace of Darius at Susa: Residence of Achaemenid Persia, by Jean Perrot

Summary

The palace complex of the Persian King Darius I, the Great (522-486 BCE), provides unique evidence of the sophistication of Achaemenid architecture and construction. This palace, built 2500 years ago in western Iran, lay at the centre of the Persian Empire that stretched from the Nile and the Aegean to the Indus Valley. First rediscovered in 1851, the Palace of Darius was partly excavated over the next century but it was only field research between 1969 and 1979 by the noted French archaeologist Jean Perrot which revealed the site’s full dimension and complexity. Its bull-headed capitals, enamel friezes of richly-clad archers holding spears, figures of noble lions and winged monsters, introduced a new iconography into the ancient Persian world. The discovery and excavation of the palace, which this book records, thus casts a new light on the beginnings of the Achaemenid period. Edited by the distinguished scholar of ancient Persia, John Curtis, the lavishly illustrated volume is a work of seminal importance for the understanding of ancient Persia, likely to be radically altered by Perrot’s research and findings.

Publisher

I.B.Tauris in association with Iran Heritage Foundation. It can be purchased here.

Author

A former Director of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Jean Perrot (1920-2012) is an archaeologist and scholar who led the Délégation Archéologique Française en Iran (DAFI) which made many important Achaemenid discoveries in Iran between 1968 and 1979. John Curtis is Keeper of Special Middle Eastern Projects at the British Museum.

Reviews

‘King Darius’ Palace at Susa is perhaps the least well known yet the most important of the Achaemenid Persian palaces, less perhaps for its remains on the ground than for its architecture and treasures which are to be seen in Teheran and notably in the Louvre. French exploration of Susa, which began in 1885/6, continues. This magisterial volume, the translation of the French edition of 2010, brings together at last a comprehensive account of the architectural remains and the finds, from various scholarly hands. It is a major resource and, with its lavish illustration, a joy to handle and read.’
Sir John Boardman, FBA, Emeritus Lincoln Professor of Classical Art and Archaeology, University of Oxford
‘This lavishly illustrated volume on Darius I’s palace at Susa is not only of utmost importance for the specialist in Near EasternArchaeology. With its chapters on the history of Elam in Achaemenid times, and on the royal builder himself, it is also an indispensable tool for historians of Pre-Islamic Persia. Its comprehensive account of the French excavations provides key insights into European encounters with Iran as well into the history of scholarship.’
Josef Wiesehöfer, Professor of Ancient History, Kiel University
‘This sumptuous volume provides a richly illustrated, authoritative survey of the key structures and many individual objects found at Susa that can be said to have contributed so much to the advancement of Achaemenid studies, beginning in the second half of the nineteenth century. Above all, students of the evolution of early Achaemenid art and architecture will find this multi-authored volume to be essential reading.’
David Stronach, OBE, Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Archaeology, University of California, Berkeley

Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Foreword
  3. List of Events in the Achaemenid Period
  4. Genealogical Table of the Achaemenid Dynasty
  5. Susa and Elam in the Achaemenid Empire
  6. Darius: The Great King
  7. The Discoverers of the Palace of Susa
  8. The Franco-Iranian Programme (1969-1979)
  9. The Geophysical Survey of the Achaemenid Foundations
  10. The Archaeological Data
  11. Restoration, reconstruction
  12. The Egyptian Statue of Darius
  13. The Main Achaemenid Inscriptions of Susa
  14. The Fired Arts
  15. Decorative Arts at Susa during the Persian Period
  16. Other Works of Darius and his Successors
  17. The Susa and Iranian and Middle-Eastern Architecture
  18. Darius in his Time
  19. Appendix: The Inscriptions of Darius at Bisitun

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Parsis and Kashmir

August 27, 2013, 1:06 am
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As Zubin Mehta visits the valley, it’s time to explore an unknown mystical legacy

SPOTLIGHT

M SALEEM BEG

 

The forth-coming performance of Zubin Mehta, born in 1936 in a Parsi family in Mumbai,   has rekindled our interest in a very rich but lesser known Parsi presence in Kashmir.  Parsis or Zoroastrians are the followers of Zoaraster known as  Zartusht in the Islamic  world. Muslims are intimately acquainted with this religion as it is the only non Arab belief that finds honourable mention in Holy Quran. Islam equates pious followers of zartush, mentioned by Arab name Majusi, to the  men of piety from semitic religions, Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Zartusht lived some time in 6th century BC  in Middle Asia, then comprising Iran and Afghanistan with a  lineage tracing to a spiritual  family from Balkh, Afghanistan. The close affinity of Zoarastrians with the semitic religions, especially Islam is well documented in the literature of the two religions. Majusis, like Muslims, believe in one ness of God, Ahur Mazda, and offer prayers five times a day. The only surviving monotheistic belief at the time of prophet of Islam (pbuh), it  therefore evoked   keen interest in this religion from the Muslim saints and scholars. The first Majusi who came in contact with the prophet (pbuh) and converted to Islam was Hazrat Salman Farsi. Recognizing his superior  spiritual prowess and piety  amongst the believers, Prophet (pbuh) showed great affection towards him and called him among the Ahl bait, a distinction bestowed to no other Muslim. Salman Farsi made  great  contribution towards establishing a just, honest and egalitarian society in the formative years of Islam. The Zoarastrian thought and philosophy was integrated  into the larger fabric of Muslim society in the form of what is known in history as the Iranian influence.  This subsuming gave  Islam and the world the great Abassi empire, the zenith of Islamic faith, art, and culture.

Click to continue reading…

 

Courtesy : K F Keravala

 


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Azar Kaivan And The Zoroastrian Ishraqis

August 29, 2013, 7:03 am
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Ruins of Istakhr, ancient Zoroastrian city

CONTENTS  KEY

1.     Introduction

2.     Azar  Kaivan

3.     The  Kaivan School

4.     Mir Findiriski  and  Baha al-Din Amili

5.     The  Desatir

6.     Dabistan-i  Mazahib  and  the  Sipasiyan

7.     Jivanji  J.  Modi  and  Dastur  Dhalla

8.     Other  Philosophers  and  Mystics

        Annotations

1.   Introduction

The standard interpretation of Suhrawardi’s influence has generally been heavily disposed to an emphasis upon the Safavid era events associated with the “School of Isfahan.” One of the reasons given is that “the illuminationist school of Suhrawardi provided the basis upon which an esoteric interpretation of Shi’ite Islam could be formulated.” (1) Yet outside Iran, the spread of Suhrawardi’s ideas is known to have affected India through diverse channels. The Zoroastrian extension of this phenomenon is rarely awarded profile. (2) 

Read on…

Courtesy : K F Keravala


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Prominent Parsis of Karachi

September 4, 2013, 10:18 pm
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Click here for a short compilation of some of the prominent Parsis of Karachi, Pakistan.

This write up was compiled and forwarded by Phil Masters of Canada.


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History of Zoroastrians after Arab Invasion

October 24, 2013, 2:56 am
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The History of Zoroastrians after Arab Invasion; Alien in Their Homeland

  

By: Dr. Daryoush Jahanian

Presented at the North American Zoroastrian Congress in San Francisco 1996

and the World Zoroastrian congress in Houston 2000-2001

Abstract: This is only a fraction of what actually happened to the Zoroastrians after the Arab invasion. The purpose of the presentation is not to generate hard feeling toward any people. Because no generation is responsible for the actions of past generations, although almost always they are unfairly blamed for. However, denial of historical facts is not an option either. The real goal in addition to presentation of an untold history is to make our community aware of their past history and the suffering and indignities that their ancestors received to preserve their religion, culture and identity. Once it is realized that nothing that we have inherited is to be taken as granted, our responsibility toward the young generation, the generation of the 21st century is better realized.

 

Due to continuous persecution, discrimination and massacre the population of Zoroastrians of Iran from an estimated five million at the turn of the fifteenth century dwindled to only seven thousand at the middle of the nineteenth century. At this time the French ambassador to Iran wrote “only a miracle can save them from total extinction”. By the support of their Parsi brethren and their own faith, the Zoroastrian community in Iran revived and their fate turned around. Today they are well educated and enjoy the respect and trust of the general population for their reputation of “scrupulous honesty”.

   

   

The history of Zoroastrians of Iran after the Arab conquest can be summarized in three words: oppression, misery and massacre.

Click to continue reading…

 


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A book by a Parsi, for the Parsis, of the Parsis

October 28, 2013, 2:27 am
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Saturday, Oct 26, 2013, 12:31 IST | Place: Ahmedabad | Agency: DNA

Meher Medora presents a book on Amdavad Parsis which her husband began & she completed

- Piyush Patel/DNA

Parsis may be dwindling in numbers. But, they stand out in all their shining glory. A member of the community passed on to posterity the richness of Parsi culture, tradition and religion down the ages in the form of a book.

More…. 


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Barons of Banking

October 29, 2013, 5:00 am
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In Barons of Banking: Glimpses of Indian Banking History, Bakhtiar K. Dadabhoy revisits the story of the country’s banking industry, beginning at the turn of the 20th century. Dadabhoy follows the careers of six eminent bankers; Sir Sorabji Pochkhanawala, Sir Purshotamdas Thakurdas, Sir Chintaman D. Deshmukh, A.D. Shroff, H.T. Parekh and R.K. Talwar. What emerges is a tapestry rich with anecdotes and data on how the industry developed and fared up till the early 1990s.

Dadabhoy has previously authored Jeh: A Life of JRD Tata and Sugar in Milk: Lives of Eminent Parsis. In a section titled “Weathering the Storm”, the civil servant talks about the banking crisis of 1913, triggered in equal parts by greed, deceit, ineptitude, and the absence of a central bank.
Click Here for some interesting excerpts

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Iran to make documentary on returned Persian griffin

November 1, 2013, 8:30 pm
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Iran to make documentary on returned Persian griffin

Sat Oct 5, 2013 11:17AM
The National Museum of Iran (NMI) is planning to make documentary about the 2700-year-old Persian griffin returned by the United States to the country.

After collecting all data about the ancient silver chalice, the documentary will be made to depict the story of this Persian relic that is currently kept in the National Museum, the museum director Mahnaz Gorji announced.

Courtesy : K F Keravala

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Video documentary on Persepolis, Pasargadae, Persian Empire

November 5, 2013, 1:20 am
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Friends,
                Following is a great documentary on Persepolis, Pasargadae and the Persian empire which I got from Mr. Noshir Irani. It is narrated by Dr. Lloyd Lwellyn Jones and Dr. Maria Brosius of the University of Newcastle, Wales. They state that the Persian empire was the greatest empire in antiquity built uniquely on the principle of tolerance. They also stated that Alexander who destroyed Persepolis was the greatest hooligan who destroyed a city which was a symbol of civilization, and in doing so it ironically showed that the Greeks who claimed to be the originators of civilization and who called Persians as barbarians, did in fact prove themselves to be barbarians who destroyed a civilized empire by destruction, looting, and killing of civilians in a city which was defenceless.
Copy and Paste this link to see the video:
Persepolis – once called the richest city under the sun
Learn about your heritage, know your history and be proud of your legacy.
This documentary is very interesting (46:24 minutes long).
It’s one of the few that does the justice and does not stereo-type Persians as tyrants andbarbarians.   
Highly recommend it. Watch it with your family.
Courtesy : Maneck Bhujwala

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Parsi Freedom Fighters

November 11, 2013, 1:30 am
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Let’s Remember Parsi Freedom Fighters

    • By 
      Maneck Bhujwala, Huntington Beach, Calif.,-  Nov 03, 2013
  • Letter writer Ramesh Mahajan (I-W, Aug. 16) correctly reminds us to remember our freedom fighters and educate our youth about our culture and heritage, during Independence Day celebrations.
  • Many years ago, at an Independence Day celebration, serveral participants dressed up as freedom fighters and gave short monologues about their work. I myself dressed up and played the role of Dadabhai Naoroji, who was from the Parsi Zarathushti community, elected president of the Indian National Congress several times, fought for the rights of Indians from India and England (where he became a member of the British Parliament), and whose advice was sought by Mahatma Gandhi in his dealings with the British.

Click here to Continue Reading 

 

Courtesy : Manek Bhujwala


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Exhibition – Shahnameh

November 11, 2013, 2:40 am
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EXHIBITION OF A LIFE TIME

Dear Folks,

It is time for another one of A kind EXHIBITION,for ALL. the Zarathustis.It will always stay in your memory, I assure you.I was lucky to attend one of these and to this day,I still cannot figure out the excellent planning and the hours of labour SEE THE ATTACHMENT,for details.If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to e-mail me at Mehernaz N. Irani [mailto:mnirani9@gmail.com]

SILLOO has v.successfully held exhibitions,every DECEMBER, in Mumbai. This one too will take a lot of work, like the ones previously.

Of course most of us who know her, read her MAZDAYESNIE CONNECTION, have attended her camps, her classes enjoyed going to IRAN labour of love and dedication

Exhibition_Shahnameh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Courtesy : Firdosh Sukhia


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Meher A.D. Naoroji, Edinburgh medical graduate, 1906: photo

November 17, 2013, 6:44 am
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Someone recently passed onto me the following item of interest: a photograph of a graduating class of female medical students at the University of Edinburgh in 1906. Included here is Meher A.D. Naoroji, the granddaughter of Dadabhai Naoroji. She’s the only Indian in the class. Meher was not the first in her family to study at Edinburgh — her aunt, Manekbai or Maki, earned qualifications as a doctor from the university sometime in the late 1890s. Both she and her fiance agreed to finish their higher education qualifications before getting married back in Bombay.

Meher Naoroji returned to Bhuj, where she grew up, and pursued a career as a doctor there. She died in 1974 at the age of 93.
All the best,
Dinyar Patel
Ph.D. Candidate, Modern South Asia
Department of History
Harvard University
+91 88796 00407

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Historian and the history-maker

November 17, 2013, 8:59 pm
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MR Russi M. Lala is a privileged gentleman. As the biographer of the legendary J. R. D. Tata, Mr Lala had unique, special access to the life and times of modern India’s most celebrated businessman.

Mr Lala wrote eight books but his principal claim to fame rests on his biography of JRD — Beyond the Last Blue Mountain. He followed it up with another — The Joy of Achievement: Conversations with J. R. D. Tata — revealing in greater detail the personality of this icon of Indian business.

This article, published in 2004, gives interesting glimpses into the mind of Russi Lala and what he thought of JRD Tata and the TATA Group – Click Here to read


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Persian silk textiles discovered in Viking Age burials

November 18, 2013, 12:51 am
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A fragment of Persian silk textiles found in Norway.

 

Archaeologists have found some silk textiles belonged to ancient Iranian weaving industry in the Oseberg ship dating back to Norwegian Vikings.

More 

 

Courtesy: K F Keravala


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Teaching “The Persian Empire” in Universities

November 20, 2013, 12:47 am
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Here at last they are removing the negative picture  and glorifying the Persian Empire with “the true story” and where the goodness came from.. Zoroaster.

“A fascinating case study”

Please have a look and help spread the knowledge about the ancient country.

Follow the Professors next talk also in the internet

Rusi Sorabji

 


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Ovum Zoroastræum: ‘Zoroaster’s egg’

November 26, 2013, 11:52 pm
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29 August 2013

Ovum Zoroastræum: ‘Zoroaster’s egg’

This may seem a rather esoteric title for an Asian Studies blog, but it is hardly surprising in the context of the post-renaissance scholar Athanasius Kircher (1601/2–1680). Kircher, based in Rome from 1635, where he officially taught mathematics at the Jesuit Collegio Romano, was famous as an inventor of the most complex mechanical devices and wrote altogether more than 40 books on mechanics, optics, acoustics, geology, engineering and languages, in particular Coptic and the languages of ancient Egypt. -

Click here for More

 

Courtesy : K F Keravala


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The Wadias of India

November 28, 2013, 11:55 pm
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The Parsis in India have had the tremendous good fortune of practicing their religion and customs generally without ostracism and persecution. This freedom has given them an opportunity to establish themselves in a country that not only refrained from proselytizing but also showed considerable tolerance towards all religions. Having been given this opportunity, they also had the encouragement of the British colonial rulers of India to develop their entrepreneurship skills and political savvy. The elevation in stature of the Parsis was undoubtedly one of the main causative factors in the small community’s escalating fortunes.

The recorded history of the Parsis of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries has shown them to have the inspiration to venture into uncharted waters with boldness, garnering their energies to establish a better life and advancement for their families, their community, and the countries of their origin and adoption – Iran and India. Their unique character could be attributed to three essential factors – their Irani-Zarathushti heritage, their Hindu-Indian socio-cultural adaptations, and their eager acceptance of Western (specifically) British educational and temporal values.  The Industrial Revolution was the backdrop against which the Parsis of the 18th, and 19th centuries proved their prowess in education and entrepreneurship, and continued the trend into the 20th century.

The ships they sailed on to reach India presented to the Parsis the bounties of the seas. At the height of the power under Achaemenian King Darius the Great, Zoroastrians mastered shipbuilding and learned much from the seafaring Phoenicians. The ability to build seafaring vessels eventually opened up the world of international trade. They founded many industries. By the time India achieved its independence in 1947, a mere 100,000 Parsis, in the subcontinent’s population of over half a billion people dominated major industries like the steel industry, the aviation industry, the textile industry, the movie industry, and the fields of medicine, science and law.

The Wadias, the Tatas, the Jeejeebhoys, and the Godrejs are among several families that have contributed in no small measure towards the industrial and economic advancement of their community and their country. One such family has for the last 250 years taken on the challenge of  industrial entrepreneurship with  great success and provided tremendous resources for their country’s well-being – that family is the Wadias.

Click here to continue reading the article : The Wadias of India

Courtesy : Dara

 


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Rawalpindi: Parsi places of worship… still exist!

December 1, 2013, 5:49 am
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I have a keen interest in heritage buildings and old architecture, and so a couple of months back when my friend told me about the existence of a Parsi temple located somewhere on Murree Road, Rawalpindi, I knew I had to visit the site.

I began to search for this place. I asked around, spoke to people residing in the area but no one seemed to know of any such place.

I find it sad that most people living in Rawalpindi, and other cities as well, have become too busy in their own lives and do not know much about their own locality; sometimes not even about sights that are right next door. It is no wonder then, that this sheer neglect and indifference is turning our historical landmarks into ruins, right before our eyes.

Eventually, after asking many people and searching the city, I finally managed to find out the exact location of the place and one Sunday morning I set out to see it for myself. As many of you probably know, Murree Road is the commercial hub of Rawalpindi. There is a sprawling jewellery market near the Benazir Bhutto Hospital. Hence, it is difficult to imagine that a historical landmark could exist amidst this entire hubbub.

Click Here for the full story with some interesting pictures


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Wise men from the east Zoroastrian traditions in Persia and beyond

December 4, 2013, 9:29 pm
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This small exhibition at the British Museum (Great Russell Street, London) from 24 October 2013 – 27 April 2014, will explain Zoroastrianism, an ancient but living religion named after the Prophet Zarathustra, through objects and coins from Persia (Iran) and beyond.

The display will feature a variety of ancient and modern objects and coins, and will highlight the importance of Zoroastrian traditions in other religions. It will touch on the concept and imagery of the Three Kings of the Christian tradition, who are described in the New Testament (Matthew 2.2) as Magi from the east – Zoroastrian priests in the Persian tradition. Magnificent Islamic coins from Mughal India which follow the Iranian Zoroastrian calendar adopted by the emperor Akbar (1556–1605) will also be on display.

Modern objects will show the ongoing legacy of this ancient Iranian religion and its significance as a symbol of national identity for Zoroastrian and non-Zoroastrian Iranians in modern Persia and beyond.

Click Here for more information


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