THE TRANSFORMATION OF ZOROASTRIAN MESSIANISM IN MUGHAL INDIA

Abstract

In my previous papers, I demonstrated how Zoroastrianism changed drastically after the downfall of the Sasanian dynasty. I have indeed made clear the substance of change in the following three points; (1) Until the 16th century, Zoroastrian priests split into three groups: according to my classification based on the geographical location the Yazd-Kermanian group, the Gujaratian group and the Shirazian group; (2) Among them, the Shirazian Zoroastrians might take over the Greek-philosophical tradition of the medieval Zoroastrian church; and (3) the leader of the Shirazian Zoroastrians Azar Kayvan had necessarily read Sufi writings but considered himself the true successor to ancient Zoroastrianism. But the cause (s) of these changes still remain unsettled.In this paper, I will deal with a main cause. It is difficult to explain these drastic changes of modern Zoroastrianism without supposing any outside stimulus, and this view should lead us to think that some political or social affairs played important role in establishing the new phase in the history of Zoroastrianism. If we are to seek political affairs relative to Zoroastrian community in Iran and India, we will find the enthronement of Akbar in Mughal India and its serious impact on Zoroastrian messianism.In this connection, I will attempt to show that there are many inherent incentives in Zoroastrian messianism after the downfall of the Sasanian dynasty until the 16th century, and Akbar's enthronement functions as a last stimulus for Zoroastrian messianism to take on a new aspect. This transformation, in its turn, has influence on the other thoughts of the Shirazian Zoroastrians, and indication of such facts justifies my assumption. Having said above, I conclude that the transformation of Zoroastrian messianism in Mughal India may be the main cause of the drastic changes in modern Zoroastrianism.