Iranians in India - the Model Minority

[notsuperstitious]

This is not a political thread about Iranians - Arabs or Shia - Sunni. This is not a political thread about anything. So please do not bring politics here. Thanks Arian for prodding me to start the thread.

in 10th century AD, some Iranians from the province of Khorasan reached the Gujarat coast of India to escape the political turmoil in Iran. They were given refuge by the local King Jadi Rana on certain conditions. These people came to be known as Parsi and they prospered in trade over the millenia. They maintained their own religious and cultural practices at the same time adopting the Indian way of living, including language and dressing. They do not marry outside their community to maintain their identity in a huge country like India. However genetic studies have shown that they have absorbed Indian women in their community in the past.

In the last three centuries, they were joined by Iranians fleeing the rule of Qajars, who came to be known simply as ''Irani''. They form a smaller group who are culturally distinct although of the same ethno-religious background.

Quoted from Wikipedia

The Parsis have made considerable contributions to the history and development of India, all the more remarkable considering their small numbers. As the maxim "Parsi, thy name is charity" reveals, their greatest contribution, literally and figuratively, is their philanthropy[citation needed]. The name Parsi references the Persian name. (the term "Parsi" in Sanskrit means "one who gives alms")[citation needed]. Mahatma Gandhi would note in a much misquoted statement,[citation needed] "I am proud of my country, India, for having produced the splendid Zoroastrian stock, in numbers beneath contempt, but in charity and philanthropy perhaps unequalled and certainly unsurpassed" (Rivetna 2002). Several landmarks in Mumbai are named after Parsis, including Nariman Point. Parsis prominent in the Indian independence movement include Pherozeshah Mehta, Dadabhai Naoroji, and Bhikaiji Cama.

Particularly notable Parsis in the fields of science and industry include physicist Homi J. Bhabha, Homi N. Sethna, Jamsetji Tata regarded as the "father of Indian industry"[19] and members of the Tata, Godrej and Wadia industrial families, which include Neville Wadia, son-in law of Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Rattanbai Petit, and his descendents.
The Parsi community have given India several distinguished military officers. Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, Military Cross, the architect of India's victory in the 1971 war, was the first officer of the Indian Army to be appointed a Field Marshal. Admiral Jal Cursetji was the first Parsi to be appointed Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy. Air Marshal Aspy Engineer served as the 2nd Chief of Air Staff (India), post independence, and Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major served as the 18th Chief of Air Staff (India). Vice Admiral RF Contractor served as the 17th Chief of the Indian Coast Guard. Lieutenant General FN Bilimoria was a senior officer of the Indian Army, who was the father of Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder of the Cobra Beer company.

Particularly notable Parsis in other areas of achievement include rock star Freddie Mercury, composer Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji and conductor Zubin Mehta; cultural studies theorist Homi K. Bhabha; screenwriter and photographer Sooni Taraporevala; authors Rohinton Mistry, Firdaus Kanga, Bapsi Sidhwa, Ardashir Vakil and Pakistani investigative journalist Ardeshir Cowasjee; actors John Farhan Abraham and Boman Irani; educator Jamshed Bharucha and India's first woman photo-journalist Homai Vyarawalla. Actress Persis Khambatta was a Parsi who appeared in Bollywood. Dorab Patel was Pakistan's first Parsi Supreme Court Justice.

The husband of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and son-in-law of Nehru, Feroze Gandhi, was a Parsi while Muhammad Ali Jinnah's wife, Rattanbai Petit, came from the prosperous Petit family of Parsis.

Today Parsis in India number only about 60,000 due to falling birth rates and move to western countries. But their small numbers only highlight their achievements. There is a Parsi monument of achievement in every corner of Mumbai - the financial capital of India. They are the most prosperous minority in India and are the pride of this nation.

Parsis have held some very important posts in India and have been instrumental in making todays India.

some important Parsis

Dadabhai Nauroji - founding member of Indian National Congress

Jamshedji Tata - father of Indian Industry. Founder of Tata group which is still Parsi run and the largest industrial group in India and the most reputed and well known with revenue of 83 Billion USD in 2010-11.

Homi Jehangir Bhabha - father of Indias nuclear programme

Sam Manekshaw - Former Indian Army chief and the Second Indian Field Marshal. India's greatest war hero - led the Indian Army in the 1971 Bangladesh war.

Aspy Engineer - Former Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force

Fali Homi Major - Former Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force

Jal Cursetji - Former Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy

Ardeshir and Pirojshah Godrej - co founders of the Godrej group - one of the most prestigeous Industrial families in India (revenue of 3.3 Billion USD in 2011)

Zubin Mehta - musician; Musical Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, former director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic and Bavarian State Opera and presently (--2011)the Israel Philharmonic.

Bhikaji Cama - political activist, co-creator of the Indian nationalist flag

S H Kapadia - current Chief Justice of India

Sam Piroj Bharucha - Former Chief Justice of India

Pallonji Mistry - Industrial Tycoon and now (after marrying an Irish passport holder) the Richest man in Ireland with personal wealth of 9.7 Billion USD.

Soli Sorabjee - Former Attorney General of India

Freddie Mercury - (Farroakh Bulsara) - probably the most famous of them all - rock icon and lead singer for Queen

An incomplete list of famous Parsees and Iranis (with some overlap) can be found here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Parsis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irani_(India)

Parsi Cuisine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsi_cuisine

Parsis are very prominent in Law, Audit and Accounting. Medicine and Industry in Mumbai and its impossible to name them all. Suffice it to say they are part of the very fabric that made Mumbai a great city and today's modern India. Given their very small numbers their achievements are stupendous, only accentuated by their charity work and humble nature.

Finally this thread is dedicated to my two best Parsi buddies from Mumbai - P and F.

 

[INDIC]

You need to post pictures of notable Parsis.

 

[livingdead]

Its better to call them persian may be, they have little common with today's iranians.

 

[INDIC]

Homi Jehangir Bhabha, father of Indian nuclear programme.

 

[INDIC]

Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw, army general 1971 India-Pakistan war.

 

[Sashan]

I read in news recently among Parsis, if someone earns Rs 90,000 or less per month, they are considered poor.

Here you go - found the link.

A Parsi earning Rs 90,000 a month 'is poor'

 

[Gandhi G in da house]

You guys should post some Zoroastrian and Bahaii monuments and temples as well. They are really beautiful.

 

[Surenas]

Its better to call them persian may be, they have little common with today's iranians.

Persians are Iranians, so the qualification will do in my opinion. But many Parsís also go to Iran for the Zoroastrian pilgrimage. Good to hear that my (ancient) countrymen do well in India.

 

[Bond]

Apart from Great parsi people.. in my personal opinion- the biggest contribution iranian's have given to india are their cafe's.. God- how much I miss Iranian cafe's from Mumbai & Pune..

 

[neutral_person]

DadaBhai Nauroji, founding member of Indian National Congress, great Indian nationalist visionary

Jamshetji Tata, Tata Industries

 

[Water Car Engineer]

These people are very much Indianized Perisans. And very much Indian and some have mixed heritage.

 

[Bond]

the greatest Parsi in india..- JRD Tata..

 

[livingdead]

There are certain worrying aspect about their future, they dont seem to like marriage or children.

 

[Bond]

One of my favorite Parsi..

 

[Water Car Engineer]

the greatest Parsi in india..- JRD Tata..

Half Parsi half French.