History of Zoroastrianism, by M.N. Dhalla: (1938)
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History of Zoroastrianism BY MANECKJI NUSSERVANJI DHALLA, PH. D., LITT.D. High Priest of the Parsis, Karachi, India AUTHOR OF Nyaishes or Zoroastrian Litanies, Zoroastrian Theology, Zoroastrian Civilization, Our Perfecting World – Zarathushtra’s Way of Life idha apãm vijasāiti vanghuhi daena māzdayasnaish vispāish avi karshvãn yāish hapta. “Henceforth from now may spread The Good Mazdayasnian Religion Over all the zones that are seven.” This electronic edition copyright 2003 by Joseph H. Peterson. Last updated March 2, 2021. Originally published: New York: Oxford University Press, London Toronto, 1938 TO KHAN BAHADUR KAVASJI HORMASJI KATRAK, O.B.E. at hvo vangheush vahyo nā aibijamyāt ye nāo erezush savangho patho sīshoit ahyā angheush astvato mananghaschā haithyeng āstīsh yeng ā shaetī ahuro aredro thwāvãns huzentushe spento mazdā. “May that man attain to better than the good Who helps teaching us the upright paths of blessedness Of this material world and that of the spirit – The veritable universe wherein pervades Ahura – That faithful, wise, and holy man is like unto thee, O Mazda.” - ZARATHUSHTRA Contents Foreword....................................................................................................i ABBREVIATIONS.....................................................................................ii CHAPTER I. THE SOURCES....................................................................1 CHAPTER II. AIRYANEM VAEJAH.........................................................5 THE GATHIC PERIOD – ABOUT 1000 B.C.......................................8 CHAPTER III. Zarathushtra.....................................................................9 CHAPTER IV. TOWARDS MONOTHEISM...........................................22 CHAPTER V. AHURA MAZDA...............................................................25 CHAPTER VI. SPENTA MAINYU...........................................................32 CHAPTER VII. MAZDA’S MINISTERING ANGELS.............................35 CHAPTER VIII. PRAYERS AND RITUALS............................................65 CHAPTER IX. LIFE IS A BLESSING......................................................72 CHAPTER X. EVIL..................................................................................77 CHAPTER XI. LIFE AFTER DEATH......................................................90 CHAPTER XII. THE FINAL DISPENSATION.....................................100 THE AVESTAN PERIOD – FROM ABOUT 800 B. C. TO ABOUT A. D. 200 AT THE LATEST..................................................................104 CHAPTER XIII. INDIA LEAVES INDO-IRANIAN RELIGION BEHIND ................................................................................................................105 CHAPTER XIV. IRAN GOES BACK TO INDO-IRANIAN RELIGION.114 CHAPTER XV. PROMULGATION OF THE FAITH OF ZARATHUSHTRA..................................................................................118 CHAPTER XVI. ZARATHUSHTRA IN THE YOUNGER AVESTA......127 CHAPTER XVII. THE YOUNGER AVESTAN RELIGION...................133 CHAPTER XVIII. THE IDEA OF GOD IN THE MILLENNIUM..........137 CHAPTER XIX. AHURA MAZDA.........................................................140 CHAPTER XX. SPENTA MAINYU........................................................143 CHAPTER XXI. AMESHA SPENTAS...................................................146 CHAPTER XXII. YAZATAS...................................................................157 CHAPTER XXIII. FRAVASHIS.............................................................214 CHAPTER XXIV. PERSONIFIED ABSTRACTIONS............................225 CHAPTER XXV. BAGHAS....................................................................227 CHAPTER XXVI. PRAYERS AND RITUALS.......................................229 CHAPTER XXVII. EVIL........................................................................238 CHAPTER XXVIII. DEATH AND BEYOND........................................258 CHAPTER XXIX. THE RENOVATION................................................268 THE PAHLAVI PERIOD – FROM THE THIRD TO THE NINTH CENTURY.........................................................................................271 CHAPTER XXX. ZOROASTRIANISM UNDER THE FOREIGN YOKE ...............................................................................................................272 CHAPTER XXXI. THE BIRTH OF CHRISTIANITY............................276 CHAPTER XXXII. MITHRAISM..........................................................279 CHAPTER XXXIII. ZARATUSHT IN THE PAHLAVI WORKS...........285 CHAPTER XXXIV. ZOROASTRIANISM AS TAUGHT BY THE PAHLAVI WORKS................................................................................293 CHAPTER XXXV. THE ACTIVE PROPAGANDA OF THE FAITH.....299 CHAPTER XXXVI. SECTS....................................................................304 CHAPTER XXXVII. HERESIES............................................................311 CHAPTER XXXVIII. OHRMAZD.........................................................322 CHAPTER XXXIX. AMSHASPANDS...................................................329 CHAPTER XL. IZADS...........................................................................340 CHAPTER XLI. FAROHARS.................................................................347 CHAPTER XLII. PRAYERS AND RITUALS.........................................350 CHAPTER XLIII. EVIL.........................................................................355 CHAPTER XLIV. LIFE AFTER DEATH...............................................378 CHAPTER XLV. THE RENOVATION..................................................393 CHAPTER XLVI. DOWNFALL OF THE SASANIANS, AND THE AFTERMATH........................................................................................404 CHAPTER XLVII. EXODUS TO INDIA................................................412 CHAPTER XLVIII. ZARTUSHT DURING THE PERSIAN PERIOD...414 CHAPTER XLIX. PERSIAN WORKS ON ZOROASTRIANISM...........421 CHAPTER L. MYSTICS AND MYSTICISM..........................................424 CHAPTER LI. RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSIES...................................432 CHAPTER LII. AN EPOCH-MAKING ERA IN THE HISTORY OF ZOROASTRIAN RESEARCHES...........................................................434 CHAPTER LIII. PROSELYTIZING COMES TO BE VIEWED WITH DISFAVOUR.........................................................................................436 CHAPTER LIV. GUJARATI LITERATURE BEARING UPON ZOROASTRIANISM..............................................................................439 CHAPTER LV. MODERNISM VERSUS TRADITIONALISM..............441 CHAPTER LVI. THE REVIVAL OF LEARNING AMONG THE PARSIS ...............................................................................................................443 CHAPTER LVII. INTRODUCTION OF THE WESTERN METHOD OF IRANIAN SCHOLARSHIP IN INDIA...................................................445 CHAPTER LVIII. CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES ATTACK ZOROASTRIANISM..............................................................................449 CHAPTER LIX. THE REFORM MOVEMENT.....................................452 CHAPTER LX. PARSI THEOSOPHISTS..............................................458 CHAPTER LXI. CONCLUSION............................................................464 BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................467 Spelling changes from Dhalla 1938......................................................478 Foreword Dastur Dhalla was high priest of the Parsis as well as a trained scholar. In this popular book he assembles quotations found throughout Zoroastrian literature. Presented chronologically according to the source literature, they present the story of a religion in evolution. This approach has its disadvantages and its critics. One disadvantage in my opinion is that it tends to present an exaggerated view of the differences which appear in the literature. It is quite possible to provide a much more homogeneous view of these elements. Another disadvantage of Dhalla’s approach is that it necessitates a fair amount of interpolation to present a continuous view, which is subject to more speculation. Even so, Dastur Dhalla was uniquely qualified for the task, and I am pleased to make this valuable book available in this electronic edition. Note: I have added terms in square brackets [] to facilitate searches consistent with other texts on the avesta.org web site. I have also expanded some of the citations, again in square brackets []. Obvious typos have been silently corrected. I have also normalized the spelling in the texts in this series in order to be consistent, and to facilitate searches. Wherever possible I have used the spellings of F.M. Kotwal and J. Boyd, A Guide to the Zoroastrian Religion, Scholars Press, 1982. See the table at the end for specifics. -JHP, May 2003. i ABBREVIATIONS Aerpt. Aerpatastan AF. Arische Forschungen Air. Wb. Altiranisches Wörterbuch (Bartholomae) AnAtM. Andarz-i Atarpat-i Maraspand AnKhK. Andarz-i Khusru-i Kavatan Aog. Aogemadaecha Artax. Pers. inscriptions of Artaxerxes at Persepolis AthV. Atharva Veda Av. Avesta AV. Arda Viraf AZ. Afrin-i Zartusht Bd. Bundahishn BH. Behistan bk. book BYt. Pahlavi Bahman Yasht cf. (confer), compare Dar. Alv. inscriptions of Darius on Mt. Alvand (Elvend), near Hamadan Dar. Pers. inscriptions of Darius at Persepolis Db. Dabestan Dd. Dadestan-i Denik Dk. Denkard ed. edition of, edited by Eng. English EpM. Epistles of Manushchihr ERE. Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics