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The Transformation of Zoroastrian Messianism in Mughal India

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The Transformation of Zoroastrian Messianism in Mughal India THE TRANSFORMATION OF ZOROASTRIAN MESSIANISM IN MUGHAL INDIA From the Advent of Zoroastrian Holy Emperor to the Change of Zoroastrianism-(1) Takeshi AOKI* I. Purpose and Assumption Modern Zoroastrianism took a new turn abruptly in the 16th and 17th century in Safavid Iran and Mughal India. In earlier papers, I clarified the new turn's contents on three points; namely (1) how Zoroastrian priests split into three main groups in the 16th century, (2) how among them, the "Shirazian Zoroastrians" inherited the Neo-Platonic philosophical aspect of medieval Zoroastrianism and (3) the life of their leader Azar Kayvan (1533-1618) and Islamic mysticism's influence upon him(2). But the question remains an unsettled question: what was the primary cause(s) which drove some Zoroastrian priests to open up such a new turn in the history of Zoroastrianism? The purpose of this paper is to investigate this question. I should like to propose as a reasonable hypothesis that one of the main causes of this new turn in Zoroastrianism was the transformation of their messianism in the 16th century. Generally speaking, a messianism with its own eschatology changes markedly in correspondence with the relationship between the religion concerned and the statepower. (Cf. Christianity in the Roman Empire and Isma'ilism in the Fatimid Dynasty,(3) etc.) This tendency of oriental thought may apply also to the case of Zoroastrianism. In particular, given that the main cause for the change in Zoroastrianism after the fall of the Sasanian dynasty (226-651) was the passionate hope for a Zoroastrian messiah among Muslim surroundings, I can explain why they split into three groups and some priests developed a unique ideology in the 17th century. That is what I hope to show in this paper. * Ph . D. Student, University of Tokyo 136 ORIENT THE TRANSFORMATION OF ZOROASTRIAN MESSIANISM IN MUGHAL INDIA II. Methodology and Materials The first strategy for investigating the background of the activity of some of the Zoroastrian priests would be to examine some features of Zoroastrian messianism between the Muslim conquest and the 17th century and to obtain a clear grasp of its transformation. However, there is not much material to decide the matter within this term. The material I have at hand is quite scanty and falls into three main groups listed in chronological order below. (1) Some parts of the Pahlavi (and Pazand) books concerning Zoroastrian messianism: those materials serve as evidence of Zoroastrian messianism just after the fall of the Sasanian dynasty, namely the seventh to tenth centuries. (2) Some parts of the Persian Rivayats concerning Zoroastrian messianism: those materials serve as evidence of the messianism of the "Yazd- Kermanian Zoroastrians," especially in the 17th century. (3) Some documents by three generations of a Gujaratian priestly family: those materials serve as evidence of the messianism of the "Gujaratian Zoroastrians" in the 17th century. Discussion based on the above materials will be done in sections III to V. Next. I will go on to the next question: did this transformation of messianism have any influence on the ideology of the 17th century priests or not? If I can confirm that the transformation of their messianism greatly influenced their other thought(s), there is considerable validity to my hypothesis. For this purpose, I have relatively much materials at hand, namely Persian books by the "Shirazian Zoroastrians" as below. (4) Dasatir-e Asmani: this book is of central importance among the "Shirazian Zoroastrians ," but its date is very controversial. Although many Iranists put its date at during the 1600's(4), according to the colophon of one of its oldest manuscripts, H. P. 131 at the K. R. Cama Oriental Institute, it was written by Mobed Farazin Hush Davar in 357 A. H. ( = C. E. 966/967). Therefore, I treat this book as a work between the tenth and 17th centuries with some reservations. (5) Sharestan-e Chahar Chaman by Farzane Bahram ebn-e Farhad (d. 1624): this book is a good illustration of Azar Kayvdn's personal views on various things. (6) Jam-e Kay Khosrow: Sharh-e Mokashefat-e Azar Kayvan by Mobed Khodajuy ebn-e Namdar (d. 1631): this book provides many examples Vol. XXXVII 2002 137 of Azar Kayvan's mysticism. (7) Dabestan-e Mazaheb by Mobed Shah (d. after 1659): in this paper, I take some examples of the political views of the "Shirazian Zoroastrians" from this book. Discussion of what this material shows about the influence of the transformation of Zoroastrian messianism in the 17th century appears in section VI. III. Features of Zoroastrian Messianism before the 16th Century First of all, I collected all references to Zoroastrian messianism in Pahlavi books. Fortunately E. W. West(5), Jehangir C. Tavadia(6), Mary Boyce(7) and J. Duchesne-Guillemin(8) had already researched in full detail such books and fragmentary references. Among such Pahlavi books, I can point out two features: "Secularization of the Messiah" and the "Indian illusion." III - A. The "Secularization of Messiah": Ancient Zoroastrianism's messianism is represented by Yask 19: the Zamyad Yast(9). I can identify in •˜•˜88 90 of this chapter an intense eschatology that expects the advent - of the messiah in the very near future. At the same time, I can understand here that this ancient concept of the Zoroastrian messiah Saosiiant did not contain any political intention at all in its beginning. However, in my opinion, the Zoroastrian messiah, who was interpreted chiefly as a religious figure in the Avesta, was converted after the downfall of the Sasanian dynasty into a "secular messiah," who would settle the actual crisis in Iran. For example, it is useful to examine a Pahlavi book written down in the tenth century : Zand-i Wahman Yasn, Chapter VII,•˜•˜1-7 in the following(10). (Transcription) •˜ 1: pursid Zarduxst az Ohrmazd ku Ohrmazd <-i> menog <-i> abzonig, Dadar-i gehan <-i> astomandan ahlaw, Dadar, ka awesan edon was marag hend, pad ce abzar be sayind abesihenidan. 2: guftas Ohrmazd ku Spitaman•˜ Zarduxst ka dew-i wizarat-wars-i Xesm tohmag o paydagih ayed, pad kust-i Xwardsan, nazdist nigan-i sya paydag bowad. Zdyed Ugedar-i Zarduthan pad war-i Frazdan, had ke pad zreh <-i> Kayansih guft. Had bud ka pad Kaburistan guft. 3: si salagih, o ham pursagih <-i> man Ohrmazd•˜ rasid, Spitaman Zarduxst. Had bud ke pad kust-i Chinistan guft, had bud ke andar Hindugan guft. 138 ORIENT THE TRANSFORMATION OF ZOROASTRIAN MESSIANISM IN MUGHAL INDIA •˜ 4: zayed Kay-e. Had pid-i oy Kay az Kayan tohmag, pad ayarih o xwargedar <-i> Hindugan sawad. •˜ 5: pad e sad salagih, kamag o zanan bowad, azis zayed Kay-e i Denig Wahram-i Warzawand nam xwaned, had bud ke Sapur guft. •˜ 6: ku an sab ka an Kay zayed, nisan o gehan rased, setarag az asman wand, ka oy Kay zayed setarag nisan namaed had Dad-Ohrmazd guft ku Awan mah ud Wad roz. Pidar-i oy Kay frazam bowad, pad kanigan-i Sah parwarend. Xwaddy zan-e bowad. •˜ 7: Oy Kay. Ka si salag bowad, had bud ke anbam guft, pad amar drafs spah, spah-i Hindug ud Cinig- ul gereft drafs-omand, ce drafs ul girend, abrastag drafs-omand, pad tazisn ul tazend ta Weh rod, bud dah guft, ta andarag bar <-i> bahr <-i> Bahran. Spitaman Zarduxst. (Translation) •˜ 1: Zarduxgt asked Ohrmazd. "Oh! Spiritual and bountiful Ohrmazd, the creator of the material world, the supporter of the justice. They [=Arabs] are too many, by what kind of mean can they be destroyed?" •˜ 2: He, Ohrmazd, answered. "Oh! Spitaman Zarduxgt. When the devils with the disheveled hair of the Xesm clan [=a devil of rage in Zoroastrian demonology, but implicitly means the Hashimite family of Prophet Muhammad] come out, first the black banner appeared in the direction of Xwarasan, then Usedar-i Zarduxstiyan will be born on the lake Frazdan." - or it was said on the sea Kayansih or at Kabolestan. •˜ 3: "At 30 years old, he will come to me Ohrmazd to ask some questions. Oh! Spitaman Zarduxst." -or it was said on the direction of China or at India. •˜ 4: "And one Kay will be born. The father of this Kay is from the family of the Kayan dynasty. He went to Xwarsedar [?] of India for help." 5: "After 100 years, he will have a desire for women and will•˜ beget a son named religious Kay or in the holy name Wahram-i Warzawand." - or he was called Sapur. •˜ 6: "On the night of Kay's birth, an omen will reach the world: stars will rain from the heaven. - In other words, when Kay is born, stars are called an omen. And Dad Ohrmazd said it was on the Wad day of the Awan month. The father of Kay ended and [people] brought up [him] by the daughter of the king. Then a woman will become a ruler." Vol. XXXVII 2002 139 •˜ 7: "When Kay will be 30 years old, somebody said, a troop with innumerable banners, that is to say, the Indian and Chinese troops with flying banners - since they flied banners - surges till the river Weh with banners and arms. - In other words, it is said till the earthly village. - and till the shore of the Bahran sea. Oh! Spit-dm-an Zarduxst." In this quotation, we notice the Zoroastrian priest (1) was burning with the spirit of revenge on Arab-Muslims, (2) had a high expectation of a political messiah from India. It appears that the "religious messiah" (Saosiiant) has worn to a shadow in comparison to the "secular savior" (Wahram-i Warzawand), who will liberate Iran from Muslim domination.
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