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A Few Events in the Early History of the Parsis And Their Dates by Jivanji Jamshedji Modi. Reprinted in 2004 by The K. R. Cama Oriental Institute, 136, Bombay Samachar Marg, Fort, Bombay 400023. Pp: 114. Price: Rs 350.

This slender volume is actually Jivanji Jamshedji Modi’s response to a large number of questions posed to him by a French lady friend in 1902-03 regarding the major events in the early history of the Parsis and their dates. The scholarly lady did not want answers based on secondary sources but on original documents and old texts. Accordingly Modi (already a noted researcher and author of books and papers in English, French and Gujarati) undertook the laborious and painstaking task of delving into original documents and books in order to study the important events in Parsi history and their dates. For this purpose he visited many places, as for example Navsari in 1902 because he wanted to study the original Guikwadi documents for himself. 

Some of the important documents and events in the early Parsi history and their dates that Modi discusses in his book are mentioned below in order to give the reader an idea, not only of the nature of his book but also the meticulous research and painstaking efforts that have gone into preparing it. 

The Kisseh-i-Sanjan (History of Sanjan), an important original source of study for students of Parsi history, Modi informs us, was written in Persian, in verse form, in 969 Yazdegirdi (1600 AD). This date, according to Modi, is mentioned in a couplet at the end of the poem itself. Modi also mentions that the author of the Kisseh, Bahman Kaikobad, an inhabitant of Navsari, was indebted for his materials to an older account and what he had heard from his elders especially a "learned dastur” of the time. The history of the Zoroastrians, from the time of their fleeing Persia after the fall of Yazdegird to Arab invaders and the subsequent sojourns of the Zoroastrians to Kohistan, Ormaz, Diu and Sanjan (then ruled by Jadi Rana), are all narrated in the Kisseh. Modi has reproduced couplets in the original Persian, along with their English translation. 

Modi throws light on the Parsi settlement at Cambay on the basis of Muham­mad Ufi and according to old oral tradition. It is interesting to learn that Cambay was inhabited by "a large number of Parsis” much before the 13th century. The author cites from the Bombay Gazetteer (Vol VI, pg 216) that the Parsis "were attracted to the settlement” of Kumarika Khshetra (Cambay) from 943 to 997 AD.

When Daman and Sanjan were surrendered to the Portuguese in 1560 and when Sultan Bahadur Shah ceded Bassein to the Portuguese in probably 1533-34, the Parsis of Thane reportedly ran away to Kalyan to avoid conversion to Christianity at the hands of the Portuguese. Similarly for want of perfect religious freedom under the Portuguese, the Parsis of Sanjan left for Bulsar. For an account and dates of these events Modi relies on the Kisseh and the Bombay Gazetteer. Modi further claims that as per some documents no Parsi could build a tower of silence without the permission of the head of the ecclesiastical department of the Portuguese in that district. 

Citing from the Kisseh Modi states that a fire-temple was founded in Sanjan in 790 AD and the date of the invasion of Sanjan by the army of Sultan Mahmud under Alaf Khan was 1490 AD. He then examines if the date 1490 arrived at on the authority of the Kisseh is also arrived at on the authority of other historical books and records like the Miral-i-Sikandari, the Tarikh-i-Fireshte, the Rasmala of the Hindu bards (translated by A. K. Forbes, 1878 edition). His painstaking, comparative study shows that these other historical books and records date it at 1484 AD. He rejects Dr Wilson’s dating the invasion of Sanjan as late as 1507.

In like vein Modi goes on to examine original texts and documents to study the history of the journey of the sacred fire (consecrated at Sanjan) from Sanjan to Bahrot, Bansda, Navsari to its final resting place Udvada where it still burns.

Typical of the modest scholar that he was, Modi makes no pretensions to originality and honestly declares that he has collected the materials for those who wish to undertake a methodical and reasoned history of the community. Credit, however, must be given to Modi for undertaking patiently such a gigantic academic task and for the earnestness, care and the meticulous methodical manner in which he has structured and arranged the narration of events in this volume under review. Contemporary Parsis must be grateful to The K. R. Cama Oriental Institute, Bombay, for reprinting this otherwise lost treasure house of literature pertaining to the important events in the history of the Parsis.                          

Adi H. Doctor