Just who is a
Parsi?
The question of
Parsi identity is a contentious one. There are
those who say that the term Parsi (or Parsee)
may only refer to the descendants of the
original immigrants from Iran 1000 years ago.
Others refer to just about anyone hailing from
Iran as a Parsi regardless of when they came.
Others still see anyone accepted as a
Zoroastrian as being a Parsi by
default
Few Parsis maintain any times
with their Persian origins and it's rare to meet
a Parsi who can speak Farsi, for instance. As
Dadabhai Naoroji,
the first Asian to occupy a seat in the British
parliament would note:
"Whether I am a
Hindu, a Mohammedan, a Parsi, a Christian, or of
any other creed, I am above all an Indian. Our
country is India; our nationality is Indian".
Genealogical tests
of Parsis in Pakistan confirmed that their DNA
was significantly more similar to Iranians than
any other immediate geographic neighbours but
other tests of the Parsis in India suggest that
they have more in common with the Gujuratis,
suggesting a greater degree of ethnic
assimilation than might be comfortable for many
proud Parsis.
Parsis have always tried to
be strict on not inter-marrying with other
faiths and races in order to preserve their
lineage but it's unlikely that such a strategy
will prevent them from dying out in the near
future.
