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Zoroastrianism: an introduction PDF

329 Pages·2016·6.961 MB·English
by  RoseJenny
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00c Zoroastrianism i-xxiv 4/8/10 09:43 Page i Jenny Rose is Associate Professor of Religion at Claremont Graduate University and Visiting Associate Professor of Religion at Stanford University. She is the author of The Image of Zoroaster: The Persian Mage Through European Eyes (2000). ‘It is a tall order to explain and summarize well such a polyglot scripturalandreligioustraditionasZoroastrianism,withits3,000 yearsofhistoryextendingacrosssomuchofAsiaandonintothe global diaspora. But Jenny Rose’s excellent and highly informativebookisamostimpressiveresponsetothechallenge. Rose adopts a refreshingly new approach that is both matter of factinstyleandthoughtfullyconceived,aswellasbeingderived from the best new scholarly work of recent decades.’– Alan Williams,ProfessorofIranianStudies&ComparativeReligions, University of Manchester ‘Jenny Rose’s lively and engaging account comprises a very readable,wellinformedsurveyofZoroastrianismanditshistory. The book is a pleasure to read throughout, and the author’s writingstyleismarkedlybeautiful,placingherverymuchwithin MaryBoyce’sliterarytradition.Rosehasreadwidelyroundthe subject,engagingwithimportantprimaryandsecondarysources and rendering her thorough treatment of Zoroastrianism fully up-to-date. I particularly welcomed her valuable discussion of Zoroastrianism in Central Asia. All in all, the book is a fine exampleofconsideredsynthesisandcompression.Thisisabook one wants to read from beginning to end without putting it down.Itwillfindawarmwelcomefromstudentsofthesubject and their teachers.’ – Almut Hintze, Zartoshty Professor of Zoroastrianism, SOAS, University of London 00c Zoroastrianism i-xxiv 4/8/10 09:43 Page ii I.B.TAURISINTRODUCTIONSTORELIGION In recent years there has been a surge of interest in religion and in the motivations behind religious belief and commitment. Avoiding over- simplification, jargon or unhelpful stereotypes, I.B.Tauris Introductions to Religionembracestheopportunitytoexplorereligioustraditioninasensitive, objective and nuanced manner. A specially commissioned series for undergraduatestudents,itoffersconcise,clearlywrittenoverviews,byleading expertsinthefield,oftheworld’smajorreligiousfaiths,andofthechallenges posedtoallthereligionsbyprogress,globalizationanddiaspora.Coveringthe fundamentalsofhistory,theology,ritualandworship,thesebooksplacean emphasis above all on the modern world, and on the lived faiths of contemporarybelievers.Theyexplore,inawaythatwillengagefollowersand non-believersalike,thefascinatingandsometimesdifficultcontradictionsor reconcilingancienttraditionwithheadlongculturalandtechnologicalchange. ‘I.B.TaurisIntroductionstoReligionoffersstudentsofreligionsomething fresh,intelligentandaccessible.Withoutdumbingdowntheissues,or makingcomplexmattersseemmoresimplethantheyneedtobe,the seriesmanagestobebothconceptuallychallengingwhilealsoproviding beginning undergraduates with the complete portfolio of books that theyneedtograspthefundamentalsofeachtradition.Tobereligious is in the end to be human. The I.B.Tauris series looks to be an ideal starting point for anyone interested in this vital and often elusive componentofalloursocietiesandcultures.’–JohnM.Hull,Emeritus ProfessorofReligiousEducation,UniversityofBirmingham ‘TheI.B.TaurisIntroductionstoReligionseriespromisestobejustwhat busy teachers and students need: a batch of high-quality, highly accessiblebooksbyleadingscholarsthatarethoroughlygearedtowards pedagogical needs and student course use. Achieving a proper understandingoftheroleofreligionintheworldis,morethanever,an urgentnecessity.Thisattractive-lookingserieswillcontributetowards that vital task.’ – Christopher Partridge, Professor of Religious Studies,LancasterUniversity ‘The I.B.Tauris series promises to offer more than the usual kind of humdrumintroduction.Thevolumeswillseektoexplainandnotmerely to describe religions, will consider religions as ways of life and not merelyassetsofbeliefsandpractices,andwillexploredifferencesas wellassimilaritiesamongspecificcommunitiesofadherentsworldwide. Strongly recommended.’ – RobertA.Segal,ProfessorofReligious Studies,UniversityofAberdeen Pleaseseethebackofthebookforthefullserieslist 00c Zoroastrianism i-xxiv 4/8/10 09:43 Page iii i.b.tauris introductions to religion Zoroastrianism An Introduction by Jenny Rose 00c Zoroastrianism i-xxiv 10/8/10 10:17 Page iv Publishedin2011byI.B.Tauris&CoLtd 6SalemRoad,LondonW24BU 175FifthAvenue,NewYorkNY10010 www.ibtauris.com DistributedintheUnitedStatesandCanadaExclusivelybyPalgraveMacmillan 175FifthAvenue,NewYorkNY10010 Copyright©2011JennyRose TherightofJennyRosetobeidentifiedastheauthorofthisworkhas beenassertedbytheauthorinaccordancewiththeCopyright,Designsand PatentsAct1988. Allrightsreserved.Thisbook,oranypartthereof,maynotbereproduced,stored inorintroducedintoaretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,inanyformorbyany means,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recordingorotherwise,withoutthe priorwrittenpermissionofthepublisher. I.B.TaurisIntroductionstoReligion ISBN:9781848850873(HB) ISBN:9781848850880(PB) AfullCIPrecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary AfullCIPrecordisavailablefromtheLibraryofCongress LibraryofCongressCatalogCardNumber:available DesignedandTypesetby4wordLtd,Bristol,UK PrintedandboundinIndiabyThomsonPressIndiaLtd 00c Zoroastrianism i-xxiv 4/8/10 09:43 Page v Tothememoryofmygrandmother,ShereenKhorshidBoga,and ofDrKatyDalal,keeperoftheFrenchmanfamilyhistory 00c Zoroastrianism i-xxiv 4/8/10 09:43 Page vi 00c Zoroastrianism i-xxiv 4/8/10 09:43 Page vii Contents Acknowledgements ix List of Abbreviations xi Maps xiii Zoroastrianism:AnIntroduction xvii ChapterI: Zoroastrians Present and Past 1 ChapterII: The Ancient Persians: Truth-Tellers and 31 Paradise-Builders ChapterIII: A Zoroastrian Presence from Seleucia 65 to Sistan: The Parthian Period ChapterIV: Eranshahr: The Sasanian Center of the World 99 ChapterV: The Zoroastrians of Central Asia 135 ChapterVI: Gabr-Mahalle: Zoroastrians in Islamic Iran 159 ChapterVII: Parsipanu: Zoroastrianism in India 189 ChapterVIII: Zoroastrians Present: Revisited 217 ChapterIX: Zarathushtra Present and Past 233 Appendix 1: Textual Timeline 243 Appendix 2: The Five Gathas 245 Appendix 3: Outline of the Yasna 247 Appendix 4: A Selective Historical Timeline 249 00c Zoroastrianism i-xxiv 4/8/10 09:43 Page viii viii Zoroastrianism:AnIntroduction Glossary of Names and Terms 251 Illustration, Map and Picture Credits 257 Notes 261 Select Resources 287 Index 291 00c Zoroastrianism i-xxiv 4/8/10 09:43 Page ix Acknowledgements The study of the Zoroastrian religion involves more areas of specialization than any one person is capable of mastering in a lifetime. These fields include art history, archeology, anthropology, numismatics, philology, sociology, Classical studies, and Central Asian and Chinese studies. I have, therefore, called extensively – and shamelessly–upontheexpertiseofcolleaguesfromvariousacademic disciplines, and of Zoroastrians from around the world, to help fill the gaps in my knowledge. I would, therefore, like to offer my grateful thanks to the following (listed alphabetically), who either read and commented upon draft chapters, or who answered my onslaught of questions, and some brave souls who did both: Poras Balsara, Carlo Cereti, Jamsheed Choksy, Vesta Curtis, Touraj Daryaee, Malcolm Deboo, AlbertDien,ShorenaKurtsikidze,ChristianLuczanits,JessePalsetia, Martin Schwartz, Nicholas Sims-Williams, Oktor Skjaervø, Michael Stausberg, Matt Stolper, David Stronach, Jamshid Varza, Phiroze Vasunia and Yuhan Vevaina. Almut Hintze deserves a medal for readingthefinaltextwithherkeen-but-kindlyeyefordetail.Special thanks go to Poras and Burzin Balsara, Manijeh and Behram Deboo, Neekaan Oshidary, Dr. Mobed Rostam Vahidi, Parviz and Susan Varjavand, Jamshid Varza and Anahita Sidhwa for sharing their personalexperiencesandreflections,andtothehospitableZardoshtis of Taft and Mazra-ye Kalantar in Iran for welcoming me into their homes and their Darb-i Mihrs in the spring of 2009. My thanks to Poras Balsara, Frantz Grenet, Hajime Inagaki, Barbara Kaim, Judith Lerner and Keyvan Safdari for providing some greatimages,andtoCGUgraduatestudent,LucasSchulte,forsome sterling editing. I am also indebted to my husband, Bruce Benedict, for applying his journalistic skills to the final text, his photo-editing

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