parsi
Noun: 1. A member of a religious community in India: A Parsi is a person who belongs to a religious and ethnic group descended from Persian Zoroastrians who migrated to the Indian subcontinent, primarily to the Gujarat region, over a thousand years ago to escape religious persecution following the Muslim conquest of Persia. They are known for their distinct cultural practices and contributions to Indian society, particularly in business, law, and philanthropy.
- Noun:
- The Parsi community is known for its significant contributions to the city of Mumbai.
- She is a Parsi who follows the Zoroastrian faith.
- The Parsi wedding ceremony, called a "navjote" for initiation, involves ancient rituals.
- "Parsi" vs. "Zoroastrian": While all Parsis are Zoroastrians by religion, not all Zoroastrians are Parsis. The term "Parsi" specifically refers to the descendants of the Persian migrants who settled in India. Zoroastrians who remained in Iran are called Iranis.
- Cultural Identity: The term often carries connotations of a specific cultural and ethnic identity intertwined with the Zoroastrian religion, unique to the Indian context.
- Parsiism (noun, rare): The religious doctrines and practices of the Parsis; Zoroastrianism as practiced by the Parsi community.
- Zoroastrian (noun): A follower of the religion founded by the prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra), characterized by a cosmic dualism between good and evil and a monotheistic worship of Ahura Mazda. This is the broader religious category to which Parsis belong.
- Zoroastrian (when referring specifically to their religious affiliation, though this is a broader term).
The word "Parsi" has a specific historical and ethnic meaning. Its primary definition is as a noun referring to a member of this distinct community. It is not commonly used as an adjective, though phrases like "Parsi community" or "Parsi traditions" are standard. The term is intrinsically linked to the group's history of migration from Persia (modern-day Iran) to India.
- a member of a monotheistic sect of Zoroastrian origin; descended from the Persians; now found in western India