Zoroastrians

Zoroastrians are followers of Zoroastrianism, one of the world’s oldest religions, founded in ancient Persia (Iran) and traditionally linked to the teacher Zarathustra (Zoroaster).

• Core belief: It teaches the struggle between good and evil and stresses living with “good thoughts, good words, good deeds.”
• Fire as a symbol: Zoroastrians keep a sacred fire in a fire temple. They do not “worship fire” as a god; fire is treated as a symbol of purity and truth.
• Connection to India (Parsis): Many Zoroastrians migrated to India centuries ago to escape persecution in Persia. In India they came to be known as Parsis, especially in western India (notably Gujarat and later Mumbai).
• Why they appear in Mughal history: Zoroastrians were a small minority community, so policies that targeted “non-Muslims” or religious groups could affect them too—showing how an emperor’s religious policy could shape everyday life for different communities.
• Important to remember: Zoroastrian is a religious identity; Parsi usually refers to the Zoroastrian community in India (many Parsis are Zoroastrians, but the word highlights their Indian historical experience).

Knowing who Zoroastrians are helps you see that Mughal religious policies did not only affect large groups like Hindus and Muslims, but also smaller communities living within the empire.