Parsis

The Parsis or Parsees (/ˈpɑːrsiz/) are a Zoroastrian ethnic group in the Indian subcontinent. They are descended from Persian refugees who migrated to the Indian subcontinent during and after the Arab-Islamic conquest of Iran in the 7th century, when Zoroastrians were persecuted by the early Muslims. Representing the elder of the Indian subcontinent's two Zoroastrian communities, the Parsi people are culturally, linguistically, and socially distinct from the Iranis (the name of another small Zoroastrian ethnic group, not to be confused with Iranians), whose Zoroastrian ancestors migrated to British-ruled India from Qajar-era Iran. The word Parsi is derived from the Persian language, and literally translates to Persian (پارسی, Pārsi).

The Sugar in the Milk story is a foundational legend explaining the integration of the Parsis into India, who found sanctuary mainly in Gujarat and Maharashtra, in the 7th-10th centuries. When King Jadi Rana feared his kingdom was full and could not accommodate them, a Parsi priest added sugar to a vessel of milk, demonstrating they would blend in and enrich the local culture without causing disruption.

The Parsis became highly influential in trade, industry, culture and philanthropy. The icons among the Parsis include Jamsetji Tata, Freddie Mercury, Ardeshir Godrej, Boman Iran, John Abraham, Shapoor Mistry, and Cyrus Poonawalla.

According to the 16th-century Parsi epic Qissa-i Sanjan, fleeing persecution, the Zarthushti (Zoroastrian) Persians, citizens of the Sassanian empire sought refuge in the Indian subcontinent. This migration from different parts of the Sassanian empire continued between the 8th century and the 10th century. The earliest of these migrants settled among the Hindus of present-day Gujarat after being granted refuge by Rajput King Jadhav Rana, the king of Sanjan.

Zoroastrianism (Zarathushti Pantha) had served as Iran's state religion since at least the time of the Achaemenid Empire. However, the conquest of the Sasanian Empire by the Rashidun Caliphate marked the beginning of the Islamisation of Iran, which prompted much of the Zoroastrian-majority population to either convert to Islam or flee, though a number of Iranian figures stayed in active revolt against the Rashidun army and the later Islamic caliphates for almost 500 years after the collapse of the Sasanian Empire. Nevertheless, Zoroastrianism continued to decline, and most Iranians had become Muslims by the 10th century, shifting the concentration of the religion's followers away from the Iranian plateau for the first time in recorded history.

The Gujarati-speaking Parsi community accounts for the oldest sustained presence of Zoroastrianism in India, and is legally differentiated from the Dari-speaking Irani community on the basis of their origin (Sanjan and Navsari in Central Asia) and the era of their migration to the country. Despite this legal distinction, the terms "Parsi" and "Zoroastrian" are commonly used interchangeably to denote both communities, which make up the world's largest Zoroastrian population. Notably, no substantial differences exist between Parsi and Irani religious principles, convictions, and customs.