Six Amasha Sapentas
Zoroastrian religion is a revealed religion. It was revealed to Zoroaster or, as he is sometimes called, Zarthustra by Ahura Mazda the Supreme Being, who, according to scripture, was the only self-created Being. The celestial Hierarchy consists of six Amasha Sapentas or Amshaspunds. Ahura Mazda himself is sometimes spoken of as the Chief Amasha Sapenta in which case they would be seven. The Amasha Sapentas are referred to in the Scriptures as the Bountiful Immortals.
Then came thirty-three Izuds. Before bringing into existence the material creation, Ahura Mazda brought into being Furohurs or Fravashis, and these Fravashis helped the Almighty in bringing into existence all material creation. According to the Avesta Scriptures, the first man created was Gayomard, also known as Kayomard. Either he or his great-grandson Hooshung was the founder of the Peshdadian dynasty. Historians have not been able to say during what period of time this dynasty reigned over Persia.
Kaianian Dynasty
This dynasty was followed by the Kaianian Dynasty which was founded by Kai Kobad. One of the Kings of this dynasty was Kai Gustasp, otherwise called Kai Vistasp. In the Scriptures of Zoroastrian religion he is mentioned and referred to. Zoroaster flourished in the reign of this King. The religion revealed by Ahura Mazda to Zoroaster was by Zoroaster communicated to King Vistasp and was then promulgated amongst the people.
Oriental scholars and historians have not been able to fix with any certainty the period of the reign of King Kai Vistasp. Many are inclined to fix the period at five or six thousand years before Christ. Dr. Haug believes Zoroaster flourished about 1100 B.C. Whereas Professor Darmesteter believes that he flourished somewhere about 600 B.C. This, however, is the latest date fixed by any historian or Oriental scholar and all that can be said with some amount of certainty is that Zoroaster lived and flourished considerably before 600 B.C. Some of the scriptural writings and prayers, however, are shown to be much older than 600 B.C.
For instance, the Farvardin Yast is said to have been written about 1500 B.C. and the sounder opinion seems to be that Zoroaster flourished long before 600 B.C.
Achamenian Dynasty
The Kaianian Dynasty was followed by the Achamenian Dynasty. During the reign of the last King of this dynasty, Alexander the Great conquered Persia. It is believed that a great portion of the Avestaic literature was burnt or lost during this invasion and conquest of Persia. Tradition has it that Alexander himself set fire to a library containing Zoroastrian scriptures, but many Oriental scholars believe that this is an unjust slur cast on the conqueror of Persia. However that may be, the fact remains that about this period a great portion of the scriptural literature of the ancient Persians was lost or burnt.
Parthian Dynasty and Sassanian Dynasty
The period which followed the conquest of Persis by Alexander was, so far as the Zoroastrians were concerned, a period of darkness–during which the religion suffered considerably. After the dark ages, came the Parthian Dynasty. During the reign of one of the kings of this dynasty the religion of Zoroaster began to revive, and in the reign of the first King Ardashir Babegan of the Sassanian Dynasty which followed the Parthian Dynasty, Zoroastrianism became the religion of the King and of the Empire of Persia.
In the reign of Ardashir Babegan, Zoroastrianism became the religion of the State–its scattered scriptures were collected–the Avestan writings were translated into the Pehlvi language, and commentaries were written. The original scriptures that were lost were about this time re-written and reproduced by men whose forefathers had committed them to memory and in that way transmitted them from father to son. One of the Sassanian Kings that followed Ardashir Babegan was Shapur the Second. The greatest Dastur known to the Zoroastrians of all ages–Dasturan Dastur Adarbad Mahareshpund–flourished in his reign.
Shapur the Second reigned over Persia from 309 to about 380 A.D. and during this period the Great Dastur composed and wrote the Patet Pashemani, Duva Nam Satayoshni, Tun Darosti and other prayers, and almost all the Afrins. This great apostle of the Zoroastrian religion is regarded with the highest reverence by all true believers of the Zoroastrian faith and the prayers composed by him are at this day recited and regarded with the very greatest of veneration by the Parsis professing the Zoroastrian faith.
Persecution of Zoroastrians
Zoroastrianism flourished in Persia with varying fortune till the persecution of Mahomedans drove the majority of those that professed that religion out of their ancient home. A body of Persians professing the Zoroastrian religion were compelled by reason of religious intolerance and persecution to leave Persia about 1200 years ago. They first took refuge in Kohistan, where they remained for about 100 years–they then went to the Isle of Ormuz, where they remained for about 19 years. They then came to Diu, near Kattyawar, and remained there for about 15 years.
From Diu they came to Sanjan, and there they settled down for very nearly 700 years. From Sanjan they spread over various places in the Gujarat district and their principal headquarters now are Bombay, Naosari and Surat. A sprinking of Parsis are to be found in several villages in Gujarat. They derive their present name Parsi from Fars, in Persia, from which place they originally came to India.
It was their staunch adherence to their own religion and their refusal to adopt the religion of their Mahomedan conquerors that was the cause of all the sufferings they had to undergo. They preferred to leave their country and exile themselves to a foreign land rather than give up the religion of their forefathers. They have persevered in their religious beliefs, preserved their old institutions and customs and have in the country of their adoption continued to follow the ancient religion of their ancestors.