Zoroastrianism: Beliefs and Practices. Religion Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism who professes

The emergence of Zoroastrianism

Zarathushtra (in the Greek and European tradition - Zoroaster, from where the name of the religious system "Zoroastrianism" came from) is considered an ancient Iranian "prophet". Prior to the reform of Zarathushtra, the religious system of Iran was represented by ritual cults that had many common features with the Vedic cults of India. Zoroastrianism is more in line with the Vedic-magical variety of the healer culture and is based on the ancient Iranian "Vedas" - Avesta - considered one of the ancient Eastern "Holy Scriptures" left by the founder of the religion.

« Prophet and Reformer» ancient Iranian religion, What is the name of Zarathushtra, lived in eastern Iran approximately between the 10th and the first half of the 6th century. BC e. Founder of Zoroastrianism as it is believed in legend, made up the oldest part of the Avesta - Gathas (hymns). Condemning bloody sacrifices and the use of haomas, he proposed a radical change in the pantheon of gods, which took on a monotheistic form with an even greater emphasis on dualistic traditions. The new religious system, after a certain evolution, was called Zoroastrianism.

Unlike the early religious systems of the Middle East region, Zoroastrianism belongs to a later type of religions, the main ideas and principles of which, according to legend, were formulated by a charismatic prophet. Chronologically after Moses Zarathushtra is considered the first “prophet teacher” in the religious tradition of the Middle East, i.e., where developed religious systems (primarily monotheism) first appeared. In our further reasoning, the chronology of the emergence of Zoroastrianism following Judaism ( or even somewhere chronologically parallel to Judaism) will be very important.

In case Zoroastrianism is still older than Judaism ( after all, there are no exact chronological references to the birth of Zarathushtra in history), then Zoroastrianism can be considered the most ancient revealed religion» or religion" Holy Scripture", because the Avesta for people professing Zoroastrianism is a "revelation from Above" given through a "prophet".

Such a charismatic leader as Zarathushtra could not but rely on the basic elements of the religious traditions of his peoples, as well as on all the information that came from outside and brought certain information about the religious systems, cults, rites and myths of other peoples, mainly more “developed and advanced ".

We know about Zarathushtra from the translations of ancient texts that have come down to us, Gatam - inspirational sayings, many of which are addressed directly "to God." Almost all ancient texts Avesta restored much later than the period of the life of the "prophet". It is known that Zarathushtra came from a poor and ignoble family of Spitam, his father's name was Pourushaspa. They called the future prophet by a rather common name: “Zar” - “golden, yellow”, “Ushtra” - “camel”. It turns out " possessing golden (yellow) camels", or other variants from combinations of words" own a camel».

Zarathushtra mentions himself in the Gathas as zaotare - a full-fledged priest. Comprehension of the secrets of the priesthood, teaching the "priesthood" (in the Eastern sense - teaching, the skills of spiritual guidance for people, which led the priesthood in ancient Iran) began at the age of seven. Iranian tribes at that time ( turn of the second-first millennium BC. uh.) did not know writing. Zarathushtra memorized the main rites and positions of faith, the sayings of the sages of the past, and also learned the art of improvisation to create prayers and appeals to deities. With the onset of maturity at the age of fifteen, he became a "clergyman" - a priest and mantran - mantra writer.

The subsequent life of Zoroaster, as the legend says, was filled with the search for truth. He wandered the world, witnessed many wars and cruelties. Seeing the injustices of the world and feeling his impotence, Zarathushtra was filled with the desire to establish a divine order, the same for everyone, both for the strong and for the weak. Once, during one of the spring holidays, when Zarathushtra was already thirty years old, he went for water for cooking haomas. Zarathushtra, being in a state of ritual purity, went to the middle of the channel to scoop up clean water. Returning to the shore, according to legend, he saw a shining creature Wohu-mana (good fortune), which led him to Ahura Mazda and five radiant persons. In their presence, Zarathustra cast no shadow. It was at this moment that, according to mythology, he received his “revelation” from the seven main deities.

There is a very interesting myth from the Avesta about the birth of Zoroaster, in which his birth is shown not ordinary: it happened with the indispensable intervention of the “Good Spirit”, which, in addition to the parents, also “took part” in the birth of the child. Below we place an excerpt from the legend of the birth of Zoroaster ( note when reading that the algorithm of the birth of the Zoroastrian "prophet" is very similar to the algorithm of the birth of Jesus Christ, which is included in the New Testament; footnotes in the quote are ours):

“So, Fravashi, that is, the soul of Zarathustra, existed in the Era of Creation - six thousand years before the birth of the prophet on earth, in the family of Porushaspa and Dukdaub. And all these six millennia, the evil forces were terribly afraid of the appearance of a radiant baby, and therefore did everything possible to prevent a disastrous event for them.

... There lived a man named Frahimravan in one village. He got married and his wife carried him. One day a pregnant woman came up to pray at the altar, on which the sacred fire was burning, and suddenly she felt that the flame itself penetrated her body and filled it with life-giving warmth.

And soon the villagers noticed that they did not need to put firewood on their altar: the fire burns by itself, not quenching day or night.

Frahimravan's wife gave birth to a girl, who was named Dukdaub. So, Frahimravan is the name of Zarathustra's maternal grandfather.

The devas and their patron Angro Mainyu planned to kill Dukdaub from the world before she became the mother of the prophet: they knew about her high destiny.

When the girl was fifteen years old, they sent three disasters to her native village at the same time: an unprecedentedly cold winter, a terrible disease - a plague, and even a devastating raid of nomads. And the inhabitants were inspired with a false idea that Dukdaub was a sorceress and that all misfortunes were due to her evil divination.

Seized by madness, the neighbors, believing these fabrications, drove away the family of Frahimravan. Dukdaub grieved and blamed herself. But one day while she was praying, she heard a Voice:

- Do not grieve that you have lost your home and shelter, O young Dukdaub. Soon you will find a new homeland and glorify it forever.

Finally, after long wanderings, the homeless family reached the rich vast possessions of Padiragtaraspa from the Spitama clan. The young son of the owner, Porushaspa, saw the girl and immediately fell in love with her. Soon they played a wedding. And Dukdaub gave birth to two sons - they were ordinary boys, healthy and cheerful.

All this happened on earth, among people, but the legend says that in heaven they were preparing for a great event. After all, three thousand years, released by Ahura Mazda for the Era of the Mixing of Good and Evil, were expiring, and their Separation was about to begin.

Zarathustra cannot be born in the same way as the rest, - said the Good Spirit, calling to himself the Immortal Saints, Amesha Spenta. - After all, two essences will unite in it - divine and human. Through his mouth I myself will speak to people, and he will become the first prophet of the Mazdayasnian faith.

Then the Immortal Saints found a stalk of the magic plant Haoma the length of a man and placed the fravashi of the future prophet in it, and Haoma was placed in a bird's nest on the banks of the Dareja. The birds were delighted: from that day on, the snakes stopped crawling into the nest and eating the laid eggs.

There, high on a tree, Porushaspa found the cherished plant, brought it home and squeezed the juice out of it - so he became the fourth priest of Haoma.

Drop by drop, a golden liquid oozed into the bowl, and at that time, the surrounding meadows, in the same way, drop by drop, were pouring a fertile, magical warm rain.

The plants were saturated with this life-giving moisture, and six young white heifers with yellow ears, who were grazing in the meadow, were saturated with succulent herbs. And by evening, two cows, not covered and not calving, filled their udders with milk.

Dukdaub, on the orders of her husband, milked the cows, and Porushaspa mixed the milk with Haoma. It turned out a wonderful heady drink, loving spouses drank it together and desired each other.

They merged in an embrace, caressing each other and dreaming of conceiving another, third child. And they did not know that the light essence of Zarathustra had already entered their bodies along with the magical intoxicating drink and that their next child would be unusual.

This Avestan legend continues with the fact that the father of Zoroaster Porushaspa lost his mind for a while, and the evil spirit, the sorcerer Durasrob, who was instructed by evil forces to destroy the "prophet", tried to take advantage of this many times. But mother Dukdaub saved him every time with the help of good forces. Seven years after the birth of Zarathushtra, the family lived comfortably. She gave birth to two more sons. So Zoroaster was average. At the age of seven, Zarathushtra began, unusually for his age, to wisely respond to the sorcerers who came to their family from evil forces. As we already know, Jesus Christ, according to the New Testament, also at a young age - at the age of 12 - struck temple teachers with his wise answers ( at this age of Jesus bible story interrupted for a long time). The story of the boy's admonition to the sorcerers who entered the house of Zoroaster when he was seven years old is as follows ( an excerpt from the book of Dubrovin T.A., Laskareva E.N. "Zarathustra"):

“But let’s get back to the old story. The hospitable Porushaspa ordered that the table be set, and the visitors greedily ate all the food. After the meal, Durasrob set out to perform a thanksgiving service to the gods - the naive owner of the house did not suspect that the guest would pray dark forces who patronize him.

But then, fortunately, Zarathustra returned home.

- Father! You must not worship the gods of Durasrob! - the boy exclaimed, causing displeasure of an overly gullible parent with a disrespectful attitude towards the guests.

The sorcerers were shocked by the childish maturity and insight of the child. They got angry. The more intelligent and self-possessed Brother-re-Tour said nothing, and Durasrob, instead of gratitude for the hospitality, jumped up from the table and began to prophesy a painful death to Zarathustra.

“It’s only a pity,” he shouted, “that the luck of killing you will not fall to me!”

Little Zarathustra was not afraid of gloomy predictions and only one objected in response:

"I don't think my killer will be happy..."

Tradition says that it was at the age of seven, that is, just at the time of the collision with the mythical Durasrob, that the intelligent and precocious Zarathushtra was sent to study the priesthood. Atravans, or zaotars - servants of ancient Aryan cults ( of course, pre-Zoroastrian ones, because the “prophet” had not yet had time to proclaim the monotheism-dualism that he subsequently comprehended), passed on their knowledge to students orally. They taught rituals, made memorize hymns and mantras, calling on the patron gods. The legend goes on to say:

“…But Zarathustra came of age: he turned fifteen. Historians believe that at this age he already became a plenipotentiary clergyman - it is not known, however, which particular deity.

And then Porushaspa, at the request of his growing sons, decided to divide his property between them.

After lands and real estate, the turn came to a lot of rich clothes and expensive fabrics stored in pantries - the father of the prophet was a wealthy man.

Of all the splendor devoid of greed, Zarathustra chose at first glance a real trifle - a belt four fingers thick. The lad immediately tied it over his clothes.

Since then, a belt to a bush has been an obligatory accessory for a Zoroastrian attire. It is woven from 72 woolen threads - that is how many chapters (ha) there are in "Yasna" ("Worship", "Reverence") - that section of the Avesta, which includes the Gathas, composed by Zarathustra himself and most revered by the followers of the Mazdayasnian religion.

Any adult Zoroastrian is required to perform the ritual of untying and tying the belt daily. Reading prayers aloud, he stretches the ends of the bush in front of him with both hands, and when pronouncing the name of the accursed Spirit of Evil, he waves them, as if driving away from himself any influence of Angro Mainyu.

And probably, just like that, waving the ends of his woven belt - his father's inheritance - Zarathustra left his father's house to wander around the surrounding settlements when he was twenty years old ”(Dubrovina T.A., Laskareva E.N.“ Zarathustra ”).

Zarathushtra is undoubtedly an outstanding person of his era.. Having received a priestly education from childhood, he turned out to be morally superior to the daily concerns of the nomadic clergy. Thinking about the issues of life and death, being in search of truth, justice and goodness, he was faced with the growing cruelty of the raids of both his fellow tribesmen and other tribes of fellow believers - as a tribute to that time. If we assume his messianic activity in the period after the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. e., in those days a nomadic conglomerate of tribes, professing ancient Indo-Iranian polytheism, closely faced the problem of further interaction with the local settled population.

Let's turn to history. According to a widespread version, north of the zone of ancient civilizations, north of the Black Sea, the Caucasus and the Central Asian deserts, stretched up to the Arctic Ocean, according to the ideas of the ancient world, Giant Scythia. Its southern border further east is marked along the Tien Shan, Nanshan and the Chinese wall (the beginning of construction is about 300 BC). The southern part of Scythia is a zone of steppes (including semi-deserts). In the Bronze Age up to the X-IX centuries. BC e. this zone from the Black Sea to Western Mongolia was occupied by the Caucasoid population, leading an integrated manufacturing economy with a predominance of cattle breeding; on the territory from the southern Urals to Altai lived (after the departure of the Indo-Aryans to India) Iranian-speaking tribes, some of which called themselves " airya» ( arias). About IX-VIII centuries. BC e. in their midst, the transition of the majority of the population to a nomadic pastoral economy is taking place, accompanied by an increase in the role of cavalry, an intensification of migrations and raids, an increase in the role of supreme leaders, theft and giant sacrifices of cattle to the gods and at the funeral of leaders. These nomads have been named since the 6th century. BC e. in the inscriptions of the Persian kings sakami". It was at this turning point, perhaps in this environment of nomads, that Zarathushtra appeared. The birthplace of Zarathushtra, as well as the time of his preaching, are not exactly determined and are still the subject of controversy among oriental scholars. Some researchers believe that Zarathushtra came from the Scythian environment ( as we already wrote in the footnote of this paragraph), but, not meeting support, was forced to leave his homeland. For us, the place of birth is not so important, because after he gained priestly independence and the first “revelation” at the age of thirty, he began to wander around the world, looking for like-minded people - according to legend.

Zarathushtra, being a native of the nomadic priesthood, having morally risen above his caste "colleagues", apparently saw the future life of people much wider than the usual well-being of a separate tribe (even a native one) and even the well-being of a separate state. It should be noted once again that where Zoroastrianism spread, large-scale statehood in the era of the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. e. was only in its infancy. That is, the need to resolve the crisis of management of both the settled population and nomadic tribes rested on their unity, which could only be ensured by the emergence of a single noble and suitable religious system for everyone. Only such a religious system could reconcile the nomads and the settled population and become the spiritual basis of a large state-civilization. Otherwise, constant raids and wars could continue until the mutual extermination and depletion of the population. The mission of the founder of a new religious system was taken over by Zarathushtra and in this respect (in the need for a transition to a peaceful life, for which it was necessary to create a regional civilization, the religious system of which would be more righteous than Indo-Iranian polytheism)God could well support him, allowing him to access information of a sufficiently high level, which egregorially transformed in the psyche of the ancient Iranian "prophet" according to his worldview and worldview- as a result of upbringing in the religious environment in which he grew up. The process of concentration of control, first by scattered tribes, then by small states, from which the first regional states-civilizations were formed ( among the Indo-Iranians at the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. BC) is an objective process of the normal development of our civilization. The religious proposals of Zarathushtra to people, judging by the Avesta, were so morally advanced at that time that Iranian civilization was able to accept them only after several centuries. That is why God, not interfering in the free search for Truth by people, but guiding people along the path of Truth (according to their own thoughts and aspirations) - supported Zarathushtra (despite the many obvious mistakes and primitivism of Zoroastrianism - if you look at this religious system from the standpoint of comparative theology), as a result of which he began to be revered in history as a “prophet”.

Naturally, from the very first attempts to preach new religious principles, which Zarathushtra received from the egregorial level, certainly located much higher than the egregors of the local priestly cults of Indo-Iranian polytheism- he faced fierce resistance from both the priests of nomadic tribes and the hierarchies of small state formations of the settled population. This, as we already know, is an age-old problem facing "prophets" who claim to change the social order and faith.

religious doctrine, equalizing all before God(even if it is very peculiar in the form Eastern dualism), was unacceptable for the already emerging main castes of the east - nobility, priesthood, warriors- especially in the brutally aggressive society of the early nomads. The motive of "free will" and personal moral choice was perceived with great difficulty in all layers of any ancient communities. Zarathushtra was expelled from his clan and tribe and for 10-12 years he wandered, lived in poverty and preached almost alone. The prayer of Zarathushtra after the exile, which entered the Gathas, is indicative. It can be seen from its text that Zarathushtra sincerely sought to know God, the Truth, and bring divine benefits to people:

46 [Zarathushtra's prayer after the exile]

1. Which land should I run to, where will I go?

Remove me from relatives and tribal nobility,

And the community does not recognize me at all,

And the false rulers of the country do not accept me,

How, O Mazda, to serve you, O Ahura?

2. I know, O Mazda, why I am powerless:

I have few herds and few people.

I appeal to you, look, Ahura,

Help me like a friend supporting a friend

Teach me, with the help of Arta, to find the Good Thought.

3. When, O All-Knowing [Mazda], the bulls of noon

Will appear in the world for the sake of the Best Routine [Art]

And the spirits of the benefactors of the countries [Saoshyant] with their wisdom?

To whom will Vohu-Mana come to help?

I chose you, relying on your precepts, O Lord [Ahura].

8. He who plots to do evil to my house and to my good -

Don't let his witchcraft harm me.

Let, created by his malice, it will turn against him.

Let it turn against his flesh and let him be removed from health,

But not from illness, O All-Knowing, - with all malice.

Prayer is a bit like the appeal of the "prophet" Muhammad to God after he received a "revelation" from the spirit of Jibrail at the very beginning of his "prophetic" activity. Also, this prayer is a bit reminiscent of the well-known from the "New Testament" prayer of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Finally, after 10–12 years of wandering and loneliness, Zarathushtra found a strong patron in the person of King Kavi Vishtaspa, who was ready to defend the new religion with weapons. Under these conditions, Zarathushtra accepts as a necessity the war for the right faith and the killing of unrighteous enemies during the war. The localization of the country where Zarathushtra found a like-minded king is extremely uncertain. Some linguistic analysis of early Avestan texts indicates that Vishtaspa's domain was somewhere in eastern Iran.

Vishtaspa's conversion to the new faith angered neighboring rulers who supported separatism on the basis of the old ones. religious beliefs Indo-Iranians for the sake of their power ambitions. They demanded that the king return to old religion (Indo-Iranian polytheism). When the king refused to do so, a war broke out in which Vishtaspa was victorious. After this victory, Zarathushtra lived for many more years under the auspices of King Vishtaspa. According to legend, Zarathushtra achieved recognition in the state of Vishtaspa at the age of 42. Over the next few decades, Vishtaspa was unable to significantly expand his possessions, as a result of which he was defeated by his opponent. And Zoroastrianism became in demand as state religion much later.

It was possible to pass on one's teaching according to the Eastern "priestly" tradition only by direct inheritance, for which Zarathushtra married three times. By his first two wives he had three daughters and three sons. The youngest daughter married the first minister of King Vishtaspa.

Zarathushtra, despite the proclamations of universal equality before God in the Avesta, did not show by his example how to overcome the tradition of caste division of the ancient Eastern society: such a task was morally unacceptable for him and was not considered at all. He could not even break the ancient "priestly" custom of transferring the skills of the Eastern "priesthood". It remained during his lifetime the lot of only the caste of "priests" and kings. This suggests that social“Equality before God” in Zoroastrianism remained “its own” for each caste, which was “normal” among the Indo-Iranian tribes long before Zoroaster. But the task of strengthening and enlargement of the state (later - the Iranian civilization) with the introduction of many very useful social innovations ( advanced for that time, peaceful and vital) - Zarothustra fulfilled (working as a "prophet" for the long term). objective unrighteousness ( unfair division of people on social grounds), fixed by Zarathushtra in the beautiful and advanced religious system promoted by him, was the reason for the further use of many provisions of Zoroastrianism, tested by practice for stability and attractiveness ( as well as an almost monotheistic religious system) - for the purposes of the "world behind the scenes" ( what exactly, we will consider a little later). But Zarathushtra overcame the ancient Indo-Iranian polytheism as a whole with the prospect of a distant future with the help of King Vishtaspa, relatives and first supporters. On the objective unrighteousness of Zoroastrianism (the presence of moral and ideological errors in it, including caste) and at the same time the spiritual overcoming of ancient Indo-Iranian polytheism by Zarathushtra mystically indicates the death of the "prophet" Zarathushtra at the hands of the old "priest" - the opponent of the new faith - who despaired that his position in society and personal career were undermined by the religious reform of Zarathushtra. To replace the caste of "priests" ( essentially large tribal shamans) of ancient Iranian polytheism, the caste of "priests" of Zoroastrianism gradually came - the first of which was the "prophet" Zarathushtra.

Further History of Zoroastrianism Unfortunately, little historical data has been preserved about this religion, especially for the thousand-year period from 300 BC to AD 700. This period was important in the further development of Zoroastrianism. But we have only fragmentary

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1. Avesta - the sacred book of Zoroastrianism The name Zoroastrianism is associated with the name of Zarathushtra (in the Greek transmission - Zaroaster), the prophet of the god Mazda and the founder of religion; the same religion is sometimes called Mazdaism - after the name of the main god Agura Mazda (Lord Omniscient);

The emergence of the 1st hour According to St. John Cassian, for the first time in his time, and precisely in the Bethlehem Monastery, a special “morning service” (matutinam canonicam functionem) was established “at sunrise”, that is, the 1st hour, but, the monk notes, this service is not repeated

Its emergence The custom of reading all the Holy Scriptures, at least of the New Testament, at services in a row, dates back to the earliest times of the Church and was borrowed by it from the synagogue, where the whole service is almost exclusively reduced to reading. In the I-VI centuries no difference was made

Emergence No doubt here is a remnant of the former prayer for a worthy hearing of the Gospel; in one cargo. Euchology puts this prayer before "Every breath"; it begins like our current one (“Rise in our hearts”), but the exclamation has: “For thou art enlightenment and

Emergence Already the initial "and" in this exclamation of the deacon shows that this is a fragment of the former, more extensive prayer. Indeed, cargo. and ancient. Greek rkp .: “a deacon (Greek: priest) creates a small litany, then proclaims: And about being vouchsafed”, which is late. Greek lowered; But

(c) AVANTA+, 1996.

Zoroastrianism is very ancient religion named after its founder, the prophet Zarathushtra. The Greeks considered Zarathushtra a sage-astrologer and renamed this man Zoroaster (from the Greek “astron” - “star”), and his creed was called Zoroastrianism.

This religion is so ancient that most of its followers have completely forgotten when and where it originated. Many Asian and Iranian-speaking countries in the past claimed to be the homeland of the prophet Zoroaster. In any case, according to one version, Zoroaster lived in the last quarter of the 2nd millennium BC. e. As the well-known English researcher Mary Boyce believes, “based on the content and language of the hymns composed by Zoroaster, it has now been established that in reality the prophet Zoroaster lived in the Asian steppes, east of the Volga.”

Originating on the territory of the Iranian Highlands, in its eastern regions, Zoroastrianism became widespread in a number of countries of the Near and Middle East and was dominant religion in the ancient Iranian empires from about the 6th century BC. BC e. until the 7th century n. e. After the conquest of Iran by the Arabs in the 7th century. n. e. and acceptance new religion- Islam - Zoroastrians began to be persecuted, and in the 7th-10th centuries. most of them gradually moved to India (the state of Gujarat), where they were called Parsis. Currently, Zoroastrians, in addition to Iran and India, live in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Aden, Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, as well as in the USA, Canada and Australia. In the modern world, the number of followers of Zoroastrianism is no more than 130-150 thousand people.

The Zoroastrian creed was unique for its time, many of its provisions are deeply noble and moral, so it is quite possible that later religions, such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam, borrowed something from Zoroastrianism. For example, like Zoroastrianism, they are monotheistic, that is, each of them is based on faith in a single supreme god, creator of the universe; faith in the prophets, overshadowed by divine revelation, which becomes the basis of their creeds. As in Zoroastrianism, in Judaism, Christianity and Islam there is a belief in the coming of the Messiah, or Savior. All these religions, following Zoroastrianism, offer to follow lofty moral standards and strict rules of conduct. It is possible that the doctrine of afterlife, heaven, hell, immortality of the soul, resurrection from the dead and the establishment of a righteous life after doomsday also appeared in world religions under the influence of Zoroastrianism, where they were present initially.

So what is Zoroastrianism and who was its semi-mythical founder the prophet Zoroaster, what tribe and people did he represent and what did he preach?

ORIGINS OF RELIGION

In the III millennium BC. e. east of the Volga, in the southern Russian steppes, lived a people that historians later called proto-Indo-Iranians. This people, in all likelihood, led a semi-nomadic lifestyle, had small settlements, grazed cattle. It consisted of two social groups: priests (clergymen) and shepherd warriors. According to many scientists, it was precisely by the 3rd millennium c. e., in the era of the Bronze Age, the proto-Indo-Iranians were divided into two peoples - Indo-Aryans and Iranians, differing from each other in language, although their main occupation was still cattle breeding and they traded with the settled population living south of them. It was a turbulent time. Weapons and war chariots were produced in large numbers. Shepherds often had to become warriors. Their leaders led raids and plundered other tribes, taking away other people's goods, taking away herds and captives. It was at that dangerous time, approximately in the middle of the II millennium BC. e., according to some sources - between 1500 and 1200 years. BC e., lived the priest Zoroaster. Endowed with the gift of revelation, Zoroaster sharply opposed the fact that force, and not law, ruled in society. The revelations of Zoroaster constituted the book of Holy Scriptures known as the Avesta. This is not only a vault sacred texts Zoroastrian doctrine, but also the main source of information about the personality of Zoroaster himself.

SACRED TEXTS

The text of the "Avesta" that has survived to this day consists of three main books - these are "Yasna", "Yashty" and "Videvdat". Extracts from the "Avesta" make up the so-called "Small Avesta" - a collection of everyday prayers.

"Yasna" consists of 72 chapters, 17 of which are "Ghats" - hymns of the prophet Zoroaster. Judging by the Gathas, Zoroaster is a real historical person. He came from a poor family from the Spitam clan, his father's name was Purushaspa, his mother was Dugdova. His own name - Zarathushtra - in the ancient Pahlavi language can mean "possessing a golden camel" or "one who leads a camel." It should be noted that the name is quite common. It is unlikely that it belonged to a mythological hero. Zoroaster (in Russia his name is traditionally pronounced in Greek) was a professional priest, had a wife and two daughters. In his homeland, the preaching of Zoroastrianism did not find recognition and was even persecuted, so Zoroaster had to flee. He found refuge with the ruler Vishtaspa (where he ruled is still unknown), who adopted the faith of Zoroaster.

DEITIES OF THE ZOROASTRIANS

Zoroaster received in revelation true faith at the age of 30. According to legend, one day at dawn he went to the river for water to prepare a sacred intoxicating drink - haoma. When he was returning, a vision arose before him: he saw a radiant being - Vohu-Man (Good intention), which led him to God - Ahura Mazda (Lord of decency, righteousness and justice). The revelations of Zoroaster did not arise from scratch, their origins are in a religion even more ancient than Zoroastrianism. Long before the beginning of the preaching of the new creed, "discovered" by Zoroaster by the supreme God Ahura Mazda himself, the ancient Iranian tribes revered the god Mitra - the personification of the contract, Anahita - the goddess of water and fertility, Varuna - the god of war and victories, etc. Even then religious rites were formed associated with the cult of fire and the preparation by the priests of haoma for religious ceremonies. Many ceremonies, rituals and heroes belonged to the era of "Indo-Iranian unity", in which the Proto-Indo-Iranians lived - the ancestors of the Iranian and Indian tribes. All these deities and mythological heroes organically entered the new religion - Zoroastrianism.

Zoroaster taught that the supreme deity is Ahura Mazda (later he was called Ormuzd or Hormuzd). All other deities occupy a subordinate position in relation to him. According to scientists, the image of Ahura Mazda goes back to the supreme god of the Iranian tribes (Aryans), who was called Ahura (lord). Mitra, Varuna and others belonged to akhura. The highest akhura had the epithet Mazda (Wise). In addition to the deities Ahura, who embodied the highest moral properties, the ancient Aryans revered devas - deities of the lowest rank. They were worshiped by some of the Aryan tribes, while most of the Iranian tribes ranked the devas among the forces of evil and darkness and rejected their cult. As for Ahura Mazda, this word meant "Lord of Wisdom" or "Wise Lord".

Ahura Mazda personified the supreme and omniscient God, the creator of all things, the God of the firmament; he was associated with the main religious concepts- divine justice and order (asha), kind words and good deeds. Much later, another name for Zoroastrianism, Mazdaism, gained some currency.

Zoroaster began to worship Ahura Mazda - the omniscient, all-wise, righteous, just, who is primordial and from whom all other deities originated - from the moment he saw a radiant vision on the river bank. It led him to Ahura Mazda and other luminous deities, beings in whose presence Zoroaster "could not see his own shadow."

Here is how in the hymns of the prophet Zoroaster - "Gatah" - the conversation between Zoroaster and Ahura Mazda is presented:

Asked Ahura Mazda
Spitama-Zarathushtra:
"Tell me, Holy Spirit,
Creator of carnal life,
What of the Holy Word
And the most powerful
And the most victorious
And the most gracious
What is the most effective?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ahura Mazda said:
"That will be my name,
Spitama-Zarathushtra,
Holy Immortals name, -
From the words of holy prayer
It is the most powerful
It is the most victorious
And the most gracious
And most effective.
It is the most victorious
And the most healing
And crushes more
The enmity of people and devas,
It is in the physical world
And a penetrating thought
It is in the physical world -
Rest spirit!
And Zarathustra said:
"Tell me that name,
Blessed Ahura Mazda,
which is great
Beautiful and best
And the most victorious
And the most healing
What crushes more
The enmity of people and devas,
What is most effective!
Then I would crush
The enmity of people and devas,
Then I would crush
All witches and sorcerers
I wouldn't be defeated
Neither devas nor humans
No sorcerers, no witches."
Ahura Mazda said:
"My name is Questioned,
Oh faithful Zarathushtra,
Second name - Stadny,
And the third name is Powerful,
Fourth - I am Truth,
And fifthly - All the Good,
What is true from Mazda,
The sixth name is Mind,
Seventh - I am Reasonable,
Eighth - I am the Teaching,
Ninth - Scientist,
Tenth - I am Holiness,
Eleven - Holy me
Twelve - I am Ahura,
Thirteen - I am the Strongest,
Fourteen - Angry,
Fifteen - I am victorious,
Sixteen - All-Counting,
All-seeing - seventeen,
Healer - eighteen,
Creator - nineteen,
Twentieth - I'm a Mazda.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pray to me, Zarathushtra,
Pray day and night
Making libations,
As it befits.
I myself, Ahura Mazda,
I'll come to the rescue then
Then help you
Good Sraosha will come,
They will come to your aid
Both water and plants
And the righteous Fravashi"

(“Avesta - selected hymns.” Translation by I. Steblin-Kamensky.)

However, the universe is dominated not only by the forces of good, but also by the forces of evil. Ahura Mazda is opposed by the evil deity Ankhra Mainyu (Ahriman, there is also a transcription of Ahriman), or the Evil Spirit. The constant confrontation between Ahura Mazda and Ahriman is expressed in the struggle between good and evil. Thus, the Zoroastrian religion is characterized by the presence of two principles: “Truly, there are two primary spirits, twins, famous for their opposite. In thought, word and action - they are both good and evil ... When these two spirits first clashed, they created existence and non-existence, and what awaits in the end those who follow the path of lies is the worst, and those who follow the path of goodness (asha) will have the best. And from these two spirits, one, following a lie, chose evil, and the other, the most holy spirit ... chose righteousness.

The army of Ahriman is made up of the devas. Zoroastrians believe that these are evil spirits, sorcerers, evil rulers who harm the four elements of nature: fire, earth, water, and the sky. In addition, they express the worst human qualities: envy, laziness, lies. The deity of fire Ahura Mazda created life, heat, light. In response, Ahriman created death, winter, cold, heat, harmful animals and insects. But in the end, according to the Zoroastrian creed, in this struggle between the two principles, Ahura Mazda will be the winner and destroy evil forever.

Ahura Mazda, with the help of Spenta Mainyu (Holy Spirit), created six "immortal saints", who, together with the supreme God, make up a pantheon of seven deities. It was this idea of ​​seven deities that became one of the innovations of Zoroastrianism, although the old ideas about the origin of the world were taken as the basis. These six "immortal saints" are some abstract entities, such as, for example, Vohu-Mana (or Bahman) - the patron of cattle and at the same time Good Thought, Asha Vakhishta (Ordibe-hesht) - the patron of fire and the Best Truth, Khshatra Varya (Shahrivar) - the patron of metal and the Chosen power, Spenta Armati - the patron of the earth and Piety, Khaurvatat (Khordad) - the patron of water and Integrity, Amertat (Mordad) - Immortality and the patron of plants. In addition to them, the deities-companions of Ahura Mazda were Mitra, Apam Napati (Varun) - the Grandson of the waters, Sraoshi - Obedience, Attention and Discipline, as well as Ashi - the goddess of fate. These divine qualities were revered as separate gods. At the same time, according to the Zoroastrian teaching, all of them are the offspring of Ahura Mazda himself, and under his leadership they strive for the victory of the forces of good over the forces of evil.

Here is one of the prayers of the "Avesta" ("Ormazd-Yasht", Yasht 1). This is a hymn of the prophet Zoroaster, dedicated to the God Ahura Mazda, He has come down to the present time in a significantly distorted and supplemented form, but, of course, is interesting, since it lists all the names-qualities of the supreme deity: “Let Ahura Mazda rejoice, and Angra Mainyu turn away with the incarnation of the Truth by the most worthy will!.. I glorify Good Thought, Blessing and Good Deeding with Good Thinking, Blessing and Beneficence. I indulge in all blessing, good thinking and good deeds and renounce all evil thinking, backbiting and evil deeds. I bring you, Immortal Saints, prayer and praise in thought and word, deed and strength and body of my life. I praise the truth: Truth is the best good.

THE HEAVENLY LAND OF AHURA MAZDA

Zoroastrians say that in ancient times, when their ancestors lived in their own country, the Aryans - the people of the North - knew the way to the Great Mountain. In ancient times, wise people kept a special ritual and knew how to make a wonderful drink from herbs, which freed a person from bodily bonds and allowed him to wander among the stars. Having overcome thousands of dangers, the resistance of earth, air, fire and water, having passed through all the elements, those who wanted to see the fate of the world with their own eyes reached the Stairs of the Stars and, now rising up, now descending so low that the Earth seemed to them a bright point shining above , finally found themselves in front of the gates to paradise, which were guarded by angels armed with fiery swords.

“What do you want, spirits who have come here? - asked the angels of the wanderers. “How did you find out the way to Wonderland and where did you get the secret of the sacred drink?”

“We learned the wisdom of the fathers,” the wanderers answered, as it should have been, to the angels. We know the Word. And they drew on the sand secret signs that made up the sacred inscription in the most ancient language.

Then the angels opened the gate... and the long ascent began. Sometimes it took thousands of years, sometimes more. Ahura Mazda does not count time, nor do those who, by all means, set out to penetrate into the treasury of the Mountain. Sooner or later they reached its peak. Ice, snow, a sharp cold wind, and around - the loneliness and silence of endless spaces - that's what they found there. Then they remembered the words of the prayer: “Great God, the God of our fathers, the God of the whole universe! Teach us how to penetrate into the center of the Mountain, show us your mercy, help and enlightenment!

And from somewhere among the eternal snows and ices, a radiant flame appeared. The pillar of fire led the wanderers to the entrance, and there the messengers of Ahura Mazda were met by the spirits of the Mountain.

The first thing that appeared to the eyes of the wanderers who entered the underground galleries was a star, like a thousand different rays merged into one.

"What is this?" the spirit wanderers asked. And the spirits answered them:

“See the glow in the center of the star? Here is the source of energy that gives you existence. Like the Phoenix bird, the World Human Soul eternally dies and is eternally reborn in the Unquenchable Flame. Every moment it is divided into myriads of separate stars like yours, and every moment it is reunited, without decreasing either in its content or in volume. We gave it the shape of a star because, like a star, in the darkness the spirit of the Spirit of Spirits always illuminates matter. Remember how shooting stars flare up in the earth's autumn sky? Similarly, in the world of the Creator, every second the links of the “soul-star” chain flare up. They crumble into fragments, like a torn pearl thread, like drops of rain, fragments-stars fall into the worlds of creation. Every second a star appears in the inner sky: this, having reunited, „ soul-star" rises to God from the worlds of death. Do you see two streams from these stars - descending and ascending? Here is the true rain over the field of the Great Sower. In each star there is one main ray, along which the links of the entire chain, like a bridge, pass over the abyss. This is the "king of souls", the one that remembers and bears the entire past of each star. Listen carefully, wanderers, to the most important secret of the Mountain: billions of "kings of souls" form one supreme constellation. In billions of "kings of souls" before eternity abides One King - and on Him is the hope of all, all the pain of the infinite world ... ". In the East they often speak in parables, many of which hide the great secrets of life and death.

COSMOLOGY

According to the Zoroastrian concept of the universe, the world will exist for 12 thousand years. Its entire history is conditionally divided into four periods, each of 3 thousand years. The first period is the preexistence of things and ideas, when Ahura Mazda creates an ideal world of abstract concepts. At this stage of celestial creation there were already prototypes of everything that was later created on earth. This state of the world is called menok (i.e. "invisible" or "spiritual"). The second period is the creation of the created world, that is, the real, visible, "inhabited by creatures." Ahura Mazda creates the sky, the stars, the moon and the sun. Beyond the sphere of the Sun is the abode of Ahura Mazda himself.

At the same time, Ahriman begins to act. It invades the sky, creates planets and comets that are not subject to the uniform movement of the celestial spheres. Ahriman pollutes the water, sends death to the first man Gayomart. But from the first man are born a man and a woman, who gave rise to the human race. From the collision of two opposing principles, the whole world comes into motion: waters become fluid, mountains arise, celestial bodies move. To neutralize the actions of "harmful" planets, Ahura Mazda assigns good spirits to each planet.

The third period of the existence of the universe covers the time before the appearance of the prophet Zoroaster. During this period, the mythological heroes of the Avesta act. One of them is the king of the golden age, Yima the Shining, in whose kingdom there is "no heat, no cold, no old age, no envy - the creation of the devas." This king saves people and livestock from the flood by building a special shelter for them. Among the righteous of this time, the ruler of a certain territory, Vishtasp, is also mentioned; it was he who became the patron of Zoroaster.

The last, fourth period (after Zoroaster) will last 4 thousand years, during which (in each millennium) three Saviors must appear to people. The last of them, the Savior Saoshyant, who, like the two previous Saviors, is considered the son of Zoroaster, will decide the fate of the world and mankind. He will resurrect the dead, defeat Ahriman, after which the world will be cleansed by a “stream of molten metal”, and everything that remains after that will gain eternal life.

Since life is divided into good and evil, evil should be avoided. The fear of desecrating the sources of life in any form - physical or moral - is hallmark Zoroastrianism.

THE ROLE OF HUMANS IN ZOROASTRISM

In Zoroastrianism, an important role is given to the spiritual perfection of man. The main attention in the ethical doctrine of Zoroastrianism is focused on human activity, which is based on the triad: good thought, good word, good deed. Zoroastrianism accustomed a person to cleanliness and order, taught compassion for people and gratitude to parents, family, compatriots, demanded to fulfill their duties towards children, help fellow believers, take care of the land and pastures for livestock. The transmission of these commandments, which have become character traits, from generation to generation has played an important role in developing the resilience of the Zoroastrians, helped to withstand the severe trials that have constantly fallen to their lot for many centuries.

Zoroastrianism, giving a person the freedom to choose his place in life, called for avoiding doing evil. At the same time, according to the Zoroastrian doctrine, the fate of a person is determined by fate, but it depends on his behavior in this world where his soul will go after death - to heaven or hell.

FORMATION OF ZOROASTRISM

FIRE WORSHIP

The prayer of the Zoroastrians has always made a great impression on those around them. This is how the famous Iranian writer Sadegh Hedayat recalls this in his story “Fire worshipers”. (The story is told from the perspective of an archaeologist working on excavations near the town of Nakshe-Rustam, where an ancient Zoroastrian temple is located and the graves of ancient shahs were carved high in the mountains.)
“I remember well, in the evening I measured this temple (“Kaaba of Zoroaster.” - Approx. ed.). It was hot and I was pretty tired. Suddenly, I noticed that two people were walking in my direction in clothes that Iranians no longer wear. When they came closer, I saw tall, strong old men with clear eyes and some unusual features... They were Zoroastrians and worshiped fire, like their ancient kings, who lay in these tombs. They quickly gathered the brushwood and piled it up. Then they set it on fire and began to read a prayer, somehow whispering in a special way ... It seemed that it was the same language of the Avesta. Watching them read the prayer, I accidentally raised my head and froze. Directly in front of me, on the stones of the crypt, the same siena was carved, which I now, after thousands of years, could see with my own eyes. It seemed that the stones came to life and the people carved on the rock came down to bow to the incarnation of their deity.

Worship of the supreme deity Ahura Mazda was expressed primarily in the worship of fire. That is why Zoroastrians are sometimes called fire worshipers. Not a single holiday, ceremony or rite could do without fire (Atar) - the symbol of God Ahura Mazda. Fire was presented in various forms: heavenly fire, lightning fire, fire that gives warmth and life to the human body, and, finally, the highest sacred fire ignited in temples. Initially, the Zoroastrians did not have fire temples and human-like images of deities. Later they began to build temples of fire in the form of towers. Such temples existed in Media at the turn of the 8th-7th centuries. BC e. Inside the fire temple there was a triangular sanctuary, in the center of which, to the left of the only door, there was a four-stage fire altar about two meters high. The fire was delivered by stairs to the roof of the temple, from where it was visible from afar.

Under the first kings of the Persian state of the Achaemenids (VI century BC), probably under Darius I, Ahura Mazda began to be depicted in the manner of a somewhat modified Assyrian god Ashur. In Persepolis - the ancient capital of the Achaemenids (near modern Shiraz) - the image of God Ahura Mazda, carved by order of Darius I, is a figure of a king with outstretched wings, with a solar disk around his head, wearing a tiara (crown), which is crowned with a ball with a star. In his hand he holds a hryvnia - a symbol of power.

The images of Darius I and other Achaemenid kings carved on the rock in front of the fire altar on the tombs in Nakshe-Rustam (now the city of Kazerun in Iran) have been preserved. At a later time, images of deities - bas-reliefs, high reliefs, statues - are more common. It is known that the Achaemenid king Artaxerxes II (404-359 BC) ordered the erection of statues of the Zoroastrian goddess of water and fertility Anahita in the cities of Susa, Ecbatana, Bactra.

"APOCALYPSE" OF THE ZOROASTRIANS

According to the Zoroastrian doctrine, the world tragedy consists in the fact that two main forces operate in the world - creative (Spenta Mainyu) and destructive (Ankhra Mainyu). The first personifies everything good and pure in the world, the second - everything negative, delaying the formation of a person in goodness. But this is not dualism. Ahriman and his army - evil spirits and evil creatures created by him - are not equal to Ahura Mazda and are never opposed to him.

Zoroastrianism teaches about the final victory of good in the entire universe and about the final destruction of the kingdom of evil - then the transformation of the world will come...

An ancient Zoroastrian hymn says: “At the hour of resurrection, all who lived on earth will rise and gather at the throne of Ahura Mazda to hear justification and petition.”

The transformation of bodies will take place simultaneously with the transformation of the earth, at the same time the world and its population will change. Life will enter a new phase. Therefore, the day of the end of this world is presented to the Zoroastrians as a day of triumph, joy, fulfillment of all hopes, the end of sin, evil and death...

Like the death of an individual person, the universal end is the door to a new life, and the court is a mirror in which everyone will see the real yen for himself and either go to some new material life (according to the Zoroastrians - to hell), or take a place among " transparent races” (i.e., passing through themselves the rays of divine light), for which a new earth and new heavens will be created.

Just as great suffering contributes to the growth of each individual soul, so without a general catastrophe a new, transfigured universe cannot arise.

Whenever one of the great messengers of the supreme God Ahura Mazda appears on earth, the balance is tilted and the end becomes possible. But people are afraid of the end, they protect themselves from it, with their lack of faith they prevent the end from coming. They are like a wall, deaf and inert, frozen in their many thousands of years of gravity of earthly existence.

What if hundreds of thousands or even millions of years will pass before the end of the world? What does it matter if the river of life will flow into the ocean of time for a long time yet? Sooner or later, the moment of the end announced by Zoroaster will come - and then, like images of sleep or awakening, the fragile well-being of the unbelievers will be destroyed. Like a storm that is still lurking in the clouds, like a flame dormant in the wood before it is kindled, there is an end in the world, and the essence of the end is transfiguration.

Those who remember this, those who fearlessly pray for the speedy coming of this day, only they are truly friends of the incarnate Word - Saoshyant, the Savior of the world. Ahura Mazda - Spirit and Fire. The symbol of the flame burning on high is not only an image of the Spirit and life, another meaning of this symbol is the flame of the future Fire.

On the day of resurrection, each soul will require a body from the elements - earth, water and fire. All the dead will rise with full consciousness of their good or evil deeds, and sinners will weep bitterly, conscious of their atrocities. Then during three days and three nights the righteous will be separated from the sinners, who are in the darkness of the utmost stupefaction. On the fourth day, the evil Ahriman will be reduced to nothing and the almighty Ahura Mazda will reign everywhere.

Zoroastrians call themselves "watchers". They are the "people of the Apocalypse", one of the few who fearlessly await the end of the world.

Zoroastrianism under the Sassanids

Ahura Mazda presents the symbol of power to King Ardashir, 3rd century.

The strengthening of the Zoroastrian religion was facilitated by representatives of the Persian Sassanid dynasty, whose rise apparently dates back to the 3rd century BC. n. e. According to the most authoritative evidence, the Sassanid clan patronized the temple of the goddess Anahita in the city of Istakhr in Pars (Southern Iran). Papak from the Sassanid clan took power from the local ruler - a vassal of the Parthian king. Papak's son Ardashir succeeded to the seized throne and asserted his power throughout Pars by force of arms, overthrowing the long-ruling Arshakid dynasty - representatives of the Parthian state in Iran. Ardashir succeeded so much that within two years he subjugated all the western regions and was crowned as the “king of kings”, subsequently becoming the ruler of the eastern part of Iran.

TEMPLE OF FIRE.

To strengthen their power among the population of the empire, the Sassanids began to patronize the Zoroastrian religion. Throughout the realm, in cities and rural areas, a large number of fire altars were created. During Sassanid times, fire temples were traditionally built according to a single plan. Their appearance and interior decoration were very humble. The building material was stone or unbaked clay, the walls inside were plastered.

Temple of fire (probable construction according to descriptions)
1 - bowl with fire
2 - input
3 - prayer hall
4 - hall for priests
5 - internal doorways
6 - service niches
7 - hole in the dome

The temple was a domed hall with a deep niche, where a sacred fire was placed in a huge brass bowl on a stone pedestal - an altar. The hall was fenced off from other rooms in such a way that the fire was not visible.

Zoroastrian fire temples had their own hierarchy. Each ruler owned his own fire, lit in the days of his reign. The greatest and most revered was the fire of Varahram (Bahram) - a symbol of Righteousness, which formed the basis of the sacred fires of the main provinces and large cities of Iran. In the 80-90s. 3rd century all religious affairs were in charge of the high priest Kartir, who founded many such temples throughout the country. They became the centers of the Zoroastrian creed, the strict observance of religious rites. Bahram's fire was able to give people the strength to win good over evil. From the fire of Bahram, fires of the second and third degrees were lit in cities, from them - the fires of altars in villages, small settlements and home altars in people's dwellings. According to tradition, the fire of Bahram consisted of sixteen types of fire taken from the hearths of representatives of different classes, including clergymen (priests), warriors, scribes, merchants, artisans, farmers, etc. However, one of the main fires was the sixteenth, his had to wait for years: this is the fire that arises from lightning strikes into a tree.

After a certain time, the lights of all the altars had to be renewed: there was a special ritual of purification and the erection of a new fire on the altar.

Parsi priest.

The mouth is covered with a veil (padan); in the hands - a short modern leopard (ritual wand) made of metal rods

Only a priest could touch the fire, who had a white cap in the shape of a skullcap on his head, a white robe on his shoulders, white gloves on his hands, and a half mask on his face so that breathing would not defile the fire. The clergyman constantly stirred the fire in the altar lamp with special tongs so that the flame would burn evenly. Firewood from valuable hardwoods, including sandalwood, was burned in the altar bowl. When they burned, the temple was filled with aroma. The accumulated ashes were collected in special boxes, which were then buried in the ground.

Priest at the sacred fire

The diagram shows ritual objects:
1 and 2 - cult bowls;
3, 6 and 7 - vessels for ashes;
4 - a spoon for collecting ash and ashes;
5 - tongs.

THE FATE OF THE ZOROASTRIANS IN THE MIDDLE AGES AND IN MODERN TIMES

In 633, after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of a new religion - Islam, the conquest of Iran by the Arabs began. By the middle of the 7th century they almost completely conquered it and included it in the Arab Caliphate. If the population of the western and central regions converted to Islam earlier than others, then the northern, eastern and southern provinces, remote from the central authority of the caliphate, continued to profess Zoroastrianism. Even at the beginning of the ninth century the southern region of Fars remained the center of the Iranian Zoroastrians. However, under the influence of the invaders, inevitable changes began that also affected the language of the local population. By the 9th century the Middle Persian language was gradually replaced by the New Persian language - Farsi. But the Zoroastrian priests tried to preserve and perpetuate the Middle Persian language with its writing as the sacred language of the Avesta.

Until the middle of the IX century. no one forcibly converted Zoroastrians to Islam, although pressure was constantly exerted on them. The first signs of intolerance and religious fanaticism appeared after Islam united most of the peoples of Western Asia. At the end of the ninth century - X century. the Abbasid caliphs demanded the destruction of the Zoroastrian fire temples; Zoroastrians began to be persecuted, they were called Jabrs (Gebras), i.e. "infidels" in relation to Islam.

Antagonism intensified between the Persians who converted to Islam and the Zoroastrian Persians. While Zoroastrians were deprived of all rights if they refused to convert to Islam, many Muslim Persians held important positions in the new Caliphate administration.

Severe persecution and intensified clashes with Muslims forced the Zoroastrians to gradually leave their homeland. Several thousand Zoroastrians migrated to India, where they were called Parsis. According to legend, the Parsis hid in the mountains for about 100 years, after which they went to the Persian Gulf, hired a ship and sailed to the island of Div (Diu), where they lived for 19 years, and after negotiations with the local rajah, they settled in a place called Sanjan in honor of their hometown in the Iranian province of Khorasan. In Sanjan they built the Atesh Bahram fire temple.

For eight centuries, this temple was the only fire temple of the Parsis in the Indian state of Gujarat. After 200-300 years, the Parsis of Gujarat forgot their native language and began to speak the Gujarati dialect. The laity wore Indian clothes, but the priests still appeared only in white robes and a white cap. The Parsis of India lived in isolation, their own community, observing ancient customs. Parsi tradition names five main centers of Parsi settlement: Vankoner, Barnav, Anklesar, Broch, Navsari. Most of the wealthy Parsis in the XVI-XVII centuries. settled in the cities of Bombay and Surat.

The fate of the Zoroastrians who remained in Iran was tragic. They were forcibly converted to Islam, fire temples were destroyed, sacred books, including the Avesta, were destroyed. A significant part of the Zoroastrians managed to avoid extermination, who in the XI-XII centuries. found shelter in the cities of Yazd, Kerman and their environs, in the regions of Turkabad and Sherifabad, fenced off from densely populated places by the mountains and deserts of Deshte-Kevir and Deshte-Lut. The Zoroastrians, who fled here from Khorasan and Iranian Azerbaijan, managed to bring with them the most ancient sacred fires. From now on, they burned in simple rooms, built of unbaked raw bricks (so as not to catch the eye of Muslims).

The Zoroastrian priests, who settled in a new place, apparently managed to take out the sacred Zoroastrian texts, including the Avesta. The liturgical part of the Avesta is best preserved, which is associated with its constant reading during prayers.

Until the Mongol conquest of Iran and the formation of the Delhi Sultanate (1206), as well as until the conquest of Gujarat by the Muslims in 1297, communications between the Zoroastrians of Iran and the Parsis of India were not interrupted. After the Mongol invasion of Iran in the XIII century. and the conquest of India by Timur in the 14th century. these ties were interrupted and resumed for some time only at the end of the 15th century.

In the middle of the XVII century. The Zoroastrian community was again persecuted by the shahs of the Safavid dynasty. By decree of Shah Abbas II, Zoroastrians were evicted from the suburbs of the cities of Isfahan and Kerman and forcibly converted to Islam. Many of them, under pain of death, had to accept a new faith. The surviving Zoroastrians, seeing that their religion was being insulted, began to hide fire altars in special buildings that had no windows, which served as temples. Only clergymen could enter them. The believers were on the other half, separated from the altar by a partition, allowing only the reflection of the fire to be seen.

And in modern times, the Zoroastrians experienced persecution. In the XVIII century. they were forbidden to engage in many types of crafts, trade in meat, work as weavers. They could be merchants, gardeners or farmers and wear yellow and dark colors. For the construction of dwellings, Zoroastrians had to obtain permission from Muslim rulers. They built their houses low, partially hidden underground (which was explained by the proximity of the desert), with domed roofs, without windows; in the middle of the roof was a hole for ventilation. Unlike the dwellings of the Muslims, the living rooms in the houses of the Zoroastrians were always located in the southwestern part of the building, on the sunny side.

The difficult financial situation of this ethnic-religious minority was also explained by the fact that, in addition to general taxes on livestock, on the profession of a grocer or potter, the followers of Zoroaster had to pay a special tax - jiziya - which they were subjected to as "infidels".

The constant struggle for existence, wandering, repeated migrations left their mark on the appearance, character and life of the Zoroastrians. They had to constantly take care of the salvation of the community, the preservation of faith, dogmas and rituals.

Many European and Russian scientists and travelers who visited Iran in the 17th-19th centuries noted that Zoroastrians differed from other Persians in appearance. Zoroastrians were swarthy, taller, had a wider oval face, a thin aquiline nose, dark long wavy hair and thick beards. The eyes are widely spaced, silver-gray in color, under an even, light, protruding forehead. The men were strong, well built, strong. Zoroastrian women were distinguished by a very pleasant appearance, often there were beautiful faces. It is no coincidence that Persian Muslims kidnapped them, converted them to their faith and married them.

Even the clothing of the Zoroastrians differed from the Muslims. Over trousers they wore a wide cotton shirt to the knees, belted with a white sash, and on their heads a felt cap or turban.

The life of the Indian Parsis was different. Education in the 16th century The Mughal Empire on the site of the Delhi Sultanate and the coming to power of Khan Akbar weakened the oppression of Islam over the infidels. An unbearable tax (jizia) was abolished, Zoroastrian clergy received small plots of land, and great freedom was given to different religions. Khan Akbar soon began to move away from orthodox Islam, becoming interested in the beliefs of the Parsis, Hindus and Muslim sects. With him there were disputes of representatives different religions, including with the participation of Zoroastrians.

In the XVI-XVII centuries. The Parsis of India were good cattle breeders and farmers, they grew tobacco, were engaged in winemaking, and supplied sailors with fresh water and wood. Over time, the Parsis became intermediaries in trade with European merchants. When the center of the Parsi community Surat passed into the possession of England, the Parsis moved to Bombay, which in the XVIII century. was the permanent residence of wealthy Parsis - merchants and entrepreneurs.

During the XVI-XVII centuries. ties between the Parsis and Zoroastrians of Iran were often interrupted (mainly due to the Afghan invasion of Iran). At the end of the XVIII century. in connection with the capture of the city of Kerman by Agha Mohammed Khan Qajar, relations between the Zoroastrians and the Parsis were interrupted for a long time.