Contents
1. Presidential Address / 1 II. King Akbar and the Persian Translations of Sanskrit Books / 26 Introduction / 26 Object of the Paper / 28 Sanskrit known by Mahomedans before Akbar’s time / 29 Amir Kbusru on Sanskrit Language and Literature / 31 Akbar, though himself illiterate, had made his Court an academy / 32 Akbar’s Library / 34 A list of Sanskrit books translated at the direction of Akbar, with the names of the translators / 35 The Mahabharata / 37 Abul Pazl’s accounts / 37 Abul Pazl’s dissertation on the learning of the Hindus / 38 Badaoni’s account of the Mahabharata / 39 What led Akbar to the translation of the Mahabharata / 40 The translators of the Mahabharata / 41 1. Naqib Khan / 43 Badaoni / 44 3. Shaikh Sultan of Thanessar / 45 A. Mulla Sheri / 45 5. Shaikh Paizi / 46 The translation, not a labour of love with Badaoni / 46 The translation illustrated with paintings / 50 "The nature of the translations / 51 Specimen translations for comparison / 53 Translations of other Sanskrit works / 55 The Rainayana / 55 The At’harban / 56 Hari Vamsa / 57 III. Alexander the Great and the Destruction of the Ancient Literature of the Parsees at his hands / 58 Introduction / 58 Some of the writers who doubt the devastation at the hands of Alexander / 60 The writers of our country / 60 Heeren’s doubts / 62 A Brief History of the Rise and Fall of the Ancient Iranian Literature / 63 1. Pre-Zoroastrian Literature / 63 2. Zoroastrian Literature / 65 The two great Libraries of Ancient Iran / 65 Kazwini on the Library at Istakhar / 66 Ibn-al Balkhi on the Library at Istakhar / 66 Mirkhond / 67 The contents of the Libraries / 68 3. Post-Zoroastrian Literature / 68 Destruction of Pre-Zoroastrian and Zoroastrian Literature at the hands of Alexander / 69 Pahlavi Books: 1. The Dinkard / 70 2. The Bundehesh / 72 3. Shatroiha-i Airan / 72 4. Viraf-nameh / 73 5. Din-i Vazar-kard / 74 6. Afdiya va Sahigiya-i Seist&n / 80 Letter of Dastur Tansar or Taosar, translated from Pahlavi into Persian via Arabic / 80 Aristotle’s advice to Alexander / 82 Firdousi on the correspondence between Alexander and Aristotle / 84 Viraf and Tansar, supported by (a) an Arab writer, Al-Makin and by (6) an Ethiopic writer (a) Al-Makin / 84 (b) The support of an Ethiopic writer / 85 Arabic Writers / 86 1. Masoudi / 86 2. Tabari on Alexander’s work in connection with Iranian Literature / 86 3. Hamza Ispahani / 91 Persian Writers / 91 1. The Riv&yats / 91 2. The Kisseh-i Sanjan / 94 3. Nizami / 94 4. The Tarikh-i Guzideh / 94 5. Sharastan-i Chahar Chaman / 94 Later Persian Tradition about Perseipolis / 100 Classical Writers / 101 1. Diodorus / 101 2. Plutarch on the Destruction of the Royal Palace / 104 3. Arrian on the Destruction of Perseipolis / 105 4. Quintus Curtius / 106 Haug’s reference to Classical Writers and his conclusion / 109 Chardin on Alexander / 110 Darmesteter on Alexander / 111 Gabriel du Chinon / 112 A recent writer on this subject / 112 Nature of the Iranian Literature lost, or got translated into Greek, at the hands of Alexander / 113 IV. The Doctrine of Karma from the Zoroastrian Point of View / 117 Introduction / 117 Iranian equivalents of the Indian word Karma / 118 Its Avesta equivalent in the ordinary sense / 118 A corresponding Pahlavi equivalent of Karma / 118 A corresponding Persian equivalent of Karma / 120 The Avesta equivalent of Karma in its technical secondary sense / 121 The Avesta and Pahlavi passages illustrating the Doctrine of Karma as regards the Future Life / 124 (A) The Avesta Books: (a) The Vendidad / 125 (6) The Hadokht Nask / 126 (c) The Fishtasp Yasht / 130 (B) The Pahlavi Books:(a) The Minokherad / 131 (6) The Dadistan-i Dini / 132 (c) The Grand Bundehesh / 135 (d) The Ardai Viraf-Nameh / 137 The Iranian allegory of Kar ma, appearing in the form of a maiden, as represented in other literatures / 139 The Action of Karma to begin in this world / 140 Iranian Proverbs or Sayings reflecting the Doctrine of Kunishn or Karma / 141 The words daena, kunishna, kerddr or karma to be taken in a broad sense / 143 What constitutes Happiness? Righteousness / 145 Asha / 145 Industry. Zoroastrianism elevates work to the position of worship / 147 -One’s work procures him Paradise / 149 The earth blesses the workers, curses the idlers / 149 The result of one’s actions increasing with interest 151 Good deeds for the present as well as for future generations / 151 The sense of Duty / 151 Duty done brings happiness; duty neglected brings misery / 151 The smallest act of goodness has its reward / 154 Zoroastrian View of Heaven and Hell / 155 The Iranian Ham&zor. To be in tune with the whole Universe / 157 Karma (Deed) or Destiny—Freewill or Fate / 159 The story of Duff, Renan and Victor Hugo / 160 Taqdlr and Tadblr / 161 The sto ry of Prophet Mahomed and his camel driver 163 Action first. A story of two kings / 163 V. The Huns who invaded India. What was their Religion? / 165 The Home of the Huns / 165 From where came the Huns who invaded India? / 165 The origin of the Huns / 166 Reference to the Huns in Indian books and inscriptions and in a Chinese book / 167 1. The reference in the Vishnu Purana / 167 2. Reference in the Raghuvamsa of Kalidasa / 168 Two invasions of India by the Huns in the reign of Skandagupta / 169 The first invasion referred to in an inscription / 169 The second invasion deferred to by a Chinese traveller / 170 The invasion of India by the Huns under Toramana / 170 The Question of their Religion / 172 I. -Evidence from Iranian Sources: The Avesta Writings / 173 Two great wars between the Iranians and the Hunus or Huns / 174 The Ab&n Yasht passage referring to the First War / 175 The ceremonial form or ritual referred to in the Aban Yasht / 177 The Second Great War / 179 The nationality of Arejataspa or Arjasp / 179 The Aban Yasht passages referring to the Second Great War / 181 The other passages of the Avesta / 184 The Pahlavi Writings / 186 1. The Pahlavi Dinkard / 186 2. The Pahlavi Yadga,r-i Zariran / 189 3. The Pahlavi Zadsparam / 191 4. The Pahlavi Jamaspi / 192 5. The Bahman Yasht / 192 The Persian (and Arabic) Writings / 196 (а) Firdousi / 197 (b) Tabari / 195 (c) Maçoudi / 196 II. Evidence from Indian Sources / 196 A. Inscriptions / 197 B. Evidence from Historical Writings. The R&ja-tarangini / 198 C. Numismatic Evidence / 201 The view of M. Deguignes, principally based on the authority of Chinese writings / 204 VI. The Iranian Name of the Hunnie King Toramana who invaded India / 205 Relations of the Huns with India / 205 The two periods of the Invasion of India by the Huns / 205 History of the Second Period / 206 Relations of the Huns with Persia / 208’ Table of Events with dates / 210 King Peroze of Persia and the Huns / 214 Famine driving Huns to India / 214 The Hunnie King who helped Feroze and the Hunnie King who defeated and killed Feroze / 217 (а) The Pahlavi Bundehesh / 217 (б) Firdousi / 218 (c) Tabari / 219 (d) Maçoudi / 221 (e) Mirkhond / 220 (f) Priscus, a Byzantine historian / 220 (g) Malcolm / 221 (h) M. Drouin / 221 Identification of the Hunnie King who fought with Persia with the Hunnie King who fought with India / 222 The name of the HunnicKing and its Signification / 224 The proper form of the name Khushnawaz / 224 Mihirkula of the Indian Inscriptions and the Chaturmukha-Kalkin of the Jain writings / 225 Meaning of the name Toramana / 227 VII. Disa-pothi (Family Death Register) among the Parsees / 228 Introduction / 228 1. Disa-pothi / 228 The Disa-pothi in the hands of family priests / 230 Sacerdotal arrangements of priests / 231 Abbreviations / 234 The name of living persons in the list of the dead / 237 The procedure for preparing the Disa-pothi / 241 Disa-pothi or Vahi / 241 Historical importance of such Disa-pothis / 242 1. The Vari&v Tragedy / 242 2. The date of Changa Shah and that of the removal of the sacred Iran Shah-Fire to Naosari / 246 3. The event of Changa Shah’s sons being murdered / 247 The traditional story of the death of three persons of Changa Asha’s family / 248 4 The dates of the deaths of known persons / 249 VIII. The Persian Rivgyats of the Parsis / 252 Introduction / 252 What is a Rivayat? / 254 The Rivayats and the Smrtis / 257 The Hindu Smrtis and the Persian Rivayats / 257 The Rivayats and the Talmud / 258 The Hebrew Talmud and the Persian Rivayats / 258 The Language of the Rivayats / 264 Classification of the Rivayats / 265 The importance of the Rivayats as sources of materials for history / 266 The story of Firdousi and the jealous poets corroborated / 267 IX. A Parses High Priest (Dastur Azar Kaiwan, 1529- 1614 A.D.) with his Zoroastrian Disciples in Patna, in the Parth and 17th Century A.C. / 269 Introduction / 269 What drew the Zoroastrian band to India? / 269 The position of Indian Parsees at the time of Akbar / 270 Akbar and his Times / 271 The Moghul Emperors of India as friends of literature / 271 Akbar as a mystic / 272 The religious fervour of Akbar’s time drew Azar Kaiwan and his disciples to India / 273 Why at Patna ? / 274 Authorities for an account of Azar Kaiwan and his Disciples / 275 The Dabistan / 275 The author of the Dabistan / 276 The contents of the Dabistan as given by the author / 278 The divisions of the Dabistan / 278 Sources of Materials for the First Chapter (on the Persians) of the Dabistan / 280 The known books in the list of the Dabistan / 283 1. Desatir / 283 2. Jam-i Kaikhusru / 288 3. The Sharist&n / 289 The four chamans of the Sharistan / 291 4. Zardasht Afshar / 299 Azar Kaiwan / 293 Azar Kaiwan’s Pedigree / 293 Azar Kaiwan’s Mysticism and Retirement / 294 Azar Kaiwan’s extraordinary powers / 295 His views in relation to the destruction of the Fire-temples of Iran and the Shiah sect / 297 Date of Azar Kaiwan’s death / 298 Date of his arrival in India / 299 Azar Kaiwan, spoken of as a Dastur, by later writers / 300 Had Azar Kaiwan a son? / 300 The Disciples of Azar Kaiwan / 302 The School of Azar Kaiwan’s / 302 Sufism A list of the disciples of Azar Kaiwan / 303 I. Zoroastrian Disciples / 303 II. Non-Zoroastaian Disciples / 304 (I) A brief account of the Zoroastrian Disciples of Azar Kaiwan / 305 I. Farzaneh Kharrad / 305 12. Farzaneh Farshidward / 306 3. Farzaneh Kheradmand / 306 4. Farzaneh Behrarn / 307 5. Mobad Hoshiyar / 308 6. Another Hoshiyar / 309 7. Mobab Sarush / 309 8. Khuda Jui / 311 9. Mobad Khushi / 312 10. Farzaneh Behram, the Younger / 312 II. Mobad Parastar / 313 12. Mobad Peshkar / 314 13. Shidush / 315 Mobad Hosh / 316 The above 13 Zoroastrian Disciples / 317 (2) Non-Zoroastrian Disciples of Azar Kaiwan / 317 1. Mahamad Ali of Shiraz / 317 2. Mahmud S‘ayad of Isphahan / 318 3. Ashur Beg Qaramanlu / 318 4. Mahmud Beg Tamin / 318 5. and 6. Musa and H&run / 318 7. Antun Bashuyeh Vavraj / 319 8. Bam Bhat / 319 9. Mir Abdul Q&sam Fandarasky / 319 10. Mehrab / 319 11. Mahah / 319 The ancestors of Azar Kaiwan and of his disciples / 320 The original home of Azar Kaiwan and his Zoroastrian Disciples / 321 The dates of the deaths of Azar Kaiwan and his disciples / 321 Works written by the different pupils of Azar Kaiwan and by Azar Kaiwan himself / 322 A Few Tenets of Belief, Observances, etc., of Azar Kaiwan and his Disciples / 324 The Basic Belief of Azar Kaiwan and his disciples Their Sufism / 330 Sufism. Persia, its cradle / 330 What is Sufism / 332 The Platonists / 333 New Platonism / 334 The Ishraqians of Persia were Platonists / 335 Influence of the Platonists and Neo-Platonists / 336 Platonism in Ardeshir Babegan’s time / 339 Ancient Greece knew Persia and its religion / 341 Was the mysticism, professed by Azar Kaiwan and his Disciples, known to the Ancient Zoroastrians? / 343 The belief in the transmigration of Soul / 345 Old Avestic view of Heaven / 346 Rise and fall of the Soul / 347 Zoroastrian view of Mortification and austere Practices / 348 Parsee view of the last century toward Azar Kaiwan’s School / 349 Makul&t-i Bahmani, a similar book of Mysticism / 350
Appendix / 352 X. The Derivation of the Gujarati word (Mr an jo or Mr an jo) / 354 |