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
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