USHAO
JOURNAL OF INFORMAL RELIGIOUS MEETINGS
OUR CHOICE
Humatanām hukhtanām hvarshtanām, We are the admirers and teachers of all
yadachā anyadachā verezyamnanāmcha good thoughts, words and deeds which
vā-verezananāmcha, mahi aibi-jaretāro are done and which will be done, here
naenaestāro, yathanā vohunām mahi. as well as elsewhere.
Tat at vairimaidi, Ahurā Mazdā ashā.
srirā hayat -i- mainimadichā, vaochoi- So are we of all good things. We choose,
māchā verezimāchā, yā hātānm Oh Ahura Mazda, all that is holy, splendid
shyaothananām
vahistā khyāt uboibyā ahubyā. and best in this life for both the
worlds.
[Hapatan Yasht: Karda I Para
1 & 2]
In this
Issue:
2 THE VEDA & THE AVESTA By Nagendranath Gupta
6 CONTEMPLATION By Naval M. Magol
7 THE MEANING OF “ÂRAMAITI” By Ali A. Jafarey
8 LET LOVE BE YOUR RELIGION (POEM) By J.A.
Lindberg
[Chapter 7: First Parsi Doctor & Weak Solution of Epsom Salt]
[Chapter 8: First Railway Line, Napier Mole Bridge and
Taxes on Wines & Spirits] By Dorab J. Patel
12 LESSONS FROM ASHES By Dastur Khursheed S. Dabu
“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us;
what we have done for others and the world remains and is our immortality.”
[ALBERT
PIKE – Philosopher]
THE VEDA
& THE AVESTA
Nagendranath
Gupta
S
OME European orientalists
and a few Zoroastrian scholars have devoted some study and attention to the very
remarkable similarity between the Vedas and the Avesta, but the parallelism has
not been explored thoroughly and exhaustively. It is one of the most
fascinating and fruitful studies in comparative theology and comparative
philology. There was a time when the Aryans of India and the Aryans of
Iran were the same people, following the same religion and the same
customs. Then at some time in the remote past they divided into two
sections and went different ways. Before they parted there was a religious
schism of which there is evidence in their scriptures. There must have
been considerable bitterness of feeling, though there is no circumstantial or
suggestive evidence and no tradition that there was any actual feud or fighting
between the two sections of the tribe.
In order to trace the similitude between these two
ancient faiths to the fullest extent it is necessary to have a full and accurate
knowledge of Vedic Sanskrit and also the language of the Avesta. The
scriptures of both languages should be carefully studied and great patience will
have to be exercised in making comparisons. There should be no
predilection and no prejudice. It should be calm dispassionate research work
with the sole object of finding the truth. We have to wait for such a
gifted and devoted scholar. Meantime the spadework may continue and any
contribution in this direction, however, humble may prove useful.
So long as the original Indian Aryans and the
Iranian Aryans lived together there was no need of separate prayers or different
forms of worship. The art of writing was unknown and was not introduced
till many centuries later. Long before that the tribe had divided and gone
different ways. The scriptures that existed were retained merely in the
memory. The tongue was the stylus, and the memory was the tablet.
The Vedas were ultimately collected and put together in India, the Avesta in
Iran. Whether these two are derived from a still older language, or
whether they are the same dialect in which differences have appeared on account
of change of locality and surroundings is mainly a matter of conjecture.
It is a common experience that shades of difference appear in the same language
or dialect by reason of distance alone. A spoken dialect undergoes changes
in the countryside at the distance of a few miles. There are changes in
accent, in idioms, in pronunciation, in the grouping of letters. This is
noticeable everywhere. Cockney English and the English spoken in Yorkshire
are so utterly at variance that they sound like two different languages.
The difference in the sounds of certain letters in the Veda and the Avesta is
very noticeable while it is impossible to overlook the similarity in the use and
the meaning of words. Specially, the spelling and pronunciation of Avestan
words have been markedly influenced by other Iranian languages, which are not of
direct Sanskritic origin. Vedic Sanskrit differs from later Sanskrit but
all the sacred literature of the Aryans and the later Hindus are in Sanskrit,
while Pahlavi and Persian in which a portion of the Khordeh Avesta is composed
is not Sanskritic at all.
It is impossible to ascertain the circumstances
under which a schism appeared and the Aryan tribe was divided into two, but
there are certain indications of the stage of religious advance at which the
division took place. Any suggestion made is neither inferential, nor can
any theory be put forward with any degree of confidence. It can only be
offered for what it may be worth
The hymns of the Vedas as well as the existing
parts of the Avesta must have been composed at different times spread over a
considerable period. Part of the Rig Veda may have been in existence when
one section of the Aryans came to the Punjab, then known as Aryavarta, or
the first settlement of the Aryans. It is certain, however, that the
concluding portion of the Rig Veda and the hymns contained in it must have been
composed in India, for there are references to the Indus and the other rivers of
the Punjab and the Sarwasvati, to which hymns are dedicated, is believed to have
been a river near Ambala, adjoining the eastern boundary of the Punjab.
This river has disappeared, but its bed can still be traced. In the Avesta
the Gathas are the oldest portion as is apparent from the evidence of the
language, but in the Vendidad, Fargarad I, it is mentioned that the fifteenth
and the best of places created by Ahura Mazda was Hapta Hendu, named Hidus in
the Cuneiform Inscriptions. Hapta Hendu is the same as Sapta Sindhavas,
the seven rivers, in the Vedas. This is India, or rather the Punjab. This
makes it clear that the ancient Aryans of Iran were perfectly aware of the
existence of India.
The split between the Vedic and Avestan Aryans
must have taken place early. Part of the Vedas was then in existence and the
rites and rituals of worship had been definitely settled. To what was the
schism due? To this question no answer can be given, but it may be
surmised that some difference arose as regards the position assigned to Vedic
gods and also because one section of the tribe showed an inclination to depart
from ancient customs. The number of gods in the Vedas is thirty-three;
some are worshiped by hymns, others by oblations and sacrificial
offerings. Of the higher gods Mitra and Varuna are named often together,
sometimes Indra-Varuna, and some hymns are addressed to Varuna alone.
Varuna is chief of the Asuras (Ahura in Avesta.) The root Asu means
life and in the Zend Ahu has the same meaning. In the Veda Varuna
is called Maha (great), which is the exact equivalent of the Avestan word
Maz. The letter h in Sanskrit becomes z in Avesta,
both words convening precisely the same meaning. Hotar in Sanskrit
and Zaotar in Avesta have the same meaning.
In the Rigveda the hymns gradually display a
tendency to assign to Varuna a secondary place to make Indra the principal
divinity in the pantheon. Perhaps this was resented by one section of the
people. Among the 101 names of Ahura Mazda in the Khordeh Avesta, Varauna
is given the 44th name (varun = savior). It is not improbable
that the differences also arose about some customs. Consanguineous
marriages are not permitted by the Vedas; the allegory of Yama and Yami is an
instance. However, the Avesta allows them. The original custom about
the disposal of the dead was the same as that practiced by the Zoroastrians up
to the present day. One section might have introduced the burning of the
dead and this must have given great offence to the conservative and the orthodox
section. It is mentioned in the Vendidad that Angre-Mainyus
‘created the curse of inexpiable acts, the burning of the
dead.’
The resulting breach and religious hostility
assumed a very curious form. The word Deva is from the root div, to
shine. The Devas are the Shining Ones, the Celestials. In the Avesta
this word is slightly changed to Daevas, and means evil spirits. We shall
presently see that this does not mean that Vedic Gods are rejected in the
Avesta. They are invoked under other names. Moreover, the word Daeva
is very comprehensive and includes many spirits, such as the pisachas,
which haunt the places of the dead and are called evil spirits in the
Veda. The Druh in the Veda are Drukhs in the Avesta and are
evil spirits. Besides, the Avesta does not contain such an anomaly as
giving to the same word two diametrically opposite meanings. The Daevas
are evil throughout the Avesta; on the other hand, Asura in the Rigveda means
the highest among the gods in the major portion of the hymns, while in some
other portions Asuras mean demons. No explanation whatsoever is
forthcoming. So brilliant and gifted a commentator as Sayana, or
Mahidhra, or any one else never explains why the word Asura, in the same Veda,
should mean the highest among the gods in so many hymns and why the Asuras
should be degraded to demons in other hymns. But this is a sure indication
of the parting of the ways. When the Protestants broke away and exalted
Asura Varuna to the highest and denounced the other Devas, Indra in particular,
the other section changed the great god Asura into a demon and called Agni
(Fire) Asura-slayer. Indra became the tutelary god of the Indian section
of the Aryans. In hymn 124 of the 10th book of the Rigveda it
is clearly indicated that Agni, the fire-god has left Varuna-Asura originally
the supreme deity, whose power was waning and associated himself with Indra who
has superseded that god. The fire-god declares kingship alternates and he
favors it. Some time later, the word Asura lost its original meaning
altogether and even the root was perverted. A new word which cannot be
found anywhere in the Vedas, Sura was coined to mean the Devas, the
prefix a implied the negative and a new classification of gods and demons
was made, viz. Suras and Asuras. This invention is in defiance of
Vedic grammar and original etymology of the word Asura
Excluding the Puranas and judging from the Veda
and the Avesta the feeling of hostility in the latter is far more vehement than
in the former. There is no book corresponding to the Vendidad in
Sanskrit. Vendidad is Vidaeva-data, the law against the Daevas, but
there are laws against human offenders also and they are draconian in their
severity. One wonders whether the penalties prescribed were ever
enforced. As has been pointed out the Daevas are not only the Vedic gods
but all kinds of evil spirits and evildoers, and there are men among the
Daeva-worshippers. Part of the daily worship of a Zaoroastrian consists of
the denunciation of the Daevas. Among the Indian Aryans there are no set
prayers for denouncing the Asuras, nor is there any declaration of faith laying
down opposition to the Asuras as a paramount duty. It is undeniable that
the bitterness on the part of one party was much greater than the
other.
In the tenth Fargard of the Vendidad certain
Daevas are named as those to be combated with. The 17th verse
says: “I combat Indra, I combat Sauru I combat the Daeva Naonhaiti away from the
dwelling, the clan, the tribe, the region.” Further on it is said: “I
combat the Daeva of rain, I combat the Daeva of wind.” Indra, who wields
the thunderbolt, is called Andar in the Bundahishn. Sauru is
identified as Siva, or it may be Rudra. Naonhaiti is the name of the Asvin twins
called Nasatya in the Rigveda. The Vedic Deva of rain is Parjanya and the
wind is named Vayu. This exclusion, however, is not so final as would
appear from the passage quoted above for they are to be found under other names
in the Avesta. The Vedic gods are the Yaztas of the Avesta
One of the most important Devas in the Veda is
Agni or Fire, who is invoked in numerous hymns. He is also called
Vaisvanara, the god who is present with, and benefits all, Aryan men. In the
Avesta and among the Zoroastrian community Fire is the chief symbol of purity
and holiness. The common place of worship is a temple where the sacred
fire is kept permanently alight like the fire in the temple of Vesta in ancient
Rome. It is clear that Fire is not among the Daevas. It is called the Son
of Ahura and in the Veda also it is said that Fire was born from womb of
Asura. The notable point is that the Vedic words Agni and Vaisvanara are
never used in the Avesta anywhere. The word used in the Avesta is Atar, from
which, comes Atarsh and Atash. But this word also is not outside the
Vedas. Athar is a special name of Agni, the Fire-god. Hence the
Atharva Veda and the fire-priest, the Atharvan. This word is retained almost
unchanged in the Avesta as Athravan. In the minutest detail the rite of
the Homa, Haoma, is the same in the Vedas and the Avesta. The
Barhishi, trimmed grass for fire, of the Veda is the Beresma of
the Avesta; the priests Hotar and Atharvan of Veda are the Zaotar and Athravan
of the Avesta. The famous libation of Soma in the Veda is Haoma in the
Avesta.
Indra or Andar, the opponent of Asha-Vahista
himself and second only to Ahirman in malignity may be driven away from the
realm as a Daeva chief but who is Verethraghna of the Bahram Yasht if not Indra
himself under one of his Vedic names? There is scarcely any change even in
the name itself. Verethraghna is Vritraghna, the slayer of Vritra, the
Demon of drought. The root is han, to kill. In the
Ramayana the youngest brother of Rama is named Satrughna, the slayer of
foes. The legend of the slaying of Vritra, who is named Daeva Apaosha
(drought) is told in the Tistar Yasht. Vritra or Apasho is a demon both in the
Veda and the Avesta. In the latter the star Tishtrya (Sirius) plays the
part that is assigned to Indra in the Veda.
The Daeva of wind is to be exorcised
energetically. In the Gatha Vahishtoishti this Daeva (Vayu) is named
twice, a being written short as in Call. But under the name
of Ram the wind is invoked in the Ram Yasht and calls himself Yayu and addresses
himself to Zarathushtra
as one of the great Ones. Mihr Yasht is an invocation to Mithra, the Vedic
Mitra, the Sun. Aban Yasht is like the Vedic hymns to the waters and the
river Ardvisura is invoked just like the Sarasvati or the Indus. An
examination of the Avesta shows that in actual practice very few of the Vedic
Devas, were really treated as Daevas.
The resemblance in the names is so close that any
notion of an accident or coincidence must be ruled out at once. The names are
identical, only the inversion and reversion of ideas are sometimes very
curious. Yama in the Vedas and Yimi in the Vendidad are identical.
Even the name of Yama and Yimi’s father is the same. In the Rigveda Yama
is called the son of Vivasvan; in the Vendidad he is repeatedly addressed as the
son of Vivanhao. In the Avesta Yima is later designated Jima, which is
again transformed into Jamshed. In Vedic lore Yama is the Ruler of the
land where the departed souls of men go. He is called the king who gathers
men together. In the Vendidad Yima is the ruler of the fabulous region of
Airyanavaeja, the first land of happiness created by Ahura Mazda. The
common feature of both these regions is that the dwellers live in the enjoyment
of all bliss and happiness. Fragard II of the Vendidad contains an account
of Yima’s kingdom. It is always expending as must happen in the land of
the dead since the number of the dead is always increasing and the dead from the
beginning of creation must exceed the living In Persian mythology,
however, Jamshed was a king who ruled over the living. All the three
sections of the Parsis, the Shahenshahis, the Kadmis and the Faslis, observe
Jamshedi Nowroz on 21st March every year and it is also celebrated by
the followers of Islam in Iran.
One of the most extraordinary coincidences between
the Veda and the Avesta is in regard to a certain rite performed in connection
with the dead. When a follower of the Zoroastrian faith dies a dog is
brought in the presence of the dead. This rite is called sagdit;
sag is a Persian word meaning a dog, dit is derived from the
Sanskrit drishit, seeing. With reference to this a fuller account
is to be found in the Rigveda than in the Verndidad. The 14th
hymn of the 10th Book of the Rigveda is an invocation of Yama.
The spirits of the departed, the Fathers are advised to ‘run and out-speed
the two dogs, Sarama’s offerings, brindled, four-eyed, upon the happy
pathway’ that leads to the Kingdom of Yama. These two dogs accompany
the departing souls. ‘Dark-hued, insatiate, with distended nostrils, Yama’s
two envoys roam among the people. May they restore to us a fair existence
here and today, that we may see the sunlight.’ Sarama is the bitch
hound of Indra and all dogs are considered her offspring. In the Vendidad,
Fragard 8, only one dog is mentioned, though the description suggests two, ‘a
yellow dog with four eyes, or a white one with yellow ears That is brindled; the
four eyes mean certain peculiar spots over the eyes. Nothing is said about
the origin of the dog. Elsewhere in the Vendidad it is stated that the
beautiful and pure soul goes to the Bridge of Chinvat accompanied by dog.
In the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata it is stated that a dog accompanied King
Yudhishthria to heaven. The rite of sagdit* is still practiced by
the Parsis, whereas the Hindus who look upon a dog as an unclean animal have
discarded this practice. It is a Vedic rite as well as an Avestan
ceremony. It is allegorical but most Vedic rites come under that
description.
There is inherent evidence that the dispute that
divided the ancient Aryans into two sections did not materially affect the
religious beliefs of the Indian and Iranian Aryans. Most of the Daevas of
the Avesta are also the demons of the Veda. A few Vedic Devas, that are
denounced by name or designation in the Avesta are invoked under other names in
other parts of the Avesta. The Yasna, the Gahs and the Yashts are all like
Vedic hymns. The Gathas alone, though not quite free from the Vedic
tradition of a variety of divinities, invoke a single supreme deity as the
Creator and Sustainer of the universe. ■ [Source: “Silver Jubilee Memorial
Volume: Y.M.Z.A. Karachi 1935]
(*The practice of
Sagdit has ceased to be observed in Pakistan)
==========================================================================
CONTEMPLATION
[Song 9.10: Ushtavaiti
Gāthā]
Naval M.
Magol
Religion can never be a pompous gathering,
Of rituals and ceremonies in utterance and action,
A scrupulous observation, and listening to
conscience.
Tell me, therefore, O Sublime Ahura Mazda,
Whether the religion which upholds sublime righteousness,
And considers right attitude of mind as the Way of Life,
Can be considered as the best for people of the
world?
My aspirations, O Mazda, are for Your Inner Knowledge,
And my desires shall be fulfilled, O Sublime Wise Lord,
By concentration, contemplation, meditation, and
prayers.
“Consider nothing as true
conquest save that of religion”
(Emperor Asoka)
THE MEANING OF
“ÂRAMAITI”
By Ali A.
Jafarey
Â
RAMAITI occurs for full
forty times in the Gâthâs and three times in the Haptanghâiti, the subtle and
sublime supplement next in importance to the Gâthâs. While some modern
scholars equate it with the Sanskrit “aramati” – readiness to serve,
obedience, devotion, “from “aram – ready” there are some who accept the
Pahlavi translation on linguistic basis, to mean “ara – right +
maiti – thinking and render it as “perfect-mindedness, noble-mindedness”
Incidentally, the Rig Veda has another “aramati” meaning “without repose”
(“a—prefix of negation + ramati – repose,” see below). No
one has gone for this.
Whatever the case, the lengthened “â” makes one
have a second thought. Zarathushtra is quite
‘normal’ in pronouncing the word “arem – rightly, correctly” with a
simple “a” when he speaks about “being rightly accompanied by Âramaiti
(Song 8:10 = Yasna 43:10), “correctly understanding the facts of life” (Song 9:8
= Yasna 44:8), and “correctly acknowledging (arem manyâtâ) Ahura Mazda
and denying (tare-mâñstâ) false gods and their followers, who in their
turn deny (tare-manyantâ) Mazda” (Song 10:11 – Yasna 45:11). Why
should he lengthen the initial vowel to have “âramati” then? Any
reason for this so-to-say abnormality?
One can understand that Zarathushtra is a Master
Poet and his Sublime Songs are an unmatched masterpiece of Indo-Iranian
poetry. But Zarathushtra is not here to
show us his mastery of language. He has turned to poetry only with one
aim: Popularize and eternalize his Mâñthra-s, thought-provoking
Message in a non-adulterated form. And he has fully succeeded in his
aim. Therefore, poetry is secondary. His first and foremost aim and
objective is to deliver the Divine Message to all the living. And to
deliver it, he has to be clear in his words. He simply cannot play
with them and leave us puzzled as to what he means to convey. A person is
only puzzled when he/she cannot fully grasp what Zarathushtra conveys in a
stanza, a song or the entire Gâthâs. The Gâthâs are guiding. One
only falls short because one has to rely on a translation that puzzles
him/her.
Philologically the lengthened “â” warrants that it
should be delivered from a stem with an initial “â.” There is a stem,
“ram –to be at rest, to be stable, to be at peace.” It yields
several words, with and without the prefix “â” in Avesta and Sanskrit, all
showing tranquility, stability, serenity, quietness, peace and pleasure.
If so, then ÂRAMAITI” is made of “â + ram
+ aiti (suffix of action)” instead of the Vedic
“aram (correctly, readily) + ati (suffix of action)” with a
secondary meaning “state of readiness to serve, obedience, devotion,” and the
Pahlavi “bovandak menishnîh –right-mindedness,” based on the Avestan
“ara (correctly, rightly) + mati (thinking from “man” to
think). “Âramaiti” should mean “tranquility, stability, peace, and
serenity.”
A scanning of the Gâthâs shows that in spite of the terms, like “râman – peace (Song 2:10 = Yasna 29.10); “hujiti – good living (Song 6:10 = Yasna 33:10), hujyâiti – good life (Songs 5:5; 13.8 = Yasna 32.5; 48:8); and hushiti/husheiti – good dwelling (Songs 2:10; 3:10; 13:11 = Yasna 29.10; 30:10; 48:11); there is a vacuum for a major abstract for peace and stability, the KEY to a blissful living under
the Gâthic “Primal
Principle of Life –dâtâo angheush pouruyehyâ). They are progressive
mentality (spenta mainyu), good mind (vohu manah), best
righteousness (asha vahishta), divine communion (seraosha), the
choice of good dominion (vohu khshathra vairya), and more than a dozen
other principles
The only missing link is STABILITY and
SERENITY to give a person/community – wise and progressive, precise in
actions in a choice of good government and enjoying communion with God – the
ultimate goal: wholeness (haurvatât) and immortality
(ameretât). And ÂRAMAITI stands high among the
principles to give one the peace and serenity one would like to
enjoy on the road to progress. It fills well the vacuum, which does not
exist. However, one would feel the want if the Primal Principles do not
emphatically provide for stability and serenity.
That is one of the reason it is called “SPENT”
– progressive, increasing” in the Gâthâs (Songs 5:2; 6:13; 7:9; 14:2; 16:4;
16:11 = Yasna 32:2; 33:13; 34:10; 34:9; 49:2; 51:4; 51:11). It is not a
static state of comfort. It is moving, progressing, active and
productive. That is one of the reasons it is closely linked with the
khshathra, the settled order. That is one of the reasons why the later
Avestan composers made her represent with the good earth. And that is the
main reason I derive it from “â-ram” (compare modern Persian “ârâm
– peaceful, tranquil and ârâmesh – peace, tranquility) and render
ÂRAMAITI as SERENITY. It completes the Divine
Doctrine of Zarathushtra,
based on Good Thoughts, Good Word, and Good Deeds for progressive peace
–SPENTÂ ÂRAMAITI – to wholeness and immortality.
Mazda Ahura, our “ally through ‘vohu manah’ and good friend through the glorious ‘asha’ tells us by means of ‘khshathra’. We have chosen the good and progressive SERENITY (spentâm âramaitîm vanguhîm) for you.” And we all readily respond “Hâ nê anghat – May it be ours!” (Song 5:2 = Yasna 32:2). Hâ nê anghat! ■
==========================================================================
Let Love be Your
Religion
Let love be your religion;
Let justice be your aim:
Let all that’s good and noble
Your strict attention claim.
Let truth be in your speeches,
And wisdom in each word;
Let all your words be gentle,
Let nothing else be heard.
Be kind to all around you,
And yourself be true;
Then will the world respect you,
And
honor what you do.
[J.A.
Lindberg]
CHAPTER 7
FIRST PARSI DOCTOR &
WEAK
SOLUTION OF EPSOM
SALT
IN 1858 the first Parsi doctor, Bejonji Rustamji
arrived. He was a recent graduate of the Grant Medical College, and was
appointed at the Government Dispensary. Besides his practice he wrote a
number of papers on medical subjects. He also wrote an interesting book in
Gujarati called darek mānas-no vaid (every man’s doctor) Shapurji
Hormusji Soparivala who had come in 1854 had a Sagdi (fire place) built
near the Dokhma. There will be more mention of Shapurji
later.
The Agra Bank and Masterman Bank opened their
branches in Karachi. The Municipality to facilitate supply of water laid a
water line from Rambagh well, along Bunder Road (now M.A. Jinnah Road) up-to
Custom House, with taps on the way for public to fill
water.
Dinshaw Maneckji Minwalla, who once served in the
Royal artillery and went with it to Punjab in 1849, left it and became a partner
with W.E. Chamberlain in a trading company. In 1859 he purchased a press
with its newspaper, SIND
KASED, becoming the first Parsi and first native to do so. Edulji
Dinshaw was his sister’s son and had come to Karachi with
him.
The history of the Parsi press in India goes a
long way back. Bhimji Parekh, a Parsi, through agency of East India Co. had the
first printing press and a printer brought to Bombay from England in 1670.
Bombay’s first English News Paper, THE BOMBAY COURIER was printed in
the printing works of Rustamji Kershaspathi in 1777. And Faredunji Marzban
started BOMBAY SAMACHAR
in 1822
In 1859 the Municipality started selling its
vacant lands. The investors bought these lands to build houses etc. to
give out on rent. Since the times of the Talpurs, and because of their liberal
trade policies, other people from Gujarat (like Parsis) had come to
Karachi. They were from Kutch, Okha, Jodia, Porbunder etc. These
people were quick to invest in real estate ventures. Jodia Bazar and
Kutchi Gali were the first areas to be developed.
The child population of the Karachi Parsis had
increased in number and need for a Parsi school was felt. Though there
were other Gujarati teaching schools also. So under the leadership of
Nanabhai Faramji Spencer the Parsis of Karachi raised money amongst themselves
and on 23rd May 1859 “Karachi Parsi Balakshalla”(kindergarten school)
was established. The school was first housed in the home of Dadabhai Palanji
Paymaster and was run mostly by volunteer teachers.
This was the year when we came to know from
Charles Darwin’s ‘Origin of the Species’ that our ancestors were apes. The
Honeymoon Lodge, now known as Aga Khan Pahari at the corner of the
Defense Society’s Phase II shopping area, was built in 1860. And the European
firms of that time, to safeguard their interests formed the Karachi Chamber of
Commerce.
From the moment the British forces occupied
Karachi they suffered greatly from scarcity of water. Water supply was a problem
that tried the powers of a considerable number of skilful and intelligent men,
but the problem remained unsolved. Previously water was collected in tanks
(ponds or talaos) and used sparingly. In course of time wells were
dug on the banks of the Lyari River and water was obtained, but insufficient in
quantity. Pipes were laid from wells in Rambagh, to cisterns placed at
intervals on Bunder Road, to which large stone troughs were affixed.
Residents collected water in their ghadā-s and mutka-s (water
pitchers) and carried them to their houses. For those at a distance from
the source, water was carried in large barrels on carts. There were
bhistees (water carriers) with their mashaks (water bags made from
leather). People who could afford had their own wells dug. On
1st January 1861 Navajbai, widow of Dadabhai Shapurji Kothari had one
well dug at RattanTallao for exclusive use of the Parsi community. Later
on in 1869 public spirited, Shapurji Soparivala had another well dug near Rattan
Tallao for public use and handed it over to the
municipality.
By this means the population was partially
supplied with water, not altogether wholesome. It was too saline and not too
potable. Sir Bartle Frere, then the commissioner of Karachi said about the
water obtained from the best of the wells, “….although the permanent
residents get used to it and it does not disagree with them, on all new comers
it has the effect of a weak solution of Epsom or Cheltenham salts.”
This was the condition in which the Parsi pioneers of Kurrachee lived.
Parsi population of Sind at that time was about 400 persons. Sind Cotton
Press and Hodgard Press had started functioning in 1861
In response to a request by Parsi leaders of
Bombay to allow them to join or form a Volunteer corps, the Governor General
replied, ”Though there is no need to have a native volunteer corps, but if some
respectable native who can speak English and has no objection to putting on a
European uniform, and if he desires, there is no objection to enroll him in the
Volunteer corps”. As a result many Parsis of Karachi too joined as
volunteers. The first to join up were Maneckji Framji Colabewala, Cawasji
Faramji Mistry, Ardesher Gustadji Kohiyar, Byramji Cawasji Messman, Mehrwanji
Bomanji Engineer, Hormasji Jamshedji Ghadyali, Hormasji Shahpurji Limki, and
Bomanji Framji Purveyor.
Wherever possible I have tried to give a list of
names to show who were then in Karachi, so the present generation can trace
their ancestors.■ (continued)
CHAPTER 8
FIRST RAILWAY LINE, NAPIER MOLE BRIDGE, AND
TAX ON WINES
& SPIRITS
A
N important event far away
came as a blessing in disguise for Karachi. It was the American Civil War.
As the cotton production in America reduced and the demand from other sources
rose, its cultivation in India increased to a much greater extent than had
hitherto been done. It was also realized that Karachi would be the best port for
export of cotton produced in Sind and Punjab. This also meant great trading
opportunity for Karachi traders. This enhanced the importance of Karachi in the
eyes of the Government at Bombay and Karachi got a push to
progress.
The first railway line linking Karachi with Kotri
(105 miles) was completed in 1861. The ceremony of laying the first track
was held in 1858 at the site where today we have the City Railway station.
With the start of Railway an Industrial area (tanneries, oil mills and wool
washing factories) sprang up along the Lyari River. The work on Keamari groin
was started in 1861 and completed in 1863.
The source of revenue of the Municipal Committee
formed in 1852 was the levy of taxes on malt liqueurs, wines and spirits in
addition to taxes on articles of local consumption and transit duties on cotton,
wool, grain and seeds. In 1863 the Municipality imposed a 2% house-tax.
That year Dinshaw Phirojshah Minwalla was
appointed a government member to the Municipality. Later he was also
appointed a delegate to the district matrimonial court.
The Parsi Balak Shalla was growing steadily and in
1863 it had to be shifted from the residence of Dadabhai Paymaster to a rented
bungalow, which was situated where the present Hirjikaka Dar-e-Meher stands. The
rent was Rs.20/- p.m.
1864 was another milestone year for Karachi.
The Napier Mole Bridge crossing the China creek next to Native Jetty was
completed, and the work on East Pier started.
In the same year the Geneva Convention originated,
Leo Tolstoy wrote: WAR
AND PEACE, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, and Lister introduced antiseptic for
surgery. On 1st March 1865 the first direct telegraphic message
was transmitted between India and England. The first “through” telegram
received in London on the opening of the Indo-European telegraph system was
transmitted from Karachi. In 1865 it rained heavily in Karachi with 20” of rain
in 6 hours causing severe floods. That year also occurred an unfortunate
happening. Karachi was again hit by a cholera epidemic. During, the epidemic
Sohrabji Dhunjishah Wadia provided painkiller free to the public. Sohrabji
had a school building constructed at Garikhata (now Pakistan Chowk) in memory of
his uncle Dossabhai Mehrwanji Wadia. Since the school building was much
larger than needed, a part of it was used to house the Wadia Dar-e-Meher.
There will be more details about this Dar-e-Meher later
Sir Bartle Frere after leaving the post of
Commissioner of Karachi became the Governor of Bombay. This was very
fortunate for Karachi, as he always had interests of Karachi dear to him.
The grateful citizens erected, perhaps the most beautiful building in Karachi,
in his honor and named it Frere Hall. The Hall was opened in October
1865. Sir Bartle Frere held a Durbar in this hall in 1867 when he
visited Karachi. It might be of interest to readers to know that Bartle
Frere was the first East India Company’s cadet to arrive in India (1834) by the
overland route.
As early as 1828 the Bombay Government has
appointed a commission to enquire into the usages recognized as law by the
Parsis in India. The commission requested the Parsis to frame their own
laws to avoid controversies in the future. In 1855 a Parsi Law Association
was formed at a meeting attended by 3000 Parsis at Bombay. The Law Association
stimulated the Government to setup a commission in 1861. On the basis of
this commission’s report two laws were promulgated in 1865. They were the Parsi
Marriage and Divorce Act, and the Parsi Succession Act
The population of Karachi in 1866 was 56,789 souls
and the municipal revenue was Rs, 240,914/- Meanwhile in London, Dadabhai
Naoroji, in order to educate the British public on the issue of economic
exploitation of India by the British, started the East India
Association.
The building of Sezdegah-e-Ravan, which was donated by Byramji Kotwal in 1849, had become dilapidated. So in 1860 Shahpurji Soparivala and Hormusji Dubash had a new structure erected in its place. This year there was a scholastic achievement of a Karachi Parsi worth mentioning. Peshotan Dinshaw Minwalla, who was a clerk at the Post Office joined M/s Cleveland Peel Solicitors as an article clerk and passed his law exams, becoming the first Parsi solicitor of Karachi. ■ [To be continued]
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LESSONS FROM ASHES
By Dastur Khurshed S.
Dabu
A
shes from the alter-plate of a
fire-temple are offered to worshippers, who take a pinch and apply it to their
foreheads. These ashes teach the following lessons:
Humility: Reminding one of a handful of
dust that the physical body would yield ultimately. Equality: All
contributors rich or poor, receive the same “return”. Similarly, the offering of
all worshippers are received and consigned to the fire, without
distinction. The resulting ashes reflect the lesson of all men being equal
on the same level. Loyalty: The invisible “King” at the altar is
worshipped as God’s representative (called the Son), and it is an oriental
custom to apply on the forehead (as the sign of fidelity) dust from under the
feet of a ruler. Law of Retribution: We offer our activities to the
Recorder, and these are turned into corresponding rewards or re-actions.
As you give, so do you receive: the fragrant wood is consumed, and the result is
the pure ashes. Magnetic Vivifier: The ashes from the sacred altar
are radiant with magnetic emanation. These, applied to our vital centers (or
plexuses) stimulate the life within, and purify our aura. Token: It
is the token of acceptance of an offering, the only link between the Invisible
Presence and the devotees who cannot enter the sanctum.■
[Source: MESSAGE OF ZARATHUSHTRA by the author]
Published for Informal Religious Meetings Trust Fund, Karachi. By Virasp Mehta
4235 Saint James Place,
Wichita KS 67226 U.S.A. E-mail:
viraspm@yahoo.com