"gained strength among the Kurds in Iraq and claims to have 100,000 followers. Zoroastrians currently seek official status for their religion in Iraqi Kurdistan. North America is thought to be home to 18,000–25,000 Zoroastrians of both South Asian and Iranian background. A further 3,500 live in Australia (mainly in Sydney). As of 2012, the population of Zoroastrians in USA was 15,000, making it the third largest Zoroastrian population in the World after those of India and Iran. Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism, or Mazdayasna, is one of the world's oldest religions that remains active. It is a monotheistic faith (i.e. a single creator"
"a minority mostly found in India and Iran. It worships a monotheistic god, Ahura Mazda, and was founded by Zoroaster. Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster (also known as Zarathustra, in Avestan), probably founded some time before the 6th century BC. The term Zoroastrianism is, in general usage, essentially synonymous with Mazdaism, i.e., the worship of Ahura Mazda, exalted by Zoroaster as the supreme divine authority. In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil originates from Him. Thus, in Zoroastrianism good and evil have distinct sources, with evil (druj)"
"Zoroaster Zoroaster (, ; ""Zōroastrēs""), (Persian: زرتشت pronounced as Zartusht) also known as Zarathustra (, ; ""Zaraθuštra""), Zarathushtra Spitama, or Ashu Zarathushtra, was an ancient Persian prophet, spiritual leader and ethical philosopher who taught a spiritual philosophy of self-realization and realization of the Divine. His teachings challenged the existing traditions of the Indo-Iranian religion and later developed into the religion of Mazdayasna or Zoroastrianism. He inaugurated a movement that eventually became the dominant religion in Ancient Persia. He was a native speaker of Old Avestan and lived in the eastern part of the Iranian Plateau, but his exact birthplace is"
"of ritual observances. Fire is the most important symbol of the Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrians worshipped fire, because they believed that the fire represented the Holy Spirit of Ahura Mazda. About the date of birth of Zoroaster, historians mostly agree upon the dates of 660-583 BC with birth place being the lands of Azerbaijan. According to the local legends, Zoroaster was born in Caucasian Albania. But this idea is also found in other regions under influence of Zoroastrianism. Around 550 BC Cyrus II, also known as Cyrus the Great, integrated the area of southern Azerbaijan into the Persian Achaemenid Empire. During his"
"all claimed that Zoroaster originated from ""their"" homelands, some of which then decided that Zoroaster must then have then been buried in their regions or composed his Gathas there or preached there. Also Arabic sources of the same period and the same region of historical Persia consider Azerbaijan as the birthplace of Zarathustra. By the late 20th century, most scholars had settled on an origin in eastern Greater Iran. Gnoli proposed Sistan, Baluchistan (though in a much wider scope than the present-day province) as the homeland of Zoroastrianism; Frye voted for Bactria and Chorasmia; Khlopin suggests the Tedzen Delta in"
"last until the Persians challenged and ultimately replaced them from rule. The city of Bactria (which later became Balkh), is believed to have been the home of Zarathustra, who founded the Zoroastrian religion. The Avesta refers to eastern Bactria as being the home of the Zoroastrian faith, but this can be a reference to either a region in modern Afghanistan or Border line of Afghan-Pakistan. Regardless of the debate as to where Zoroaster was from, Zoroastrianism spread to become one of the world's most influential religions and became the main faith of the old Aryan people for centuries. It also"
"lower right corner. The prophet is holding a star-studded globe. Zoroaster Zoroaster (, ; ""Zōroastrēs""), (Persian: زرتشت pronounced as Zartusht) also known as Zarathustra (, ; ""Zaraθuštra""), Zarathushtra Spitama, or Ashu Zarathushtra, was an ancient Persian prophet, spiritual leader and ethical philosopher who taught a spiritual philosophy of self-realization and realization of the Divine. His teachings challenged the existing traditions of the Indo-Iranian religion and later developed into the religion of Mazdayasna or Zoroastrianism. He inaugurated a movement that eventually became the dominant religion in Ancient Persia. He was a native speaker of Old Avestan and lived in the eastern"
"Zoroastrianism in the United States This article focuses on Zoroastrianism in the United States. Historical records indicate that the Zoroastrian presence in America dates back to the 1860s, during California’s Gold Rush, one of the prospectors was a Zoroastrian named Cawasji Zaveri; in 1865, New York’s Evening Post published a letter protesting slavery from a Zoroastrian named Dosabhai Faramji Cama. Other early Zoroastrians include Pestonji Framji Daver, a Parsi who came to San Francisco in 1892, and the first recorded Irani Zoroastrian,Rostam Kermani, who settled in the United States in 1926. It is believed that the first North American Zoroastrian"
"in Africa. Zoroastrian eschatology is considered one of the oldest in recorded history. The birth of its founder, Zoroaster, is unknown, with scholarly dates ranging from 6th century BCE to 5,500 years earlier. Pliny the Elder even suggests there were two Zoroasters. However, with beliefs paralleling and possibly predating the framework of the major Abrahamic faiths, a fully developed concept of the end of the world was not established in Zoroastrianism until 500 BCE. The Bahman Yasht describes: At the end of thy tenth hundredth winter, the sun is more unseen and more spotted; the year, month, and day are"
"established. Under Achaemenid, Parthian and especially Sassanid influence, Zoroastrianism was the dominant religion in the country. Armenians historian Movses Kaghankatvatsi investigating the political line of Yazdegerd II (438-457) in Albania noted that “During the reign of sinner Yezdeghird, devil instigated him to destroy Christian religion”, so he ordered to reject Christianity in Albania and obey fire-worshippers-magicians (Zoroastrianism)."" As a result of excavations on the territory of Caucasian Albania many cultural finds, indicating the spreading of Zoroastrianism in the region were found. Zoroastrianism`s traces can be found in Baku, Shamakha, Nakhchivan, Mingechaur, Talysh-Mugan areas.The Absheron Peninsula and Baku were centers of"
"Zoroastrianism in Armenia Zoroastrianism in Armenia dates back as far as to the fifth-century BC, notably during the Achaemenian and Parthian periods in the Armenian Highlands. Prior to Armenia's Christianisation, it was a predominantly Zoroastrian-adhering land. A number of Zoroastrian fire-altars had been discovered in Christian sanctuaries in Armenia. In various parts of Armenia, Zoroastrianism lingered on for several centuries even after the official adoption of Christianity. The Arsacid dynasty of Armenia, under which Armenia eventually would become a Christian nation, were pious Zoroastrians who invoked Mithra as the lord of covenants, as is proper. An episode which illustrates the"
"opposed to another group of seven who are evil and destructive. It is this persistent conflict between good and evil that distinguishes Zoroastrianism from monotheistic frameworks that have only one power as supreme. By requiring its adherents to have faith and belief in ""equally opposing"" powers Zoroastrianism characterizes itself as dualistic. The teachings of Zarathustra (Zoroaster) appeared in Persia at some point during the period 1700-1800 BCE. His wisdom became the basis of the religion Zoroastrianism, and generally influenced the development of the Iranian branch of Indo-Iranian philosophy. Zarathustra was the first who treated the problem of evil in philosophical"
"of (primarily) the 9th-11th centuries. The total number of currently practicing adherents of Zoroastrianism is unknown. A 2004 estimate gives a range of 124,000 to 190,000, roughly half of them in India (the Parsi and Irani groups). The largest number of Zoroastrians in Asia can be found in India; according to the 2001 census, they amounted 69,000. In Iran, there were some 25,000 according to the 2011 census. In 2012, the numbers for Zoroastrians were; India (61,000), Iran (15,000 / 22,271), United States (14,405), Canada (6,442), Great Britain (5,500), Australia (2,577), Persian Gulf Countries (1,900) Pakistan (1,675), Singapore (372). Shamanism"
"are encouraged to marry others of the same faith, but this is not a requirement. The roots of Zoroastrianism are thought to have emerged from a common prehistoric Indo-Iranian religious system dating back to the early 2nd millennium BCE. The prophet Zoroaster himself, though traditionally dated to the 6th century BCE, is thought by many modern historians to have been a reformer of the polytheistic Iranian religion who lived in the 10th century BCE. Zoroastrianism as a religion was not firmly established until several centuries later. Zoroastrianism enters recorded history in the mid-5th century BCE. Herodotus' ""The Histories"" (completed ""c."""
"Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism, or Mazdayasna, is one of the world's oldest religions that remains active. It is a monotheistic faith (i.e. a single creator god), centered in a dualistic cosmology of good and evil and an eschatology predicting the ultimate destruction of evil. Ascribed to the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster (also known as Zarathustra), it exalts a deity of wisdom, Ahura Mazda (""Wise Lord""), as its Supreme Being. Major features of Zoroastrianism, such as messianism, judgment after death, heaven and hell, and free will have influenced other religious systems, including Second Temple Judaism, Gnosticism, Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. With"
"Some scholars provide evidences that would attest the existence of Zoroastrianism, or broader Iranian religion, in China, as early as the 2nd and 1st century BCE. Worship of Mithra was indeed performed at the court of Emperor Wu of Han (187-87 BCE). The first phase of Zoroastrianism in China started in the Wei and Jin dynasties of the Northern and Southern dynasties' period (220–589), when Sogdian Zoroastrians advanced into China. They did not proselytise among Chinese, and from this period there are only two known fragments of Zoroastrian literature, both in Sogdian language. One of them is a translation of"
"Zoroastrians resides in India, where Zoroastrians have been allowed to play a notable role in the Indian economy, entertainment, the armed forces, and the Indian freedom movement during British Raj. The Zoroastrian groups are regarded as either Parsi or Irani depending on the time of migration to India. By 632 A.D., Yazdgird III came to power in Iran but the Arab/Muslim army had already begun invading Iran. The Muslims defeated them at Nahavand and Yazdgird was slain by a miller in Merv in 652, bringing an end to the Sasanian dynasty and thus of the official history of Zoroastrian Iran."
"the main precepts in Zoroastrianism is respect and kindness towards all living things and condemnation of cruelty against animals The Shahnameh states that the evil king of Iran, Zohak was first taught eating meat by the evil one who came to him in the guise of a cook. This was the start of an age of great evil for Iran. Prior to this, in the Golden age of mankind in the days of the great Aryan Kings, man did not eat meat. The Pahlavi scriptures state that in the final stages of the world, when the final Saviour Saoshyant arrives,"
"called,[20] at least one other group is said to have come overland from Sari, Iran.[21] This religion founded by Zarathustra Spitma (better known as ""Zoroaster"") resembles Hinduism in many ways (although differing as a strict monotheism too.) For example, in this religion, the cow is very sacred. In the 9th chapter of the ""Vendidad"" of the ""Avesta"", the purificatory power of cow urine is dilated upon. It is declared to be a panacea for all bodily and moral evils. It is drunk as well as applied externally as is done by Hindus also. Urine of the bull, called ""nirang"" is"
"of Zarathustra (Zoroaster) appeared in Persia at some point during the period 1700-1800 BCE. His wisdom became the basis of the religion Zoroastrianism, and generally influenced the development of the Iranian branch of Indo-Iranian philosophy. Zarathustra was the first who treated the problem of evil in philosophical terms. He is also believed to be one of the oldest monotheists in the history of religion. He espoused an ethical philosophy based on the primacy of ""good thoughts (andiše-e-nik), good words (goftâr-e-nik), and good deeds (kerdâr-e-nik)."" The works of Zoroaster and Zoroastrianism had a significant influence on Greek philosophy and Roman philosophy."
"that it was a form of rational Deism, preferable to Christianity. Zoroaster was the subject of the 1749 opera, ""Zoroastre"", by Jean-Philippe Rameau. With the translation of the Avesta by Abraham Anquetil-Duperron, Western scholarship of Zoroastrianism began. An early 19th-century representation of Zoroaster derived from the portrait of a figure that appears in a 4th-century sculpture at Taq-e Bostan in south-western Iran. In E. T. A. Hoffmann's novel """" (1819), the mage Prosper Alpanus states that Professor Zoroaster was his teacher. In his seminal work ""Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spoke Zarathustra)"" (1885) the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche uses the native Iranian"
"among them were many Indo-European-speaking Indo-Iranians. These tribes later migrated further south to India, west to what is now Iran, and towards Europe via the area north of the Caspian Sea. The region as a whole was called Ariana. The people shared similar culture with other Indo-Iranians. The ancient religion of Kafiristan survived here until the 19th century. Another religion, Zoroastrianism is believed by some to have originated in what is now Afghanistan between 1800 and 800 BCE, as its founder Zoroaster is thought to have lived and died in Balkh. Ancient Eastern Iranian languages may have been spoken in"
"Mahayana and Vajrayana practices are emphasized in this tradition. Dzogchen (Mahasandhi-yoga) is its uniqueness. Thubten Lekshey Ling was founded by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche. Thubten Lekshey Ling conducts teachings, meditation programs and advanced study groups in every weekend. Zoroastrianism was founded by the prophet Spitama Zarathustra. The religion asserts that there is one god, Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord), other gods being manifestations of his qualities. The people who practiced Zoroastrianism and who fled from south-west Iran to India (initially came to the west coast of India and subsequently moved to other parts of India) due to persecution by Muslims in"
"Nowadays these religions are practiced only by minorities. Zoroastrianism is based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster in the 6th century BCE. Zoroastrians worship the creator Ahura Mazda. In Zoroastrianism good and evil have distinct sources, with evil trying to destroy the creation of Mazda, and good trying to sustain it. Mandaeism is a monotheistic religion with a strongly dualistic worldview. Mandaeans are sometime labeled as the Last Gnostics. Kurdish religions include the traditional beliefs of the Yazidi, Alevi, and Ahl-e Haqq. Sometimes these are labeled Yazdânism. Sociological classifications of religious movements suggest that within any given religious group, a"
"since 2015, with the first new Zoroastrianism temples being built and opened in 2016. Zoroastrianism was one of the dominant religions in Kurdistan before the Islamic era. Currently, Zoroastrianism is an officially recognized religion in Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran. Many Kurdish individuals converted from Islam to Zoroastrianism especially, after ISIS attacks on Kurdistan. On 21 September 2016, the first official Zoroastrian fire temple of Iraqi Kurdistan opened in Sulaymaniyah. Attendees celebrated the occasion by lighting a ritual fire and beating the frame drum or ""daf"". There are no accurate numbers on the population of Zoroastrians in Iraq because they are"
"flourished. On occasion, the Zoroastrian clergy assisted Muslims in attacks against those who they deemed Zoroastrian heretics. Until the Arab invasion and subsequent Muslim conquest, in the mid 7th century Persia (modern-day Iran) was a politically independent state, spanning from the Mesopotamia to the Indus River and dominated by a Zoroastrian majority. Zoroastrianism was the official state religion of four pre-Islamic Persian empires, the last being the Sassanian empire that passed a decree solidifying this in 224 CE. The Arab invasion abruptly brought to an end the religious domination of Zoroastrianism in Persia and instituted Islam as the official religion"
"their homeland. Cyrus the Great assisted in the restoration of the sacred places of various cities. It was during the Achaemenid period that Zoroastrianism reached South-Western Iran, where it came to be accepted by the rulers and through them became a defining element of Persian culture. The religion was not only accompanied by a formalization of the concepts and divinities of the traditional Iranian pantheon but also introduced several novel ideas, including that of free will. Under the patronage of the Achaemenid kings, and by the 5th century BC as the ""de facto"" religion of the state, Zoroastrianism reached all"
"Middle Eastern philosophy Middle Eastern philosophy includes the various philosophies of the Middle East regions, including the Fertile Crescent, Iran, and Anatolia. Traditions include Ancient Egyptian philosophy, Babylonian philosophy, Jewish philosophy, Iranian/Persian philosophy, and Islamic philosophy. ""See also Ancient Iranian Philosophy"" Zoroastrianism is a monotheistic religion, which originated in Iran. It has a dualistic nature (Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu), with an additional series of six important divine entities called the Amesha Spentas. In modern Zoroastrianism they are interpreted as aspects or emanations of Ahura Mazda (the Supreme Being), who form a heptad that is good and constructive. They are"
"religions as it was founded 3500 years ago. It was also one of the most powerful religions in the world for about 1000 years. Now, however, it is considered one of the smallest religions with only 190,000 followers worldwide. There are two deities: Azhura Mazda, who fights for a person’s goodness, and Ahriman, who fights for a person’s evil. It is ultimately up to the individual to decide which deity they will follow. Zoroastreans follow the Avesta which is their primary sacred text. According to a 2012 WIN-Gallup International ‘Religiosity and Atheism Index’, atheists are a small minority in the"
"reign Zoroastrianism was the dominant religion in the Empire. But he did not made any attempt to impose Zoroastrianism on the people of his subject territories. During the rule of King Darius I, Zoroastrianism was the official religion of the Achaemenid Empire including Azerbaijan. Darius I also allowed moderate religious freedom in the satrapies (provinces). Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia defeated Darius III in 331BCE. During this period Zoroastrianism began to weaken. Many priests were killed. Many sacred texts of Zoroastrianism were destroyed and lost forever. Around 328 BC, Satrap of Media and Atropates formed an independent entity Atropatena."
"Small Zoroastrian communities may be found all over the world, with a continuing concentration in Western India, Central Iran, and Southern Pakistan. Zoroastrians of the diaspora are primarily located in Great Britain and the former British colonies, particularly Canada and Australia, as well as in the American state of California where they form part of the Iranian American community. India is considered to be home to the largest Zoroastrian population in the world. When the Islamic armies, under the first Caliphs, invaded Persia, those locals who were unwilling to convert to Islam sought refuge, first in the mountains of Northern"
"has been a new wave of Parsis settling in China. In Classical Chinese, Zoroastrianism was first referred to as 胡天 ""Hútiān"", which in the Wei-Jin period became the appellation of all northern nomads. In the early Tang, a new character was invented specifically for Zoroastrianism, 祆 ""xiān"", meaning the ""worship of Heaven"". Curiously, in the Far East the Zoroastrians were regarded as ""Heaven worshippers"" rather than ""fire worshippers"" (in Japanese the name of the religion is ""Kenkyō"", the same as in Chinese). At the time it was rare for the Chinese to create a character for a foreign religion, and"
"been present since about the 9th century. Today Zoroastrianism can be divided in three different sects or dominions: restorationists, progressives and traditionalists (or isolationists). Traditionalists or isolationists are almost solely Parsis and accept, beside the Gathas and Avesta, also the Middle Persian works called 'Nasks of the Sassanians'. They generally do not allow conversion to the faith. Therefore, for someone to be a Zoroastrian, they must be born of Zoroastrian parents. Some traditionalists recognize the children of mixed marriages as Zoroastrians. From the 19th century onward, the Parsis gained a reputation for their education and widespread influence in all aspects"