About Lesson
vii. Reform Movement Among the Parsis
- The Parsi Religious Reform Association, established in Bombay in 1851 by Furdunji Naoroji and SS Bengalee, with financial support from KN Kama, saw Furdunji Naoroji as its President and SS Bengalee as its Secretary. In the 1840s, Furdunji Naoroji edited Fam-i-Famshid, a journal dedicated to defending Zoroastrianism. Additionally, he authored several pamphlets and published the book “Tarika Farthestin” in 1850.
- A small group of educated Parsis, including Dadabhai Naoroji, JB Wacha, SS Bengalee, and Furdunji Naoroji, formed the Rahnumai Mazdayasnan Sabha (Parsi Reform Society) in 1851.
- The movement’s main voice was the Sabha’s journal, Rast Goftar. These leaders criticized elaborate ceremonies associated with betrothals, marriages, and funerals, opposed infant marriage, and discouraged the use of astrology.
- Over time, Parsis emerged as one of the most progressive sections of Indian society.