IOverview
Reformist Zoroastrianism names a tendency, not a church. Those who hold it take the Gathas, the hymns attributed to Zarathustra himself, and the religion's ethics as the standard. They regard parts of the purity law in the Vendidad and much ritual as later layers that can be simplified or reinterpreted.
Opposite stands the traditionalist view, which treats the whole Avesta and the ritual system as an inseparable whole kept for more than a thousand years. The two have not split into separate communities: they share temples and councils, and one person may be reformist on one question and traditional on another. The library sets out both views without ruling between them.
IIHistorical Development
In the mid 19th century Bombay was where Parsis met Western education and Christian missionaries most intensely. According to the Encyclopaedia Iranica, in the 1830s and 1840s the missionary John Wilson debated Parsi priests publicly, and many young Parsis began to question their faith. In 1851 a group of educated Parsis founded the Rahnumae Mazdayasnan Sabha to reform religious and social life. In 1862 the German scholar Martin Haug argued that the Gathas were Zarathustra's own words and read them in a monotheistic light. That reading gave reformers a textual basis: if the Gathas are the core, what is not in them can be reconsidered.
In the 20th century the debate moved to marriage and membership. In 1903 the French wife of a Tata family member underwent the Navjote, leading to the Petit v. Jijibhai case of 1908 on who counts as a Parsi. In the diaspora, the Zarathushtrian Assembly was founded in Los Angeles in 1990, centring on the Gathas and welcoming people of every background.
- 1830s to 1840sDebates with John WilsonA Christian missionary challenges Parsi priests in Bombay.
- 1851Rahnumae Mazdayasnan SabhaThe first Parsi reform society.
- 1862Martin Haug and the GathasThe Gathas read as Zarathustra's words, in a monotheistic light.
- 1903 and 1908A contested Navjote and the Petit caseThe question of who is a Parsi reaches the Bombay court.
- 1990Zarathushtrian AssemblyFounded in Los Angeles, Gatha-centred and open to newcomers.
IIIPositions and Debates
| Question | Reformist tendency usually favours | Traditionalist tendency usually favours |
|---|---|---|
| Scripture | The Gathas as core, later Avesta open to review | The whole Avesta as one sacred body |
| Ritual | Simplified, reread in ethical terms | Form kept intact, including prayers in the original language |
| Purity law | Much of the Vendidad a later layer | An inseparable part of the faith |
| Funerals | Cremation or burial acceptable | Towers of silence retained |
| Newcomers | More open, some bodies accept converts | Converts not accepted |
The table shows tendencies, not hard lines. Many Parsis are reformist about funerals while keeping every other rite, and many are traditional about ritual yet open about marriage. Reformists stress that the Gathas speak to everyone and that the faith must be livable in the modern world. Traditionalists stress that ritual is precisely what has kept the faith and the community alive through centuries as a minority.
Misconception: reformists form a sect that has broken away. In fact: most people with reformist views still take part in the common temples and councils. Only a few diaspora bodies, such as the Zarathushtrian Assembly, have separate organisations.
IVOrganisation and Distribution
The reformist tendency has no common body. In India it lives in scholarly societies, the community press and debates within Parsi councils. In North America, Britain and Australia, where communities include both Indian and Iranian origins, associations tend to be more open on marriage and newcomers. The Zarathushtrian Assembly presents itself as a place for people of all backgrounds who want to study Zarathustra's teaching. The library has found no figures for how many hold these views, and since this is a tendency such a figure would mean little.
VIn Vietnam
No reformist organisation or adherents are recorded in Vietnam. Vietnamese readers exploring Zoroastrianism online often meet English-language material from diaspora bodies first, some of them reformist, so it is worth knowing that this is only one of several views within the faith.
VISymbol of the Branch
No symbol of its own is recorded with a source for this branch, so the library uses the common symbol of the path.
VIIOther Branches of Zoroastrianism
Parsisપારસી ParsiDescendants of Zoroastrians who left Iran for Gujarat over a thousand years ago.
Iranian Zoroastriansزرتشتیان ZartoshtiyanZoroastrians who remained in Iran, centred in Yazd, Kerman and Tehran, with a Council of Mobeds in Tehran.Iranis (India)IraniZoroastrians who came from Qajar Iran to British India in the 19th and early 20th centuries, still speaking Zoroastrian Dari.Uses the common symbol of the pathShahenshahi calendar groupShahanshahi, ShenshaiFollowers of the traditional Indian Parsi calendar, the majority among Parsis.Uses the common symbol of the pathKadmi (Qadimi) calendar groupQadimi, KadmiA section of Parsis adopted the Qadimi calendar in 1745.Uses the common symbol of the pathFasli calendar groupFasli, called Bastani in IranA seasonal calendar with a leap day, proposed in 1906 and widely adopted in Iran after 1930 and in the West.Uses the common symbol of the pathReformist ZoroastriansReformistA tendency since the mid-19th century that takes the Gathas as the core and treats much ritual law as later accretion.Uses the common symbol of the pathIlm-e-KhshnoomIlm-e KhshnoomAn esoteric school started by Behramshah Shroff in India after 1875, teaching reincarnation and vegetarianism and keeping strict ritual observance.Uses the common symbol of the pathZoroastrian revival in Iraqi KurdistanZardeshti (Kurdish)A Kurdish revival movement officially recognised by the Kurdistan Regional Government in August 2015, with a fire temple in Sulaymaniyah.Uses the common symbol of the pathZurvanismZurvanA Sasanian-era tendency that made Infinite Time the source of both Ohrmazd and Ahriman.Uses the common symbol of the pathVIIISources
The library cross-checks the sources below. Where they disagree, the page gives both.
?Quick Questions
What do reformist Zoroastrians hold?
They take the Gathas, the hymns attributed to Zarathustra, and the religion's ethics as the standard, and regard parts of the purity law and much ritual as later layers that can be simplified or reinterpreted.
Is reformist Zoroastrianism a separate sect?
No. It is a tendency within the same faith. Most people with reformist views share temples and councils with traditionalists, and only a few diaspora bodies are separately organised.
What was Martin Haug's role?
In 1862 the German scholar Martin Haug argued that the Gathas were Zarathustra's own words and read them in a monotheistic light. That reading became the textual basis for reform among the Parsis.