The following is an article by Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram on Frashogard.com
On 16th June, 632 AD, Yazdegard, son of Shaharyar ascended the throne of Iran as the 29th King of the Sassanian dynasty. As was the custom in those days, the Imperial Calendar was reset, with the year of the new King’s ascension to the throne marking the beginning of the new calendar. It was a tragic reign, marked by defeats, one after the other, culminating in the disastrous battle of Nehavand in 642 AD, which forever ended one of the world’s most powerful empires and established Arab rule over Persia. The hunted emperor fled from city to city, till his betrayal and killing in Merv in 651 AD.
After his death, the empire disintegrated further and religious persecution and oppression increased to such levels, that about 200 years later, a group of chosen Parsis made that eventful journey to the shores of India to establish a new Parsi Kingdom. They were led by a spiritually advanced soul whose majesty and radiance we cannot even begin to fathom. Since they had not a land they could call their own, and none who could be King, their spiritual leader, Dasturan Dastur Nairyosangh Dhaval, enshrined the new Atash Behram Saheb at Sanjan and called Him Iranshah – the King of Iran – and the King of their, and our hearts.
A few days ago, we Parsis celebrated the onset of the New Year, marking 1380 years since Yazdegard ascended the throne of Iran. Yet how many of us remembered the sad facts of his life or relived the pain and anguish of our ancestors who gave all they had just in order to preserve, protect and perpetuate their religion?
How many of us understand the meaning behind those two initials Yz (always wrongly written as Y.Z.)? In the midst of our celebrations and gluttony how many offered a prayer of thanks to the Creator for settling us in a land we can call our own and which offers us full freedom to practice our faith? Over the last two years, readers of the Frashogard blog have begun to realize the depth and beauty of our faith. But what should readers of Frashogard do in the current year? What kind of resolutions should they make and attempt to keep? I present here a wish list of what I could like readers of the blog to undertake.
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