Agenerous estimate would admit that there are only about 200,000 Zoroastrians in the world today. Compared with Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists this is a very small number. Zoroastrianism is a religion that is local; it is a religion that began in ancient Persia (or modern Iran). Through Muslim persecution it became also a diaspora religion, spreading in 936 c.e. according to the traditional date, to India.
More recently, due to the establishment of an Islamic republic in Iran by the Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979, many more Zoroastrians have left their native land and migrated to Britain, Australia, Canada, and the United States. Zoroastrians therefore are not only small in numbers, but also a people who are dispersed. There are still strong communities of Zoroastrians in Iran and in India, where despite the challenges of modern life and political difficulties, they hold to their traditions and adapt them to contemporary circumstances. Wherever they may be, however, Zoroastrians make efforts to keep their religious communities alive and active. Frequently Zoroastrian communities sponsor social and religious events that promote their identity by supporting lectures, adult discussion groups, and circles that study the Gathas. They also run instruction classes to teach the young about their religion and sponsor youth groups to bring together the bright hope of their future.
Zoroastrianism today has two main strands: traditional Zoroastrianism and updated Zoroastrianism. The former is very much anchored in its Persian and Indian roots. In traditional Zoroastrianism emphasis is placed on the identifi cation of Zoroastrians as members of both a religious community and an ethnic group. This traditionalist view strongly recommends marriage only between Zoroastrians. The future of Zoroastrianism for these people is focused on the offspring of these unions: Zoroastrians beget Zoroastrians. In the vision of the traditional Zoroastrians the young are the only future for the religion.
Zoroastrians in Early Modern Persia
