Introduction.
Some time in the history of the universe, no one is quite sure.
when, there was born a man. This man would eventually be the first to.
found a monotheistic religion. The name of this man is Zoroaster; the.
name is actually a corruption of Zarathushtra. Zoroaster's birth date,.
along with whether his religion is actually monotheistic, is a subject.
of great debate. The opinions concerning his birth, and consequently.
about the beginning of this great religion, range from as early as 6000.
years before Plato to as late as 500 B.C.E. In any case he was born.
somewhere in Iran, although whether in the East or West is also.
arguable. In the early writings the people belonging to this religion.
are called Zarathustris; the system he taught is called Mazdaism. The.
present day followers are called Parsees. Zoroaster removed the.
multiplicity of deities from religion and created a faith in which.
there were two, or perhaps, one God. All other higher beings were.
regarded as demons, or evil spirits. No one knows for sure the.
different stages of popularity that Zoroastrianism experienced. We do.
know that at the time of Darius I, 558?-486 B.C.E., it was protected by.
royalty. Later, however, Zoroastrians were continually chased by the.
members of the Islamic religion through Kathiawar in India, and Surat,.
and finally they settled again in Bombay. The universe is the.
battleground. The opponents are Mazda Ahura, later to be known as.
Ahura Mazda, and Anra Mainyu, later call ed Ahriman. Ahura Mazda is.
the good force and the bad is Ahriman. The battle will last till Ahura.
Mazda defeats Ahriman in the year 12,000 (we are now presumably around.
11,500). This is the world and its future in accordance with.
Zoroastrian beliefs.
Zoroaster.
Zoroaster had a very non-conforming mind and was forced to flee.
