“Thy name is Charity”

The Historical Sociology of Parsi Philanthropy in India

Abstract

The Zoroastrian community in South Asia, concentrated in India and commonly referred to as the ‘Parsis’ or ‘Parsees’, has exerted a disproportionate impact on the country’s socio-economic landscape, especially considering its minute size. This paper explores the dimensions of Parsi Philanthropy regarding its sense of belonging, the community’s minority status, and the defining characteristics of major philanthropic groups in Mumbai. The paper uses an in-depth, open-ended qualitative survey method utilised via grounded theory to understand various motivators of philanthropic activities. Whilst existing scholarly literature attributes Parsi philanthropy to some degree of religious altruism, the following paper examines the phenomenon through a historical and sociological lens to better understand how the Parsis used philanthropy to propagate communal coherence and to cement themselves as members of the civic elite. The paper analyzes the changing nature of Parsi societal aspirations, from first building and supporting the community to then creating institutions and businesses to support the constitutional and developmental goals of Independent India. Tracing the legacies and continuities of philanthropic commitments from colonial period to present day India, the paper focuses on Parsi philanthropy’s evolving dynamism, internal shifts, and static moral principles that continue to inform some of the largest philanthropy in India.