An ethnography of the Parsees of India 1886-1936 edited by A.M. Shah and Lancy Lobo

Includes index and glossary.

Includes bibliographical references.

Birth customs and ceremonies of the Parsees -- Parsee life in Parsee songs: cradle songs -- The baby language among the Parsees -- The initiation ceremonies and customs of the Parsees -- Marriage customs among the Parsees and their comparison with similar customs of other nations -- Some Parsee marriage customs. How far they are borrowed from the Hindus? -- A few marriage songs of the Parsees at Nargol, Part I -- A few marriage songs of the Parsees at Nargol, Part II -- On the funeral ceremonies of the Parsees, their origin and explanation -- Notes on the Towers of Silence in India -- The first-year funeral expenses of a Parsee of the last century (1763) -- A vahi or register of the dead of some of the Parsees of Broach and a Parsee martyr mentioned in it -- Another Parsee martyr of Broach -- Statistics of births, deaths and marriages among the Parsees of Bombay during the last ten years (1881-1890) -- Statistics of births, deaths and marriages among the Parsees of Bombay during the last ten years (1891-1900) -- A Parsee deed of partition more than 150 years old: a form of slavery referred to therein -- A few Parsee riddles – I -- A few Parsee riddles – II -- Omens among the Parsees -- Charms or amulets for some diseases of the eye

"This volume explores a wide spectrum of Parsee culture and society derived through essays from the Journal of Anthropological Society of Bombay (1886 - 1936). This journal, documents intensive scholarship on the Parsee community by eminent Antropologists, Indologists, Orientalogists, historians , linguists and administrators in the late 18th and early 19th century. Comprising 0.05% of India's total population today, the Parsee's (now spelled 'Parsis') have made significant contributions to modern India. Through contributions of Jivanji Jamshedji Modi, Bomanjee Byramjee Patell, Rustamji Munshi, eminent Parsee scholars, the essays in this book discuss the social and cultural frameworks which constitute various key phases in the Parsee life nearly a hundred years ago. They also focus on themes such as birth, childhood and initiation, marriage, and death. The volume also features works on Parsee folklore and oral literature. An important contribution on Parsi culture and living, this book will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of sociology, social anthropology, ethnography, cultural studies, history, and South Asia studies"-- Provided by publisher