Irani (India)

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This article is about an ethno-religious community of the Indian subcontinent. For the city in Brazil, see Irani, Santa Catarina. For the
native name of the people of Iran and related societies, see Iranian peoples.

The Irani are an ethno-religious community in South Asia; they belong to the Zoroastrians who emigrated
from Iran to South Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries.[1] They are culturally, linguistically, ethnically and
socially distinct from the Parsis, who – although also Zoroastrians – emigrated to the Indian subcontinent
from Greater Iran many centuries before the Iranis did.

Distinction from Parsis

The Parsis and Iranis are considered legally distinct. A 1909 obiter dictum relating to the Indian Zoroastrians,
also observed that Iranis (of the now defunct Bombay Presidency) were not obliged to uphold the decisions
of the then regulatory Parsi Panchayat.

History

Although the term 'Irani' is first attested during the Mughal era, most Iranis are descended from immigrants
who left Iran and migrated to the Indian subcontinent during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At the
time, Iran was ruled by the Qajars and religious persecution of Zoroastrians was widespread. The
descendants of those immigrants remain ethnically and culturally closer to the Zoroastrians of Iran, in
particular to the Zoroastrians of Yazd and Kerman, than to Parsis in India. Consequently, many Iranis still
speak the Sorani or Dari dialects of the Zoroastrians of those provinces.

As is also the case for the Parsis, the Iranis predominately settled the west-coast of India, in the states of
Gujarat and Maharashtra. A concentration of their people live in and around the city of Mumbai.

Notable Iranis

Irani is the generic surname for the community. Some families have adopted surnames related to their
ancestral hometowns in Iran, such as Kermani, Yezdani, Khosravi, Faroodi, and Jafrabadi.

Notable members of the Irani community include:

Anosh Irani, Indian-Canadian novelist

Aruna Irani, Bollywood actress

Ardeshir Irani, director of the first Indian sound film Alam Ara

Bakhtiyaar Irani, TV actor

Boman Irani, film and theatre actor

Eruch Jessawala, Interpreter of Meher Baba

C R Irani, Indian journalist and Editor-in-Chief of The Statesman

Daisy Irani, Bollywood child actress of the 1950s and 60's

Delnaaz Irani, Bollywood actress

Dinshah Irani, Zoroastrian leader who provided aid to the Zoroastrian community of Iran.

Faredoon Irani, Indian cinematographer

Faredoon Driver, Meher Baba mandali

Mehera Irani, Meher Baba mandali

Honey Irani, Bollywood actress and screenwriter

Jenni Irani (Jamshed Khudadad Irani), cricketer

Kaikhosrov D. Irani, philosopher

Kashmira Irani, actress

Meher Baba (Merwan Sheriar Irani), mystic

Mani Irani, sister of Meher Baba

Manik Irani, actor

Nariman Irani, cinematographer

Ronnie Irani, cricketer

Sanaya Irani, actress and model

Shireen Irani, mother of Meher Baba

Sheriar Irani, father of meher baba

Tanaaz Irani, Actress

Zerbanoo Gifford, Human rights activist

See also

Irani café
 References

1. ^ Masashi, Haneda,. "Emigration of Iranian Elites to India during the 16-18th centuries" . Retrieved
2013-12-17.

Last edited 3 months ago by an anonymous user

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