Studies on the Assimilation of Zoroastrians into Indian Society with Special Reference to Sanjan, India: A Review

Document Type : Review Article

Author

Department of Ancient Indian History Culture and Archaeology,Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute,Pune,India.

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of multidisciplinary research conducted on human skeletal remains excavated
from Sanjan, located on the northern bank of the Varoli River in Umargam Taluka, Valsad District, Gujarat. The
excavation, carried out during the 2002–2003 season at Dokhama, a Parsi funerary site dating to the 14th–15th
centuries A.D., uncovered the partial remains of at least 180 individuals.The recovered skeletal material has been
analyzed through a combination of bioarchaeological, ancient DNA (aDNA), and ethnographic methods. This
integrated approach offers valuable insights into the biological history and cultural identity of the Parsi community
in India. The research aims to trace population dynamics, health patterns, and genetic interactions between Parsis
and local Indian groups.The earliest significant study, published in 2011, involved a comparative analysis of dental
morphology in both ancient and modern populations. The findings indicated early signs of admixture between
the migrant Parsi population and local communities. For the first time in Indian anthropological research, these
results were further validated by aDNA analysis. The genetic evidence confirmed a pattern of maternal gene flow
from local Indian women into the Parsi gene pool, suggesting sustained assimilation over centuries.Together, these
studies contribute to a more nuanced understanding of Parsi migration, settlement, and integration in India. They
demonstrate how bioarchaeology and genetics, when combined, can illuminate complex processes of cultural and
biological exchange in diasporic communities.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Archaeological Studies
Volume 15, Issue 1
2025
Pages 7-16

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