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JULY, 1912.]
THE TOWN OF HANJAMANA
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there was formerly a desert. All the young and the old landed there. When the Dastur saw this good place, he found it to be a proper place for abode. The Dastar gave it the name of Sanjân, and it was made prosperous like the country of Iran."
The Parsee emigrants had come froin Khorissan, where there is a town of the name of Sanjân. S, perhaps, they called their new colony in India, Sanjân, just as many modern colonists dame their new colonies after their favourite towns in the old country, e. g., New York.
The three grants refer to the people of the town of Hajamana as "the holy men and others inhabiting the town of Hamjamana," "the citizens of the town of Hamjamana" belonging to the three (twice-born) castes (af) and as "the townspeople of the town Hamjanana of the three classes." Tbe reference to these people as the holy men,” shows that they belonged to the priestly class. In the Avesta also, we find the Athravans (the priestly classes corresponding to the Brâhmans) called Thrayavan, i.e., of the three religious orders. This word corresponds to the Trivargga of the grants. The Parsee emigrants were mostly of the priestly class.
The Parsees have preserved among themselves sixteen Sanskrit Slokas, referring to the fact of their explaining to the Indian Râjâ, their religion and customs. The last of these flokas supports the Nissa-i-Sanjan, and says that the Indian Râjâ gave the Parsees a separate tract of land in his country.
According to the blokas, the Râjâ said to the new-comers : "O Parsees ! May God grant you a progeny of children. May He grant you snccess and victory. May the immortal Fire grant you Victory. May you be free from sins. May you always be holy. May the Sun be auspicious to you for ever. Always revere the Sun. May your desires be fulfilled. Take whatever land you desire in my country. May your respect and honour increase. O Parsees ! If any ignorant pople will look at you (with an idea to injure you), I will smite them. May you be successful over them. May riches be your lot."?
All these facts tend to show that the Parsees had a separate colony of their own, ruled over by themselves. There is another fact that leads to that there was such a colony which acknowledged Allegiance to the Hindu Raja. According to the Kissa-i-Sanjan, the country of the Indian Raja, of which the town of Hamjamana (Sanján) formed a part, was, after a long time, invaded by Mahomedans at the direction of Sultan Mahmûd. The Raja of the day, being hard pressed, asked the assistance of the Parsees, reminding them of the hospitality extended to their ancestors, the first emigrants, by one o? his predecessors. A brave Parsee named Ardeshir led an army of Parsees and assisting the Raja repulsed the Mahomedans. After a short time, the invaders, recouping their lost forces, made another invasion which turned out successful. The Raja was defeated and killed and the Parsee army was annibilated.
This fact shows that the Parsees had formed a separate independent colony, especially in the matter of their social and religious affairs. Had itot been so, the Raja would not have asked for their assistance. They had a town of their m e t 'wn of Hamjamana referred to in the three copperplate grants with what may be
necessary apparatus-military or political, social and religions-of a self-governing cr
allegiance to the Indian Raja. The question now is: What is the word Hamja mans, which the learned translators of the three grants have passed over, and of which Mr. Telang said that he did not understand it, and could say nothing about it? In other words, why was the Parsee colony called "Harjamana"?
The word lanjamana is an Avestic term, which has latterly become anjuman in Persian. As anjuman, it is common among the Pt.rsees even now. It comes from Avestic
5 Yasht kordad 10; Behram 46; Abån E6.
For these Alokas, vide (1) Dastur Aspondiárji Kåmdin's Kadim tarikh Parsfont Kasar (A.D. 1825). pp. 139-143 : an old copy of the Bloks was found about three years ago in the Distriot of Bhavnagar, WS printed by the Bhavonger State and communicated to the second GujarAtt Parishad whiob mot at likot in October 1909, by Prof. B. Arlesbir Entee of Bhavnagar.
+ Translated from the Gujarati version of the slokar.
