With Iran so much in the news, I find even my peripheral connection to the country evokes interest. Iran is the land of my distant ancestry, Parsis being followers of the prophet Zarathustra, who preached a religion far older than Judaism, Christianity or Islam. They see themselves as inheritors of the glorious traditions of two great ancient Persian empires, the Achaemenid (550-330 BCE) and the Sassanid (224-651 CE). India and Persia were two ancient civilisations with a deep connection and similar roots. Similar words in our vocabularies, magical mosques and minarets that inspired our Mughal monuments.

Source: Indian Express March 28, 2026 20:32 UTC