Abstract:
Arbāb Kaykhusraw Shāhrukh is among the figures who played an influential role in introducing the Zoroastrian religion to contemporary Iranians and in deepening the inclination of nationalists toward this faith. The question addressed in this article is: How did he present the Zoroastrian religion in such a manner as to exert such influence within the Iranian context? To address this question, we have examined his most important work on the introduction of Zoroastrianism, the book Furūgh-i Mazdayasnā (The Radiance of Mazdayasna), and have undertaken a qualitative analysis of its content. The findings of this research demonstrate that, in engaging with Iran on the threshold of modernization, he employed four key strategies. First, by emphasizing the connection between Zoroastrianism and the national and ancient identity of Iranians, he prepared the ground for nationalists to return to this faith. Second, through an innovative approach, he presented Zoroastrianism as a monotheistic religion and, by utilizing Islamic theological terminology, facilitated its comprehension for the general public. Third, he focused on the ethical and practical teachings of this faith—particularly the principle of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds—to present it as a practical guide for modern life. Finally, by citing Western attention to Zoroastrianism, he introduced it as a religion consonant with scientific findings and modern Western civilization. Consequently, the success in reviving Zoroastrianism was achieved not by presenting a traditional reading but by offering a modern, national, and ethical interpretation aligned with modernity. This research highlights Arbāb Kaykhusraw’s contribution to the formation of modernist Zoroastrian discourse in contemporary Iran.
Machine summary:
How Keykhosrow Shahrokh Explains It In the preceding phrases, Keykhosrow emphasized that the Zoroastrian religion is based on monotheism; therefore, he has chosen the next title as follows: In Truth and the Unity of God from the words of the Avesta, and in this discourse has attempted to explain his point by translating the word Mazdism as the worship of the Absolute Knower (ibid: 13) as a conclusive evidence for the monotheistic nature of the Zoroastrian faith.
" Then, he brings a phrase from the daily prayer of Zoroastrians as evidence to confirm his claim regarding the existential monotheism of Ahura Mazda; after that, he considers the lack of knowledge and perception of the meanings of those sacred words to be the cause of confused perceptions, and believes that Zoroaster has directly guided mankind, without any mediator or other, through the leadership of Knowledge—which is the principle and capital of worldly and otherworldly salvation and the ascender of humankind from the station of ignorance to the high rank—to the knowledge of the Essence of Oneness and the pleasure of Ahura Mazda, and the duties of completing perfections, advancements, and the good qualities of humanity (ibid: 16); in all these phrases and the translation of other phrases from the Gathas, the presence of Islamic belief terminology is evident, and this part of the book can be considered a monotheistic reinterpretation of Zoroaster's teachings.
(
, 
, 
)
