The Tatas, Freddie Mercury & Other Bawas: An Intimate History Of The Parsis (Hindi)

The number of Parsis in our society is rapidly declining. Only about 50,000 members of this community remain in India. But since their arrival from Central Asia between the eighth and tenth centuries, the Parsis contribution to their adopted country has been extraordinary. Indias history over the past century is replete with their contributions in every field, from nuclear physics to rock and roll, from names like Dadabhai Naoroji, to Dinshaw Petit, Homi Bhabha, Sam Manekshaw, Jamsetji Tata, Ardeshir Godrej, Cyrus Poonawalla, Zubin Mehta, and Farrokh Balsara (aka Freddie Mercury). In this fascinating, accessible, and intimate history of the Parsis, senior journalist and columnist Coomi Kapoor, herself a Parsi, traces the continued success of this small but extraordinary minority community through names, stories, and achievements. She delves deeply into the issues of what it means to be a Parsi in India and how their contributions have become an integral part of being Indian. In Kapoors hands, the story of the Parsis becomes a thrilling adventure filled with events: from dominating trade with China to becoming synonymous with Bombay, a city once arguably defined by its Parsis; from the commercial success of the Tatas, Mistrys, Godrejs, and Wadias to current contributions like the production of COVID-19 vaccines by the Serum Institute of India, founded by a Parsi.