DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22900#0140
98
HISTOR Y OF THE PARSIS.
[CHAP. III.
tion the numbers of the sexes were still more equal,
the proportion of males to females being 102 to 100.
As we have said before, the bulk of the Parsi
population dwells in the city of Bombay ; and we find,
moreover, that the Parsi population is more essen-
tially native to Bombay than any other class in
that city can be said to be. According to the last
census seventy per cent of the Zoroastrian population
of Bombay were born within the city, while twenty-
two per cent came from the old home in Surat, and
the rest from other parts of India.
The Bombay census report of 1881 shows the
occupations followed by the Parsis, and we draw from
it the following particulars, which may be instructive.
There were in that year 855 priests and persons offi-
ciating in religious buildings. The Parsis are well
represented as the educators of youth—141 out of a
total of 951 schoolmasters, and 34 out of a total of
165 ladies (60 being Europeans and 44 native Chris-
tians) were Parsis ; 33 Zoroastrians returned them-
selves as civil engineers, the total number of civil
engineers being 84. In business pursuits we find a
much larger number of Parsis; 1,384 were enumer-
ated as ordinary clerks, and 115 as office managers or
as connected with offices. The early enterprise and
capacity of the Parsi j>eople in the industry of ship-
building will be referred to in another chapter, and in
the census we find that at the present day, out of 46
HISTOR Y OF THE PARSIS.
[CHAP. III.
tion the numbers of the sexes were still more equal,
the proportion of males to females being 102 to 100.
As we have said before, the bulk of the Parsi
population dwells in the city of Bombay ; and we find,
moreover, that the Parsi population is more essen-
tially native to Bombay than any other class in
that city can be said to be. According to the last
census seventy per cent of the Zoroastrian population
of Bombay were born within the city, while twenty-
two per cent came from the old home in Surat, and
the rest from other parts of India.
The Bombay census report of 1881 shows the
occupations followed by the Parsis, and we draw from
it the following particulars, which may be instructive.
There were in that year 855 priests and persons offi-
ciating in religious buildings. The Parsis are well
represented as the educators of youth—141 out of a
total of 951 schoolmasters, and 34 out of a total of
165 ladies (60 being Europeans and 44 native Chris-
tians) were Parsis ; 33 Zoroastrians returned them-
selves as civil engineers, the total number of civil
engineers being 84. In business pursuits we find a
much larger number of Parsis; 1,384 were enumer-
ated as ordinary clerks, and 115 as office managers or
as connected with offices. The early enterprise and
capacity of the Parsi j>eople in the industry of ship-
building will be referred to in another chapter, and in
the census we find that at the present day, out of 46