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Jadi Rana or Jadav Rana is a figure from the Qissa-i Sanjan
Qissa-i Sanjan

The Story of Sanjan is an account of the early years of Zoroastrianism settlers on the Indian subcontinent. In the absence of alternatives, the text is generally accepted to be the only narrative of the events described therein, and many members of the Parsi community perceive the epic poem to be an accurate account of their ancestors....
, an epic poem completed in 1599, which is an account of the flight of some of the Zoroastrians who were subject to religious persecution following the fall of the Persian Empire
Persian Empire

The 'Persian Empire' was a series of successive Iranian or Persianization empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland, and beyond in Southwest Asia, South Asia, Central Asia and the Caucasus....
, and of their early years in India, where they found refuge. A 20th century translation of the Qissa transliterates the name as Jádi Rana.

Whether the Jadi Rana of the epic was also a historical figure has not been conclusively established.






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Jadi Rana or Jadav Rana is a figure from the Qissa-i Sanjan
Qissa-i Sanjan

The Story of Sanjan is an account of the early years of Zoroastrianism settlers on the Indian subcontinent. In the absence of alternatives, the text is generally accepted to be the only narrative of the events described therein, and many members of the Parsi community perceive the epic poem to be an accurate account of their ancestors....
, an epic poem completed in 1599, which is an account of the flight of some of the Zoroastrians who were subject to religious persecution following the fall of the Persian Empire
Persian Empire

The 'Persian Empire' was a series of successive Iranian or Persianization empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland, and beyond in Southwest Asia, South Asia, Central Asia and the Caucasus....
, and of their early years in India, where they found refuge. A 20th century translation of the Qissa transliterates the name as Jádi Rana.

Whether the Jadi Rana of the epic was also a historical figure has not been conclusively established. The dates of his reign - estimates which are based on the Qissa - vary between the 8th century and 10th century AD. Jadi Rana, who the Qissa simply states as having been a Hindu king in what in now the India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
n state of Gujarat
Gujarat

Gujarat is a States and territories of India in western India. Gujarat borders Pakistan to the north west and the state of Rajasthan to the north and northeast, Madhya Pradesh to the east, Maharashtra and the Union territory of Diu, Daman District, India, Dadra and Nagar Haveli to the south....
, is thought to have been a ruler belonging to one of the Rajput clans
Rajput clans

The Rajputs are a community of Hindus belonging to the Kshatriya or warrior Varna in Hinduism. Apart from being an important factor in the social life of the rajputs themselves, their clan system is also of interest for certain other reasons: land tenure studies in the Indian state of Rajasthan and tracing of ancient population shifts are only two...
 which ruled that region in that era.

Jadi Rana in the Qissa-i Sanjan

According to the Qissa, Jadi Rana had a reputation for fairness that preceded him, which prompted some of the Zoroastrians
Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster, after whom the religion is named. The term Zoroastrianism is in general usage, essentially synonymous with Mazdaism, i.e., the worship of Ahura Mazda, exalted by Zoroaster as the supreme divine authority....
 who were fleeing religious persecution to seek asylum in his kingdom.

Jadi Rana asked them to explain their religious beliefs and customs, which they did. Satisfied with their explanation, he granted their request for asylum provided they adopt the local language (Gujarati
Gujarati language

Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan languages, and part of the greater Indo-European languages language family. It is native to the Indian state of Gujarat, and is its chief language, as well as of the adjacent union territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli....
); that their women adopt local dress (the Sari
Sari

A sari or saree or shari is a female garment in the Indian subcontinent. A sari is a strip of unstitched cloth, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles....
); and that they henceforth cease to bear arms. The refugees accepted the conditions and founded the settlement of Sanjan
Sanjan (Gujarat)

Sanjan is the second station in Gujarat just inside the Gujarat-Maharashtra border, when travelling on the Western Railway line. Sanjan is in the Valsad district....
 (cf: Sanjan
Sanjan (Khorasan)

Sanjan is an ancient city on the southern edge of the Karakum Desert, in the vicinity of the historically eminent oasis-city of Merv. Topographically, Sanjan is located in the Greater Khorasan region of Central Asia....
 in Greater Khorasan
Greater Khorasan

Greater Khorasan is a modern term for a geographic region spanning north-eastern Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and north-western Afghanistan....
).

A short while later (the Qissa does not say how long), these Zoroastrians would request and receive permission from the king to establish a Fire Temple
Fire temple

A Zoroastrian Fire Temple is a place of worship for Zoroastrianism.Although Zoroastrians revere fire in any form, the temple fire is not literally for the reverence of fire: In the Zoroastrian religion, fire , together with clean water , is an agent of ritual purity....
 there. That fire, which would be moved to Udvada
Udvada

Udvada is a town in Gujarat, renowned for its Zoroastrianism Atash Bahram fire temple. This place of worship is the oldest still-functioning example of its kind, and has established Udvada as a pilgrimage center for Zoroastrians the world over....
 in the 18th century, is today considered to be the most important of its kind on the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent

The Indian subcontinent is a large section of the Asian continent consisting of the land lying substantially on the Indian Plate. The subcontinent includes parts of various countries in South Asia, including those on the continental crust , an Island#Continental islands country on the continental shelf , and an Island#Oceanic islands countr...
.

Jadi Rana in Parsi legend

The Zoroastrians of the Qissa are believed to have been the ancestors of some members of the present-day Parsi community of the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent

The Indian subcontinent is a large section of the Asian continent consisting of the land lying substantially on the Indian Plate. The subcontinent includes parts of various countries in South Asia, including those on the continental crust , an Island#Continental islands country on the continental shelf , and an Island#Oceanic islands countr...
. Many Parsis consider the Qissa to be a factual account, and there are several ancillary Parsi legends in which Jadi Rana plays an important role. The origin and age of these legends is unknown, and they continue to be popular among Parsis.

Jadi Rana's enquiry into Zoroastrian beliefs and customs is said to have been satisfied by the recitation of fifteen Sanskrit
Sanskrit

Sanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India....
 verses (Shloka) that summarized the most important tenets of Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster, after whom the religion is named. The term Zoroastrianism is in general usage, essentially synonymous with Mazdaism, i.e., the worship of Ahura Mazda, exalted by Zoroaster as the supreme divine authority....
. These fifteen verses, together with another verse that is believed to have been the king's response to them, are collectively known to the Parsis as the "Sixteen Shloka".

"Like sugar in milk"

One interesting, perhaps apocryphal Parsi legend relates the course of the initial meeting between Jadi Rana and the newly landed emigrants: When the Zoroastrians requested asylum, Jadi Rana motioned to a vessel of milk filled to the very brim to signify that his kingdom was already full and could not accept refugees. In response, one of the Zoroastrian priests added a pinch of sugar to the milk, thus indicating that they would not bring the vessel to overflowing and indeed make the lives of the citizens sweeter. Jadi Rana gave shelter to the emigrants and permitted them to practice their religion and traditions freely.

See also

  • Qissa-i Sanjan
    Qissa-i Sanjan

    The Story of Sanjan is an account of the early years of Zoroastrianism settlers on the Indian subcontinent. In the absence of alternatives, the text is generally accepted to be the only narrative of the events described therein, and many members of the Parsi community perceive the epic poem to be an accurate account of their ancestors....
    , the 'Story of Sanjan'.
  • Rajputs
  • History of Gujarat
    History of Gujarat

    Situated on the western coast of India, the name of the state is derived from Gujjaratta , which means the land of the Gujjars . It is believed that a tribe of Gujjars migrated to India around the 5th century....


External links

  • An article titled "The Sixteen Shloka", including an English language translation of the verses, was published in the Dastur Hoshang Memorial Volume (Bombay, 1918). The assertion that the verses were recited for Jadi Rana at the first meeting is not verifyable.