Directory_and_Chronicle_1845 — Page 493

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PARSEE CHRONOLOGY.

The æra adopted by the Parsee is called the Era of Yezdejerd, and commences a. D. 632, the year of the accession of Yezdejerd III. to the throne of Persia, and the same in which that kingdom was attacked by the Arabs: the Sassanian dynasty terminated by the successive defeats of this monarch in 636, and afterwards in 641, and his expulsion from the country. There are two modes of cal- culating this æra adopted by the Parsees, which differ only in one month; the Kudmees reckon time as in this Calendar, the Rusmees date it one month later, commencing their year September 25th. The intercalation of five days at the end of the 12 months of 30 days to complete the year of 365 days is a very ancient mode, intro- duced by and adopted from the Chaldeans, by the Persians, Medes, Egyptians, Grecians, Romans, and Mexicans, among all of whom they were observed with mirth and feasting. They are collectively called Gawthaws by the Parsees, but each one has its own name, as pellow honoond, beejow oostooud, teejow suppuntomud, chotho vough khustuther, and pachmor vestoyest. By rejecting the six hours over the 365 days, there is an error in the era of Yezdejerd of 3044 days, or more than ten months since its adoption.

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The year A. D. 1849 corresponds to the year 1218 of this æra, ending August 27th, when the year 1219 commences.

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