Directory_and_Chronicle_1845 — Page 793

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PARSEE CHRONOLOGY.

The æra adopted by the Parsees is called the Æra 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 calculating this æra adopted by the Parsees, which differ only in one month; the Kudmees reckon time as given in the first column in this Calendar, the Rusmees or Shenshai date it one month later as given in the second column, commencing their year September 27th. The inter- calation 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, introduced by and adopt- ed 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 honooud, beejmo ovstvoud, teejow uppuntomud, chotho vough khustuther, and packmor vestøyest. · The year A. D. 151 corresponds to the year 1220 of this æra, euding August 27th,.or September 26th, when the year 1221

commences.

The lunar year commencing App is the 1213th of the civil era of the Siamese and Burmese, and that beginning May 30th, is the 4394d of their religious year, computed from the death of Budha. The Japanese, Coreans, and Cochinchinese follow the Chinese