India has a long history with Iran, and in particular with a group of people called the Parsis. Zoroastrians, who fled from persecution in their native Persia, the Parsis arrived in India some time around the 10th century. They would go on to become favored subjects under British rule, especially flourishing in the rapidly proliferating customs houses of the era. When the British East India Company established their first port in the deep harbor off the coast of Mumbai, an influx of Parsis followed, turning the city into a kind of cultural headquarters. Today Mumbai maintains the largest population of Parsis in the world. Known for their philanthropy—“Parsi, thy name is charity,” the saying goes—the Parsis are a well-respected group of people and an important part of Indian society. Plus they gave the world Freddy Mercury, which—well, enough said.    
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