now
the true state of their subjects, and we hope our countrymen will
comprehend the honour that will be reflected on them by their efforts
to relieve the miseries of our brethren in Iran."

It was in 1854 that the first emissary from Bombay to the Zoroastrians
in Persia was sent; and from that time, thanks to the Persian
Zoroastrian Amelioration Fund, they seriously began to consider
the means of aiding them. The trustees delegated Mr. Maneckji Limji
Antaria, who was to utilise his great experience and his devotion
in the accomplishment of the task he had accepted. He started (March
31st) with instructions from the committee to open an inquiry and to
send in a report. Very soon the most pathetic details came to excite
the charitable zeal of the Parsis of Bombay. A meeting was called on
January 11, 1855, under the presidency of the late Maneckji Nasarwanji
Petit (Parsee Prakash, pp. 654 et seq.) to consider the resolutions
to be adopted on the report of Mr. M. L. Antaria. [57]

Before taking in hand all the evils set forth it appeared specially
important to direct all their efforts towards the abolition of
the "Jazia," the chief cause of the complaints and miseries of
the tax-payers. These efforts relaxed neither with time nor with
obstacles, and after a campaign which lasted from 1857 to 1882 [58]
the desired abolition was finally obtained. During this period of
twenty-five long years all suitable means were taken to secure the
success of the object aimed at. Thus Mr. M. L. Antaria profited by
the kindly disposition of Sir Henry Rawlinson, the English Ambassador
at the Court of Teheran, to get himself presented to the Shah and
to lay before him a touching picture of the miseries suffered by
his Zoroastrian subjects of Kirman. At the end of the audience he
succeeded in obtaining a reduction of 100 tomans from the amount of
the contribution annually raised (920 tomans) in Yezd and in Kirman.

Another audience was granted by the Shah in Buckingham Palace at the
time of his voyage to England (June 24, 1873). A memorandum, drawn up
in the most flowery and courteous style, such as Oriental politeness
demands, was presented by several members of the Bombay Committee. [59]
Sir Henry Rawlinson and Mr. E. B. Eastwick supported it. In his reply
His Majesty thought fit to say that he had heard of the complaints of
his subjects, and that he would consider the means of ameliorating the
position of the Zoroastrians of Persia. But