A dastur ( ), sometimes spelt dustoor, is a term for a

Zoroastrian Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, Zoroaster ( ). Among the wo ...

high priest who has authority in religious matters and ranks higher than a

mobad A mobed, mowbed, or mobad (Middle Persian: 𐭬𐭢𐭥𐭯𐭲) is a Zoroastrian cleric of a particular rank. Unlike a '' herbad'' (''ervad''), a ''mobed'' is qualified to serve as celebrant priest at the Yasna ceremony and other higher liturgi ...

or herbad. In this specific sense, the term is used mostly among the

Parsis The Parsis or Parsees () are a Zoroastrian ethnic group in the Indian subcontinent. They are descended from Persian refugees who migrated to the Indian subcontinent during and after the Arab-Islamic conquest of Iran in the 7th century, w ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. The term has also been used in a secular sense to refer to a prime minister, minister or government councillor. The first person to be accorded the title Dastur was Meherji Rana (born 1514 at

Navsari Navsari is the ninth biggest city in the state of Gujarat in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Navsari District. Navsari is between Surat and Mumbai. It is a twin city of Surat, 37 km to the north. At the 2011 Census of Ind ...

). He was invited by

Akbar Akbar (Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, – ), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expa ...

to his court in 1578 AD. He was accorded the title in 1579 AD by the local Zoroastrian priests thus establishing a seat (Gaddi, similar to the seat of a Bhattaraka or

Sankaracharya Shankaracharya (, , "Adi Shankara, Shankara-''acharya''") is a religious title used by the heads of amnaya monasteries called mathas in the Advaita Vedanta tradition of Hinduism. The title derives from Adi Shankara; teachers from the successive ...

). Dastur Kaikhushru Cowasji Ravji became the eighteenth successor to the seat and title of Meherji Rana in 2019.Er. Kaikhushru Cowasji Ravji Annointed As 18th Meherjirana Gaadi Heir, Parsi Times June 10, 2019
/ref> He became a Mobed 59 years earlier.

References

Sources

*Boyce, Mary (2001). ''Zoroastrians, Their Religious Beliefs and Practices''. London: Routledge Zoroastrian rituals Zoroastrianism in Iran Zoroastrianism in India Parsi people Dastur Persian words and phrases {{Zoroastrianism-stub