- 182 - Bi-Annual Research Journal “BALOCHISTAN REVIEW” ISSN 1810-2174 Balochistan Study Centre, University of Balochistan, Quetta (Pakistan) VOL. XLIX, NO.1, 2022 Balochistan: The Ancient Hub of Zoroastrianism (A case study of Zoroastrian monuments in Balochistan) Manzoor Ahmed 1 & Muhammad Iqbal 2 Abstract: Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan. It shares its boundaries with Iran, Afghanistan and with other provinces of Pakistan. The territory of Balochistan has a great importance in history. Different rulers came over here and ruled the area. Especially the Iranian rulers ruled over here and spent a great time. With conquer of Persian rulers the Zoroastrianism accompanied. The traces of Zoroastrianism are found from different areas of Balochistan. This study will help to mention the Zoroastrian monuments in different areas of Balochistan. However, this study would be of worth pointing out the Zoroastrian remains of Balochistan. Introduction: A Historical background of Balochistan Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan covering 3, 47,000 sq.km of Pakistan’s total territory with 5% of its total population. The researches show that this province has a great importance in history. The archaeological evidences show that its history goes back to 8th millennium B.C.E. It has northern and north-eastern boundary with Afghanistan and Khyber Pakhtoon Khua, its eastern frontier being bordered with Sindh and Punjab, and its western border is connected to Iran, while the Arabian Sea washes its southern base for a distance of nearly six hundred miles (Hughes 1977:2). It is ethnically diverse and is home to many religious minorities, including Sikhs, Hindus, Zoroastrians (also known as Parsees), and a diverse array of Sunni sectarian adherents, as well as Shia (Yusufzai, 2011). The strategic location of Balochistan is believed to be a gateway for the East and West. The ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia, Indus and Egypt had trade links with this land (Pakistan Census, 1998a). 1 M. Phil. Scholar Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 2 PhD Scholar University of Peshawar