The Iranis are an ethno-religious community in South Asia; descendants of Zoroastrians who emigrated from Greater Iran (in the main from central Iran) to the South Asia within the last few centuries. They are culturally, linguistically and socially distinct from the Parsis, who - although also Zoroastrians - arrived on the subcontinent over 1000 years ago. The Parsis and Iranis may also be considered legally distinct. This is based in part on a 1909 obiter dictum that, among many other issues relating to the Indian Zoroastrians, also observed that Iranis (of the now defunct Bombay Presidency) were not obliged to uphold the decisions of the then-regulatory Parsi Panchayat.