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How did the meaning of asura develop differently in ancient India and Iran?

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religious sites of ancient Indo-Iranian peoples — ancient Iranian religion Significant religious sites and sites containing religious artifacts of ancient Indo-Iranian peoples, including those of peoples of adjacent areas and modern Zoroastrians.

In the ancient Indo-Iranian tradition, the term asura (or ahura) originally referred to a special class of celestial beings endowed with occult powers. However, the term evolved in divergent directions within the religious frameworks of India and Iran.1

In ancient India, the meaning of asura underwent a significant shift. While early Vedic texts used the term to denote divine leaders, it gradually came to signify a class of demons or titans who were the enemies of the gods, or devas. This transition, which was largely established by the time of the Atharva Veda and the Brahmanas, was driven by the perceived baleful aspects of the asura’s invisible power.21

Conversely, in ancient Iran, the evolution favored the ahuras. In Zoroastrianism, the ahuras were extolled, with Ahura Mazda emerging as the supreme god and creator of the cosmic order. In this context, the daevas (the Iranian equivalent of the Indian devas) were demoted and reduced to the rank of demons, effectively reversing the roles found in the Indian tradition.31