PC: Potential Different Dynasties Taking Root in Persia Other than the Safavids

The Safavids were famous for unifying the Persian lands for the first time since the Muslim conquest and gained a reputation for converting the Persian Sunnis into Twelve House branch of Shia Islam. Furthermore, they seem to be the tolerant bunch who were probably good towards Christians, Jews and possibly many more. Although I'm not sure if it was true that the Hapsburg rulers of Europe were chummy towards them due to their hatred of the Ottoman Empire.


However, there were other potential (though existing rulers) who had existing dynasties that were present, ranging from:

- Marashiyans
- Kara Koyunlu plus other Qizilbash
- Paduspanids
- Mihrabanids
- Afrasiabs

As well as the (in)famous Timurids that also ruled Persia.

Was there any time when the Safavids could have been prevented from taking over Persia and replaced by either one of the five existing Persian domains above? Could Persia have remained a Sunni Muslim state and still maintained its connections to other Iranic groups like the Tajiks, Pashtuns, Baloch and Pamiris? Or could Persia have been united from a rather different kind of Sunni or Shia Muslim dynasty that came from the East (Afghanistan)?

Perhaps Babur goes west to Persia and not India? Also, if you want to thwart Safavid chances, kill Ismail I when he's young.

EVC said:

Perhaps Babur goes west to Persia and not India?

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A Mughal Empire that sets up shop in Persia? Appealing, though I'm not sure if a longer Timurid successor state would be in the cards though. Possible, but in order to do that, Samarqand has to be under Babur's control. There was a TL called Blood of the Khan, but I don't know if it will be continued.

MarshalBraginsky said:

A Mughal Empire that sets up shop in Persia? Appealing, though I'm not sure if a longer Timurid successor state would be in the cards though. Possible, but in order to do that, Samarqand has to be under Babur's control. There was a TL called Blood of the Khan, but I don't know if it will be continued.

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Maybe the POD would be that he somehow holds Samarkand, and I don't think that TL will be continued.

Here's the thing: the Ottomans may have been in a position to conquer Persia, but it was precisely because of their growing strength that Persia ended up as a Shia Muslim entity in the first place.

Or how about one of the Timurid states goes Shia through either the Black Sheep Turks or one of the Deccan Indian states? Actually, that might not work.

The Timurids are probably the most likely people to manage this. It was a core part of Timurs empire and the state he built could probably be maintained, although changing Timurs style of rule significantly would do a lot to prolong his empire. The man didn't administrate much past the initial looting.

eliphas8 said:

The Timurids are probably the most likely people to manage this. It was a core part of Timurs empire and the state he built could probably be maintained, although changing Timurs style of rule significantly would do a lot to prolong his empire. The man didn't administrate much past the initial looting.

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Timur was the kind of douchebag who didn't care much about ruling, just looting. Although there is a TL that I'm working on that will be posted in CF.net instead of here where the Timurids may survive (involves Abu Sa'id Mirza not getting into a war with the White Sheep Turkmen, which IOTL led to his capture and execution).

However, preserving the Timurids in Persia might keep it a Sunni state unless they get into negotations with the Qizilbash and ally with them. However, a Timurid survival might butterfly the Mughal Empire as we know it, giving some Deccan Sultanates a bigger chance to shine.

Furthermore, they seem to be the tolerant bunch who were probably good towards Christians, Jews and possibly many more.

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Not what I heard about the Safavids. In fact I thought they had a Shia Inquisition that was harsh on Persian Jews and Sunnis.

MarshalBraginsky said:

- Paduspanids

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Were the Paduspanids the ones who claimed descent from the Sassanids? If so, they could have used that as an ideological unifying force in place of Safavid Shi'ism, I'm guessing.