AHC: Zoroastrian Russia

Your challenge, should you accept, is to find a PoD that will lead to a scenario where there is a Russ state (Or multiple Russ states) in which Zoroastrianism is practiced by the nobility and majority of the population. Also note the no PoDs before 247 BC. Bonus points for PoDs after 224 AD. Extra Bonus points for a PoD after the conquest of Iran by the Rashidun Caliphate.
 
Large numbers of Iranians refugees flee north from Iran after a messier conquest by the Caliphate. These Iranian tribes, bringing with them Zoroastrianism, convert some of the Turkic tribes of the North Caucasus. Meanwhile, the Caliphate, now the Ummayad Caliphate, has just sacked Constantinople and collapsed the Eastern Roman Empire. Within a few years however, a civil war caused by the death of the powerful and popular Caliph will cause a long period of turmoil and weakness in the Islamic Ummah, allowing the consolidation of Christianity in the southern Balkans, specifically the emergence of a strong, Byzantine-influenced Bulgarian state that will eventually retake the Bosporus and Constantinople.

In the Caucasus, the Zoroastrian *Khazarite is powerful, and has converted the majority of the local population away from Tengriism. However, a new Rus-dominated state, ruled from Kiev, is gaining in power. This Kievan Rus state will eventually conquer Khazaria. However, the pagan Rus, seeing the need to gain legitimacy with its new population, will convert to Zoroastrianism. This will lead to the dominance of Zoroastrianism among the Rus as their primary faith,
 
In the Caucasus, the Zoroastrian *Khazarite is powerful, and has converted the majority of the local population away from Tengriism. However, a new Rus-dominated state, ruled from Kiev, is gaining in power. This Kievan Rus state will eventually conquer Khazaria. However, the pagan Rus, seeing the need to gain legitimacy with its new population, will convert to Zoroastrianism. This will lead to the dominance of Zoroastrianism among the Rus as their primary faith,

1. Judaism was adopted by Khazaria because it wasn't Christian or Muslim, so Zoroastrianism could work as well (though it is somewhat ethnocentric, but so was Judaism).

2. Rus (and pre-Rus Slavs) would have had extensive contacts with both Iranophone and (presumably convert) Turcophone semi-nomads, so that's a plus.

Now problems:

1. Volga Bulgaria. Cannot adopt Islam (to counter Khazaria)

2. Many religions did well on the Steppe for a while. Manichean, Nestorian, later Muslim and Buddhist. Zoroastrianism was limited mostly to settled Persians. There must be some kind of reason for that and it needs to be addressed.

Good news is, Caucasus transmission does not need nomads at all, and there were some Zoroastrian mini-principalities there as late as the 11th c.
 
Large numbers of Iranians refugees flee north from Iran after a messier conquest by the Caliphate. These Iranian tribes, bringing with them Zoroastrianism, convert some of the Turkic tribes of the North Caucasus. Meanwhile, the Caliphate, now the Ummayad Caliphate, has just sacked Constantinople and collapsed the Eastern Roman Empire. Within a few years however, a civil war caused by the death of the powerful and popular Caliph will cause a long period of turmoil and weakness in the Islamic Ummah, allowing the consolidation of Christianity in the southern Balkans, specifically the emergence of a strong, Byzantine-influenced Bulgarian state that will eventually retake the Bosporus and Constantinople.

In the Caucasus, the Zoroastrian *Khazarite is powerful, and has converted the majority of the local population away from Tengriism. However, a new Rus-dominated state, ruled from Kiev, is gaining in power. This Kievan Rus state will eventually conquer Khazaria. However, the pagan Rus, seeing the need to gain legitimacy with its new population, will convert to Zoroastrianism. This will lead to the dominance of Zoroastrianism among the Rus as their primary faith,

But wasn't Zoroastrianism already in decline by the time of the last Byzantine-Sassanid war?
 
Then again, Judaism wasn't exactly dominant when Bulan adopted it. It's unlikely but possible.

True, but it means that when the Zoroastrians evacuate they wont really dominate the Caucusus on sheer numbers alone, its going to require at least a couple of tribes converting.
 
True, but it means that when the Zoroastrians evacuate they wont really dominate the Caucusus on sheer numbers alone, its going to require at least a couple of tribes converting.

Granted, it was there in large numbers alongside Christianity (of the Armenian and Greek kinds), but then the 8th c. Ghazis came into Daghestan and shifted the balance dramatically. So any POD would have to be very early and could butterfly "Rus" altogether (though an enduring Slavic state/s in the area is almost guaranteed by the 8th c. too).
 
Didn't the Khazars adopt Judaism to normalize the relations with the Muslim and Christian neighbors of Khazaria. A religion that wasn't Christianity or Islam, but one which the Muslims and Christians could respect.
 
Didn't the Khazars adopt Judaism to normalize the relations with the Muslim and Christian neighbors of Khazaria. A religion that wasn't Christianity or Islam, but one which the Muslims and Christians could respect.

Well Judaism is considered a forerunner in both Islam and Christianity, but I think Zoroastrianism can work just as well in the right situation.
 
Could Zoroastrianism also be expanded to other Slavic tribes? I'm just wondering if there could be a synchronization of Slavic, Turkic and Iranic cultures at some point.
 
Could Zoroastrianism also be expanded to other Slavic tribes? I'm just wondering if there could be a synchronization of Slavic, Turkic and Iranic cultures at some point.

That's pretty much what I was thinking. Basically, without a strong Eastern Roman Empire to support the spread of Orthodox Christianity, and with a powerful Zoroastrian state in what was Khazaria in OTL (caused by a synthesis of the government structures of the Persian exile elite and the military strength of the converted and absorbed Turkic tribes), Zoroastrianism might develop a less Persia-centric theology and thus be more open to proselytization. This might lead to the spread of Zoroastrianism to sizeable parts of the regional pagan elite, who would be converted by advancing Persio-Turkic armies. Even once this state collapses, without a rival religious force, the entrenchment of Zoroastrianism as the court religion of the Slavic, Nordic and Turkic ruling classes of Eastern Europe and Central Asia could be complete.
 
That's pretty much what I was thinking. Basically, without a strong Eastern Roman Empire to support the spread of Orthodox Christianity, and with a powerful Zoroastrian state in what was Khazaria in OTL (caused by a synthesis of the government structures of the Persian exile elite and the military strength of the converted and absorbed Turkic tribes), Zoroastrianism might develop a less Persia-centric theology and thus be more open to proselytization. This might lead to the spread of Zoroastrianism to sizeable parts of the regional pagan elite, who would be converted by advancing Persio-Turkic armies. Even once this state collapses, without a rival religious force, the entrenchment of Zoroastrianism as the court religion of the Slavic, Nordic and Turkic ruling classes of Eastern Europe and Central Asia could be complete.

What about the Alanic peoples that inhabited the Caucasus? Could they have a chance at becoming Zoroastrian?
 
What about the Alanic peoples that inhabited the Caucasus? Could they have a chance at becoming Zoroastrian?

In a TL written about this, they would be the first converts. The Persian migration would start with the conquest of Alania and the absorption of their elites. The key would be making acceptance and status within the new order as contingent on speaking Persian (not hard, I'd imagine most people in the broader region would speak such a major trading language) and converting to Zoroastrianism. With a base among the Alans, the Persian exiles would continue to expand north through the Caucasus.

Another option could be the Alans being the Persians' version of Amalek; they attack the Persian exiles as they flee through the Caucasus. The Alans might end up converting to Islam as the Turko-Persian hybrid state would try to exact vengeance on the Alans.
 
In a TL written about this, they would be the first converts. The Persian migration would start with the conquest of Alania and the absorption of their elites. The key would be making acceptance and status within the new order as contingent on speaking Persian (not hard, I'd imagine most people in the broader region would speak such a major trading language) and converting to Zoroastrianism. With a base among the Alans, the Persian exiles would continue to expand north through the Caucasus.

Another option could be the Alans being the Persians' version of Amalek; they attack the Persian exiles as they flee through the Caucasus. The Alans might end up converting to Islam as the Turko-Persian hybrid state would try to exact vengeance on the Alans.

I'm also planning on writing a TL about an Alanwank, although that might change.
 
Zoroastrianism has never been much of an evangelical religion though…

Well maybe not the Parsee's (Considering how the got ousted from their homeland and became distrustful outsiders), but back in their heyday they definitely were.
 
Could the Alans end up taking the role of the Khazars IOTL? As in, forming a huge Iranic based empire in the steppe, converting to Zoroastrianism and interact with later Slavic kingdoms? Now that would have been a nice scenario, although I don't know what would happen to say, the Cumans if the Alans remain dominant.
 
One way you could do it is somehow have the Eastern Roman Empire collapse before the Western Empire. Say if Attila never goes West and conquers Constantinople, the chaos could lead to Zorastrian Persia ruling Anatolia for a substantial period of time.

The way I see it with so many Orthodox and Nestorian subjects the Persians would have to make some kind of compromise with one of those groups. Likely they would compromise with the Nestorians which always looked more to the Eastern world than Rome. I also see such a Persia needing to secure the Northern shore of the Black Sea, after all they wouldn't want another Nomadic people's invading like the Huns did. Perhaps by the time the Slavs start to boom they are converted by a Semi-Christianized form of Zorastrianism.
 
Attila conquering Constantinople is easy, if the earthquake damaged the walls more thoroughly. Wouldn't Persia end up becoming the dominant Eurasian power in this case?
 
Attila conquering Constantinople is easy, if the earthquake damaged the walls more thoroughly. Wouldn't Persia end up becoming the dominant Eurasian power in this case?

Yeah a world without Constantinople as the key to the East for Europe would be very interesting. I would wager that the Ostrogoths or other Barbarians would set up a Barbarian State over European Byzantium while the Persians would come to dominate Asia.

With that kind of huge POD, just about anything could happen: Vandals in Egypt, Christian Arabia, and of course Zorastrian Russia.
 
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