AHC: Christian Iran

Christianity was quite popular among the Iranian lower classes (and even some sympathisers in the nobility), particularly in its political and economic heartlands in Mesopotamia. Sassanid rulers were generally quite happy to give it patronage, particularly the Nestorians who were disconnected from Rome who regarded them as heretics, and there were plenty of Sassanid Shahs who were very sympathetic to it and may have even been crypto-Christians. If the Arab conquests are prevented somehow, either by giving the Iranians a stronger position or butterflying the population boom in the penninsula that preceded it, then it's likely that a later Shah might embrace Christianity openly further down the line, probably some form of Nestorianism so they can keep up the pissing contest with Rome.
Mesopotamia was predominantly Semitic (Aramean and Arabic) not Iranian, Christian presence beyond the Zagros wasn't very significant beyond some trading communities in Sogdiana, the Iranian plateau being predominantly Mazdean with Hindu-Buddhistic communities in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Conversion of a Sasanian Shah is very unlikely in how the Empire was structured and legitimized by the Orthodox Zoroastrian religion, a situation similar to France under the Wars of Religion, even though Henry of Navarre "won" Paris was worth a mass in the end, any Shahanshah that is Christian or sympathetic to it will conform to the traditional faith the wurzugan expect him to be, or else he'll meet the same fate as Yazdegerd I.
An alternative would the Sasanians being deposed by Christian noble family, but that is more complicated than you may think, Bahram Chobin and the civil wars of the 620s shows that while the Parthian dynasties were okay in working together to rein the royal power of the Sasanians, they weren't so supportive when one of them was suddenly in charge, Bahram Chobin's propaganda of restoring the Arsacid dynasty and about Pahlav brotherhood flew on the heads of the Ispahbudhans and (Christian) Armenians that still fought for Khosrow anyway, without the religious legitimacy that still reigns in most of the Iranian nobility the Christian Shahanshah will need to get his support (read, troops) elsewhere, either in Rome or the Arabs, so quite a shitfest.
The easiest route for me is, imo, avoiding the Sasanians and Kerdit altogether and keeping the Arsacids in charge, although not much is know about Parthian kingship it certainly wasn't as sacral as the Sasanian one, offering the possibility of a Christian Arsacid to establish a state religion with much less fuzz.
 
Mesopotamia was predominantly Semitic (Aramean and Arabic) not Iranian, Christian presence beyond the Zagros wasn't very significant beyond some trading communities in Sogdiana, the Iranian plateau being predominantly Mazdean with Hindu-Buddhistic communities in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Conversion of a Sasanian Shah is very unlikely in how the Empire was structured and legitimized by the Orthodox Zoroastrian religion, a situation similar to France under the Wars of Religion, even though Henry of Navarre "won" Paris was worth a mass in the end, any Shahanshah that is Christian or sympathetic to it will conform to the traditional faith the wurzugan expect him to be, or else he'll meet the same fate as Yazdegerd I.
An alternative would the Sasanians being deposed by Christian noble family, but that is more complicated than you may think, Bahram Chobin and the civil wars of the 620s shows that while the Parthian dynasties were okay in working together to rein the royal power of the Sasanians, they weren't so supportive when one of them was suddenly in charge, Bahram Chobin's propaganda of restoring the Arsacid dynasty and about Pahlav brotherhood flew on the heads of the Ispahbudhans and (Christian) Armenians that still fought for Khosrow anyway, without the religious legitimacy that still reigns in most of the Iranian nobility the Christian Shahanshah will need to get his support (read, troops) elsewhere, either in Rome or the Arabs, so quite a shitfest.
The easiest route for me is, imo, avoiding the Sasanians and Kerdit altogether and keeping the Arsacids in charge, although not much is know about Parthian kingship it certainly wasn't as sacral as the Sasanian one, offering the possibility of a Christian Arsacid to establish a state religion with much less fuzz.
True Mesopotamia wasn't in Iran proper but it was the political and economic centre of the Empire (which is why losing it during the opening stages of the Arab conquest effectively doomed them). If Christianity continues to grow in Mesopotamia it could create a strong base of support and lobby for a Christian Shah. There's also no reason why said Christian Shah wouldn't be able to draw on support from Rome, after all the Iranians and Romans frequently interfered in each others succession struggles and plenty of leaders on both sides were installed with support from the other.

I am also aware of how central Zoroastrianism was to political authority in Sassanid Iran but at the same time it wasn't as though the relations between the crown and clergy were 100% harmonious. Many Shahs clashed with the priesthood and several of them were happy to use other religions to undercut the influence of the Mobeds, such as Shapur I's patronage of Mani and Kavad's support of Mazdak. Those Shahs ultimately failed but it could still be possible that a later Shah succeeds and uses Christianity to eliminate a troublesome institution with one more loyal to himself. Paris may well have been worth a Mass for Henry of Navarre but for Henry Tudor it was worth creating a new church under him.

So a Sassanid conversion is still possible, although I will admit that it would probably be easier under a continuing Arsacid dynasty.
 
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