AHC/WI: Buddhist Persia

Inspired by a thread on a similar topic...

The Wikipedia article on Buddhism in Iran suggests that, even with persecution from the Persian government, Buddhism was fairly widespread in Central Asia and within Persia itself before the spread of Islam. So, what would be the best point of divergence to make Buddhism the official and/or majority religion in the empire? What would the local variety of Buddhism look like in such a scenario, especially considering the Abrahamic and Zoroastrian influences in the region? How would a Buddhist Persia interact with the Roman Empire, especially if Rome still adopts Christianity? What about the relationship between Persia and other nearby powers?
 

Anawrahta

Banned
It would need to convert the Parthians by the kushans. Quite plausible since a parthian first brought buddhism to china. It's one of those puzzling things that could have easily happened but it didn't, with the most important details now in obscurity. Perhaps more energetic promotion of buddhism by kushans, greco-bactrians, mauryans, satvahana? parthians more receptive? No christianity perhaps?
 

Anawrahta

Banned
If the parthians are adopting buddhism, it would parthians and hellenistic peoples converting to a form of mahayana buddhism. Pars being a centre of zoroastrianism would be hostile to buddhism and persians wouldn't convert. Or perhaps the seleucids convert instead to a form of early buddhism. It could spread to the Mediterannean through the greek and aramaic language.
 
Kavadh I takes ill during the siege of Amida and dies. The Iranian nobility places Jamasp back on the throne, and they refuse to pay the money that Kavadh had promised the Hephthalites, resulting in an invasion that is initially to loot Persia but turns into something more long lasting when the Hephthalites outright conquer the Sassanian Empire.
 
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