AHC: Zoroastrianism makes a comeback

Hello AH.com I have a challenge for you guys today. With a POD anytime after the Islamic conquest have Zoroastrianism make a comeback inside of Persia. To succeed Zoroastrianism must have a majority within modern day Iran.

Note: Having Islam become extremely influenced by Zoroastrianism counts. But only if it is influenced to the point that it becomes Zoroastrianism with some Islamic beliefs tacked on.
 
Hello AH.com I have a challenge for you guys today. With a POD anytime after the Islamic conquest have Zoroastrianism make a comeback inside of Persia. To succeed Zoroastrianism must have a majority within modern day Iran.

Note: Having Islam become extremely influenced by Zoroastrianism counts. But only if it is influenced to the point that it becomes Zoroastrianism with some Islamic beliefs tacked on.

If you believe Narshakhi's "History of Bukhara" (as referenced by Mary Boyce's Zoroastrians), Muslims often had to bribe Zoroastrians to come to Friday prayers. Zoroastrians were slowly dwindling throughout the Caliphates, but the deathblow came after Hulegu Khan invaded Khwarazm. If you make the Umayyad or early Abbasid Caliphate implode, or at least much weaker, a Zoroastrian Persia could rise again.

The Abbasid Caliphate gave plenty of incentives for Zoroastrians to convert. Muslim converts in Zoroastrian families received much greater inheritance rights. Fire temples and other sacred places were destroyed or converted into mosques, gradually uprooting the religion. Dhimmis had to show public submission before the ruler. Even with all of this happening, new Zoroastrian works like the Denkard, apocalyptic literature, and the Bundahisn were being created. The sacred fire Adur Gushnasp lasted at least until the middle of the 900s. Zoroastrianism was down, but not out.

A different Shia movement could fulfill the challenge. According to Shia legends, Husain had at least one child by a Sassanid princess. If the Shia'tul Ali gathers more followers in Persia early on, it could have more syncretism with Zoroastrianism.

Ehsan Yarshater's works such as the Cambridge History of Iran are referenced here (via footnotes from an old research project on Zoroastrianism).
 
Just a little add on to my OP.
How would history remember the ruler who restored Zoroastrian rule. Would their be any changes to Zoroastrian scripture from such an event, how would modern day zoroastrians view other religions, and how far could Zoroastrianism respread?
 
If you believe Narshakhi's "History of Bukhara" (as referenced by Mary Boyce's Zoroastrians), Muslims often had to bribe Zoroastrians to come to Friday prayers. Zoroastrians were slowly dwindling throughout the Caliphates, but the deathblow came after Hulegu Khan invaded Khwarazm. If you make the Umayyad or early Abbasid Caliphate implode, or at least much weaker, a Zoroastrian Persia could rise again.

The Abbasid Caliphate gave plenty of incentives for Zoroastrians to convert. Muslim converts in Zoroastrian families received much greater inheritance rights. Fire temples and other sacred places were destroyed or converted into mosques, gradually uprooting the religion. Dhimmis had to show public submission before the ruler. Even with all of this happening, new Zoroastrian works like the Denkard, apocalyptic literature, and the Bundahisn were being created. The sacred fire Adur Gushnasp lasted at least until the middle of the 900s. Zoroastrianism was down, but not out.

A different Shia movement could fulfill the challenge. According to Shia legends, Husain had at least one child by a Sassanid princess. If the Shia'tul Ali gathers more followers in Persia early on, it could have more syncretism with Zoroastrianism.

Ehsan Yarshater's works such as the Cambridge History of Iran are referenced here (via footnotes from an old research project on Zoroastrianism).

Iranian Shias consider Zoroaster to be a prophet, and the Gathas to be divinely revealed.
 
Do you have a source on this? I'm curious. I haven't seen anything about Shias definitely considering Zoroaster a prophet. . .

I know Ayatollah Sistani ruled he was a prophet, but his webpage on the issue seems to be down. Everytime i do a google search on shia and zoroaster all i get is wahhabi pages stating shias are infidels and crypto-zoroastrians.
 
If you believe Narshakhi's "History of Bukhara" (as referenced by Mary Boyce's Zoroastrians), Muslims often had to bribe Zoroastrians to come to Friday prayers. Zoroastrians were slowly dwindling throughout the Caliphates, but the deathblow came after Hulegu Khan invaded Khwarazm...
I am not sure about Hulagu Khan being a death blow to Zoroastrianism of Iran. The Il-Khans before they themselves converted to Islam tried to support all non-Islam religions of this domain. So the Christians, Jews and others were MUCH better treated than the Muslims.
If there had been any noticeable proportion of Zoroastrians in Iran they would have received support and encouragement from the non-Muslim Mongols.
But I've never heard about it.
Which makes me think that Zoroastrianism in Iran became extremely insignificant before the Mongol conquest and there was no hope to revive it.
So if you need a POD that must be earlier.
 
I am not sure about Hulagu Khan being a death blow to Zoroastrianism of Iran. The Il-Khans before they themselves converted to Islam tried to support all non-Islam religions of this domain. So the Christians, Jews and others were MUCH better treated than the Muslims.
If there had been any noticeable proportion of Zoroastrians in Iran they would have received support and encouragement from the non-Muslim Mongols.
But I've never heard about it.
Which makes me think that Zoroastrianism in Iran became extremely insignificant before the Mongol conquest and there was no hope to revive it.
So if you need a POD that must be earlier.

Possibly. It's not so much persecution after the conquest as the vast number of people killed in the conquest of Persia is the reason why many people think the Mongols finished off the Zoroastrians. I suggested a weak early Abbasid Caliphate as the latest reasonable POD to revive Zoroastrianism.
 
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