Best case scenario for Iran?

Nader Shah is not assassinated and Persia becomes real power with surviving Afsharid Dynasty. If just they play cards correctly Persia might modernise and become true great power at least in Middle East.
 

Skallagrim

Banned
That's a pretty broad question. As a general rule, it would be hard to say what any country would be like if we go with an ancient POD. One might imagine a Persian Empire that continues to exist to the current day, and which still (or again, after several periods of decline and resurgence) extends to roughly the domain once held by the Akhaimenids. However, we can't tell what such an empire would be like. From an OTL point of view, its culture and society might not be what we consider desirable.

If we assume that "best" just means "most succesful on its own terms, regardless of the opinion of any others", then I would say such a Persian Empire prevailing would indeed be best. I'd consider it better than any Muslim Persia, even if that were to be of similar size and wealth, simply because a non-Islamic version would retain more of Persia's own ancestral culture. I think that would be definition by "better" from the perspective of its "Persian-ness". I also think that preventing the Sassanids and their particular religious preferences would be a good place to start looking for PODs. A less divided Zoroastrianism, with less forced imposition of the ruling elite's ideas (and correspondingly less public opposition to those ideas) would be more stable and viable.

Considering the size and resources of such an Empire, I can easily see it as a power similar to OTL's China.
 
Like the title says, what would be the best case scenario for Iran, whether it's Zoroastrian or Muslim?

Things went wrong in the reign of Nader Shah, in the 1740s. It's interesting that this decade is also the same moment that the Ottoman Empire began to lose its advantage and slowly be overtaken by the West.

The whole subsequent history of the world (and many of the intractable problems we face today) stems back to this period.

If we could change things, so that Persia avoids collapsing into civil war, rebellion, anarchy and endless war and misrule, the effect could be profound. Something as simple as better luck in rulers might lead to a completely different turn of events.

Ultimately I think there's a good chance Persia ends up a powerful modern democracy with an independent policy and no major rivals. The history of the Middle East, Turkey, Russia, and by extension the world, could be drastically different, and most likely very much for the better.
 
Like the title says, what would be the best case scenario for Iran, whether it's Zoroastrian or Muslim?

Safavids survive and adapt to modernisation. They have a good chance to dominate the lands between Kars and Tashkent and Bandar Abbas.

Being Shia did gave Persia a new identity distinct from Sunni Turkic rulers. Although being Sunni does keep their influence over the Sunni World.
 
The best case for Zoroastrian Iran I guess would be for it to carve out and control its own distinct region in Asia as part of "Greater Iran." Neither Christian or Muslim, it could become a distinct and exotic part of the world from the viewpoint of outsiders.

Now the best case for a Muslim Iran, especially a Sunni Iran is different. It has the potential to become the regional Muslim superpower.

If it stays Sunni it could become the Caliphate. Or it isn't it could just use it's strategic position and influence to become the dominant Muslim Power. Persian could be the lingua franca across the Middle East and even beyond. Iran's only rivals would be a united Asia Minor and Egypt and if it plays its hand well, those regions would stay disunited, leaving Iran's hegemony uncontested.

You know how people like calling Egypt the pivot of the Arab world? Iran could be the pivot of the whole Muslim world. I am not trying to wank Iran, it's just a consequence of its geographic location and demographics.
 
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