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I was looking through an old research project I did on Zoroastrianism, which made me think of several interesting points of divergence. Determining the outcomes may be difficult due to the relative lack of information available on these topics.

WI the First: Shapur I converts to Manichaeism.

-Mani had a good relationship with Shapur I (reign started 240) to the extent that he named one of his books after him (the Shapuragan). His brother Mihrshah even converted. However, Zoroastrian propaganda and patronage of the religion was used to justify the Sassanid dynasty's overthrow of the Arsacids/Parthians in the first place. Could Shapur I become a Manichee while being able to deal with dangerous priests such as Kirdir?

WI the Second: Mazdakism succeeds in the Sassanid Empire.

Little is known about Mazdakism because it was so brutally repressed in OTL, and the later Pahlavi works treat it as a great heresy. It is believed that it was a proto-socialist movement that attempted to distribute the wealth of the Zoroastrian temples and clergy to the people. It also combined Zoroastrianism with Gnostic elements. Kavadh I (first reign started 488) appeared to support it, but was overthrown by the priesthood for his trouble. He came back to the throne, but had to give major concessions to the Zoroastrians to do so. His son Khosrau I later invited Mazdak to a banquet and murdered him. Could this movement survive and radically alter Sassanid society?

WI the Third: Yazdegird I converts to Christianity

Yazdegird I (ruled about 399-421) was a controversial ruler because he allowed Christians to bury the dead. Zoroastrians called him the "Sinner" ever since because of this, because burial ritually pollutes the sacred earth in that religion. In OTL, the Christians became a bit too zealous when they suddenly received religious liberty, so they destroyed several fire temples and refused to obey the king's orders to rebuild them. What if the rumors whispered at the time became true, and the Sassanid Empire was ruled by a Christian?

My sources on these WIs are the works of Mary Boyce and Ehsan Yarshater, which are highly valuable for anyone interested in this.
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