WI: Khosrau II Defeats the Byzantines

By 632, mainstream Zoroastrsim was in serious trouble, with Zurvan and Mazdaki heresies spreading quickly.

Fair, but that doesn't mean Zoroastrianism itself would made away. Judaism did not fade with Christianity. Maybe Mazdakism becomes more mainstream and becomes the Christianity to Zoroastrianism's Judaism to go with a metaphor.

And the Zurvan heresies weren't as bad as the Christians and Manicheans were saying they were.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zurvanism#Ascent_and_acceptance

But if Iran will survive, why convert to a foreign faith?
 
Fair, but that doesn't mean Zoroastrianism itself would made away. Judaism did not fade with Christianity. Maybe Mazdakism becomes more mainstream and becomes the Christianity to Zoroastrianism's Judaism to go with a metaphor.

And the Zurvan heresies weren't as bad as the Christians and Manicheans were saying they were.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zurvanism#Ascent_and_acceptance

But if Iran will survive, why convert to a foreign faith?

If the populous starts converting en masse - not unlikely since the conquest of Anatolia and Syria will bring more contact with christians - they might do it, like the romans before them. Secondly this empire would now contain a lot of christians, who might be less prone to revolt if the rulers convert.

Going christians thus seems to bring a lot of benefits.
 
If the populous starts converting en masse - not unlikely since the conquest of Anatolia and Syria will bring more contact with christians - they might do it, like the romans before them. Secondly this empire would now contain a lot of christians, who might be less prone to revolt if the rulers convert.

Going christians thus seems to bring a lot of benefits.
Would it necessarily have to be Nestorian Christianity they would convert to? If they make these new conquests, a lot of Miaphysite Christians either become subjects of the Sassanids, or are in regions directly bordering the new border. And if they go further into Anatolia, then there's a lot of mainline Christians.

I wouldn't entirely discount Muhammad and the Arabs either. Even if Mesopotamia, Syria, the Levant, and Egypt are denied to them, they could still possibly spread across the Red Sea into Nubia, Ethiopia, and Somalia, though they would need to take/retake Persian Yemen to do so.

If the Persian regime begins to realize they can't control all of their newly conquered territory, especially if they are repulsed in an attempt on Constantinople, perhaps they could create a series of newly liberated client states to serve as a buffer between themselves and the Byzantines, who could always regroup and come back to reconquer their lost lands. I'd imagine the Sassanids holding the Levant and Syria, but setting up Egypt and Armenia as independent realms if they did this.
 
If the populous starts converting en masse - not unlikely since the conquest of Anatolia and Syria will bring more contact with christians - they might do it, like the romans before them. Secondly this empire would now contain a lot of christians, who might be less prone to revolt if the rulers convert.

Going christians thus seems to bring a lot of benefits.

They haven’t done it back then and I doubt they’ll be willing to convert to the religion of their foes, the Romans. I could see a homegrown version, hence why I brought up Mazdak, but don’t exclude the Zoroastrian civilians and so on.

It happened over centuries with Rome and it took the backing of the Emperor and years of debating and even then. The Zoroastrian priests would more likely reform.

Also, don’t discount Ethiopia and whatnot. They stood against the Muslims in OTL and if they’re not as strong, Ethiopia can hold on more
 
They haven’t done it back then and I doubt they’ll be willing to convert to the religion of their foes, the Romans. I could see a homegrown version, hence why I brought up Mazdak, but don’t exclude the Zoroastrian civilians and so on.

It happened over centuries with Rome and it took the backing of the Emperor and years of debating and even then. The Zoroastrian priests would more likely reform.

Also, don’t discount Ethiopia and whatnot. They stood against the Muslims in OTL and if they’re not as strong, Ethiopia can hold on more
Agreed about Ethiopia, they were right in the firing line of the Muslim expansion and remained Christian in OTL.
 
They haven’t done it back then and I doubt they’ll be willing to convert to the religion of their foes, the Romans. I could see a homegrown version, hence why I brought up Mazdak, but don’t exclude the Zoroastrian civilians and so on.

It happened over centuries with Rome and it took the backing of the Emperor and years of debating and even then. The Zoroastrian priests would more likely reform.

Also, don’t discount Ethiopia and whatnot. They stood against the Muslims in OTL and if they’re not as strong, Ethiopia can hold on more

Sounds like the Sassanids would inherit competing Christian sects and would probably play them off each other to maintain control. This would make it even more difficult for them to adopt a Christian sect as their official religion. As many have mentioned before, Zoroastrianism is deeply entrenched in the Iranian state and society. Iran only became majority Muslim after centuries of state sponsorship.

One other thing to consider is that Christianity of the time was intolerant of non Christians. The Roman Christians actively persecuted Zoroastrian communities in Anatolia. So, an offficial Christian policy in Iran would require active persecution of a great majority of the population. The advantage the Muslims had was that they were willing to accommodate non Muslims in their state.

Christianity at that time was just not compatible with the people of the Iranian plateau.
 
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