WI: Last Sassanid king flees to China

In 642 CE a "last stand" took place at Nahavand in modern-day Iran, where the Sassanid army lost to the invading forces of the Rashidun Caliphate. After this defeat, the Sassanid king Yazdgerd III was never again able to muster the forces to seriously impede the Arab conquest of the rest of his kingdom. For nine more years he kept retreating further to the east, all the while trying to muster help from the Turks (Central Asian) and the Tang Chinese. In 651 CE Yazdgerd was murdered, possibly at the connivance of the governor of the city of Merv, his son Peroz III fleeing to China with a retinue of several thousand.

Suppose, however, that sometime between 642-651 CE, Yazdgerd decides that the fight is lost and he must gather as many as he can and flee to China, throwing himself and his people at the mercy of the Tang emperor. Realistically how many could he take, and more importantly, where could the emperor settle them that allows them to retain their identity as Persians, yet is close enough to the Tang power base that China can protect them from foreign aggression.
 

ar-pharazon

Banned
I could see them maybe settling in central China with the Sassanid shah being a guest in the court of the tang emperor.

Far out of the reach of Islamic conquerors.
 
Perhaps the Sassanids earn their keep by helping the Tang emperor crush the Western Turkic Khaganate in the 650s CE. As a reward Yazdgerd III could be given control of the northern cities of the Tarim Basin as a vassal of China, along with the fancy new title of Awe-inspiring General of the Left [Flank] Guards). Located on the northern limb of the Silk Road, these transplanted Persians could become prosperous as merchant middlemen. This could also lead to an interesting cultural fusion with the native Tocharians, including a new syncretic religion combining Zoroastrian and Buddhist philosophies.
 
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