WI: Zoroastrianism a Major World Religion

I was wondering, what would the world be like if Zoroastrianism were a major world religion, with a following on par with OTL Christianity and Islam?

Also, what would have to happen for this to occur?
 

Germaniac

Donor
I'm not an expert, but Zoronastrianism is a very localized religion. Maybe Islam does not extent into persia, Zoro stays the dominate religion there and spreads to include Pakistan and India. Then you would have the significant numbers to have it one of the top 4 or 5
 
It's hard to see how to get this to happen without butterflying away Islamic expansion eastwards, but why not? Zoroastrianis today suffers from much the same phenomenon as Hinduism and Jusaism, only more so. There is nmo missionary impulse because for a very long time, converting people was a nonsurvival trait. Without being ruled by Islamic states, it is quite conceivable that Zoroastrian branch religions could become successful in Central Asia. Mithraism, too, was a Zorioastrian offshoot, and it did pretty well for itself until it got killed off by Theodosius.

It would probably be a good idea to kill the Sassanids anyway, though. Their state version of the religion was pretty unappealing.
 
It's hard to see how to get this to happen without butterflying away Islamic expansion eastwards, but why not? Zoroastrianis today suffers from much the same phenomenon as Hinduism and Jusaism, only more so. There is nmo missionary impulse because for a very long time, converting people was a nonsurvival trait.
Indeed, weren't the Zoroastrians the dark "Other" of the Islamic world, just as the Jews were for Europe?
 
Hushedarism

There is a savior figure Zoroastrianis, actually a series of three. Supposedly the first one was supposed to come in the late 4th century. WI someone popped up and started preaching I am the One but is executed by the Sassanids. His perecuted followers move to the fringes of the empire and then beyond. Maybe they convert the Armenians then spread north.
 
Zorastrianism gaining popularity in India is not possible, but with pakistan it is a possiblity if islam is butterflied away. India being a monotheism does not work because of the existing diversity due to the human flow at different times of history. Everytime humanity moved to india due to differnt reasons like invasion, migration, persecution, they came with their own set of ideas, beliefs and got integrated into sanathana dharma. As such sanathana dharma became a melting pot and in course developed commanalities. As such if you ask hindus what are the set of rules they follow every one of them will say it differently even in a single household. India's uniqueness is mainly due to sanathana dharma though some of my peers dont agree.

I would love Zorastrainism as a major world player then we would be out of clutches of the prosletyzing by islam and christianity which is causing major disturbances in many south east asian countries. any religion which does not depend on converts for eternal salvation is a good religion. The backlash of Zionism, hinduism and buddhism against conversion fanatics will cause major disturbances politically and also in the basic thread of societies itself.
 
If Zoroastrianism was a major religion, the world would first be unrecognizable due to the length of time for butterflies to work, and second due to the weakening of Islam that situation would create (possibly including a Hindu Indonesia and a much stronger India, to boot), and last due to the fact that Zoroastrianism's close resemblance to Abrahamicism and Dharmicism would produce relatively little difference in terms of religious insight available.

Far more interesting would be for a polytheistic group to hold out until at least * the 19th Century in some part of Europe. IIRC you had Slavic polytheists hold out for quite some time, it wouldn't be impossible for some remote group of Europeans to hold out, and it would be more likely than a major Zoroastrian impact. Neither of these two are very likely without a major change in Byzantine-Sassanid relations.
 
Zorastrianism gaining popularity in India is not possible, but with pakistan it is a possiblity if islam is butterflied away. India being a monotheism does not work because of the existing diversity due to the human flow at different times of history. Everytime humanity moved to india due to differnt reasons like invasion, migration, persecution, they came with their own set of ideas, beliefs and got integrated into sanathana dharma. As such sanathana dharma became a melting pot and in course developed commanalities. As such if you ask hindus what are the set of rules they follow every one of them will say it differently even in a single household. India's uniqueness is mainly due to sanathana dharma though some of my peers dont agree.

I would love Zorastrainism as a major world player then we would be out of clutches of the prosletyzing by islam and christianity which is causing major disturbances in many south east asian countries. any religion which does not depend on converts for eternal salvation is a good religion. The backlash of Zionism, hinduism and buddhism against conversion fanatics will cause major disturbances politically and also in the basic thread of societies itself.

Beg to differ.
 
It's hard to see how to get this to happen without butterflying away Islamic expansion eastwards, but why not? Zoroastrianis today suffers from much the same phenomenon as Hinduism and Jusaism, only more so. There is nmo missionary impulse because for a very long time, converting people was a nonsurvival trait. Without being ruled by Islamic states, it is quite conceivable that Zoroastrian branch religions could become successful in Central Asia. Mithraism, too, was a Zorioastrian offshoot, and it did pretty well for itself until it got killed off by Theodosius.

It would probably be a good idea to kill the Sassanids anyway, though. Their state version of the religion was pretty unappealing.

The closing of the religion to new converts was a survival trait. It only began after the Muslims invaded and destroyed the Sassanid Empire. Before that, Zoroastrianism was an extremely successful missionary religion.


It would probably be a good idea to kill the Sassanids anyway, though. Their state version of the religion was pretty unappealing.
I dunno about that. Zurvanism was the religion of most of the Sogdians and others in Central Asia, so it can't have been that horrible.




As for the what if: I think that one of the best PODs for a Zoroastrian-wank would be in 260, when Shapur I captures Valerian, he also captures Valerian's son Gallienus. If they both die, the empire would be plunged into even worse chaos and Shapur would probably be able to conquer all of Anatolia, the Levant, and possible Egypt. With his agressive missionary actions (building new cities, flooding them with Zoroastrians, and diffusing the religion from there), I could see Zoroastrianism at least partially converting the areas where the Christians prosletized in OTL.
 
Top