How could Persia remain Zoroastrian and keep a distinctly Zoroastrian civilization until the present day?
the Sassanids defeat the Arab invaders and prevent their expansion eastward. Zoroastrianism was the Sassanid state religion, so over time it would become more and more entrenched in Persia, although with Nestorian influence.
I think so long as you’re able to thwart the initial Arab attempts at conquest it stands to reason that Persia stands a decent chance of never converting. However to do this your going to need to have their war with Byzantium end much earlier so that both sides aren’t at the point of collapse and will have more time to recover. Personally I think you need to have Heraclius overthrow Phocas as soon as possible which probably result in an earlier Roman win. I say this because I see Chosroes II attempting to annex far more territory than Persia could reasonably handle. If that happens I think they’ll find their situation not significantly better from OTL when the Arabs come knocking. All this assumes you’d rather avoid the cliché of simply having Islam stillborn.
The problem lies in the fact that Maurice and Chosroes aren’t exactly pillars for maintaining the status quo. Maurice had the nasty habit of taking being a tight ass to the extreme. While certainly not a bad trait to have in moderation however in his case he took it a ways past a bit too far and it proved to be his undoing. Having his troops’ winter in the field was just the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Therefore I’d place it within betting odds that even if he avoids that particular blunder it’ll just be something else that does him in sooner or later as tends to happen to Emperors’ who go around regularly screwing over their own troops.Draco
Wouldn't it be simpler if you avoid Phocas's revolt in the 1st place. That maintains good relations between Maurice's dynasty and Chosroes's. Won't in the longer term avoid the rivalry and conflict but could keep it in check for the key time when the Arab/Islamic initial surge occurs.
Steve