Iran religion before Islam: Zoroastrianism: One Fire instead of a Warm Fire and a Burning Hot HellFire Zoroastrianism/Mazdaism is not dual in Catholic Sense, but treats Good/Evil as two halves of One Balance / One holistic Peace instead of TwoSided War/Compromise
Unlike in Brahmanism Zarathustra (Zartosht) saw good and evil as balancing aspects of one fire of life. Nature is formless and so is the fire. Evil as well In Zoroastrianism 'bad' is a fact of life, is in any living being, and is what proved to be TEMPORARILY unhealthy, burning, dangerous ..., not at all an absolute notion. Zoroastrians fight the 'practical evil' and try to do only 'practical good'. Zoroastrianism has no strict dual division of life like in Brahmanism, the dualism that didn't satisfy Buddha. It is typical that in very dualistic Greek, Roman, British, Western view Zoroastrianism is judged as 'extremely dualistic'. Projecting own rigid dualism in flexible Zoroastrianism. Gautama Buddha: ..I consider the teaching of balance as the basis of reality Much to easy is claimed that all Abrahamic religions are dualist (in catholic sense). The Zoroastrian concept of 'the two' is more similar to the concept of yin-yang in Taoism. This indeed is a duality, but much more it stresses unity of life. The god Ahura Mazda is Lord of Wisdom and seen as father of good AND evil. In Zoroastrianism, for instance, ignorance is seen as a lack of wisdom, not as opposite of wisdom. Already 5 ages BC Zoroastrianism strictly forbade slavery, most probably THE reason for the Romans to prefer Hellenism, to maintain the hellenistic pharisees in Juda and to crucify a Jesus who obviously was influenced by Zoroastrianism. And ages later to officially make Catholicism its own version of Christianity, and to officially declare 'gnosticism' as heresy . The extreme dualism in both Roman Christianity and Islam (Muslim Monophysite Christianity) was added by the Romans, when using the ideas of Aristotle (teacher of Alexander the 'Great') in an effort to continue the practice of slavery. ALL the Judaisms of the Hellenistic period were Hellenized, and thus in some extent dualist . Zoroastrianism not only inspired the Abrahamic religions, but also Buddhism. More important than dualist or not is that Zoroastriansm forbids slavery, and gives an equal position to women. The anti slavery position made Zoroastrianism an opponent of Hinduism, Hellenism and Islam. It is no coincidence that Buddhism originated in Zoroastrian area. Gautama Siddharta treated people of all castes as equal, prince and beggar alike. Hellenism not really altered peasant life in Persia, it made no lasting impression. Later Islam did.  . Myth
Pasargadae was the capital of the first universal monarchy, that of the 'Medes and Persians' under Cyrus the Great, who reigned as the first Persian Shahanshah (Emperor) of the Achaemenid dynasty from 550 to 530 BC. 'Set on its austere and elevated plain, Pasargadae is arguably the most moving of Middle East archaeological sites,' opinioned Bivar in 1979. (1) Pasargadae is located in northern Fars province of Iran in the fertile and well-watered Dasht-i-Murghab plateau, which stands 6234 feet above sea level. Biot Report #668, November 30, 2009: Shia goverment of Iran wants to flood Zoroastrian history with the Sivand Dam. Catholicism and its arabian language version Mohammedanism (=Mohammedan Catholicism) from the very start were anti-Zoroastrianism. . 
Zoroastrianism: The One = The Fire of Life
Zoroastrian teachings are by no means 'dualistic' in Catholic sense, or Brahman sense. Zoroastrianism considers life as seeking as fire seeking balance with surroundings. A balance of inward with outward. More individualism within collectivism, collectives of individuals. Human life as one big family. 
'Spenta' is derived from Sanskrit 'to expand', to progress 'Mainyu' = a tool / an instrument; the translation 'spirit' is typically catholic. spenta mainyu = a tool for expanding ; angra mainyu = a tool for shrinking To a Zoroastrian FIRE has various meanings, such as the fire of destruction, the fire of love, the fire of new life, ..., Ormuzd and Ahriman form the balance 'progressive' and 'regressive', an evolution that is moving all the time (life). Zoroaster saw life (fire) as continuous balancing in respectful struggle.
Worldwide the split dualism / common-sense is cause of ferocious fighting Individualism = Exploring Fire; seeing fire fighting as terrorism Collectivism = Exploring Surroundings; seeing fire as danger Zoroastrianism values both Members and Families
. Persia before Islam
Before Islam Afghanistan and Persia had been one unity. From here silkroads went into Central Asia.Islam came from Arabia. Saudi Arabia till present being fiercely anti Iran is dubious regio politics. Zoroastrianism (3) . Zoroastrianism (practical common sense iso abstract dualism)
Zoroastrianism is the oldest of the revealed world-religions, and it has probably had more influence on mankind, directly and indirectly, than any other single faith. - Mary Boyce, Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1979, p. 1) Please for 1 moment forget about the 'rational' Enlightenment IDEA time. The Achaemenids were the ruling dynasty of Cyrus the Great and his family over the Persian empire, from 550-330 BC, when it was conquered by Alexander the Great. Cyrus's empire included Libya, Ethiopia, Thrace, Macedonia, Afghanistan, and the Punjab and everything in between. 
Cyrus the Great (Zul-Qarnayn = the two horned one) is a towering figure in the history of mankind.
As the "father of the Iranian nation", he was the first world leader (shahenshah = king of kings) to be referred to as
"The Great". A man of Wisdom. Totally unlike later Alexander the 'Great' whose tutor Aristotle is the
godfather of Western Individuality/Egoism.
Alexander the Terrible introduced 'blitz war' with genocide and systematic torture and rape.Cyrus the Great (558-529 BCE) conquered territory from modern Turkey to modern Pakistan. Cyrus (Kyros den Grossen) with wisdom and skill founded the first world empire and the second Iranian dynastic empire (the Achaemenids). Cyrus the Great became king of Ansan in 559 BC, and formed a collective of his own tribe, the Pasargadae, together with the Maraphii, Maspii, Panthialaei, Derusiaei, Germanii, Dahae, Mardi, Dropici and Sagarti. 
Cyrus used his huge individual talents to unite the closely related monarchies Persia and Media. The Median empire was loosely organized, Cyrus must have done a miraculous job of communication to become accepted by 'colonies' like Armenia, Cappadocia, Parthia, Drangiana, Aria. Anyhow, Cyrus the Great is mentioned in the Torah and in the Bible's Old Testament. Cyrus was mentioned as the "annointed one by the Almighty". Cyrus was a wise ruler who was unusually clement to cultures that he conquered.
The SHOCKS began in 550 B.C., when Cyrus II ("the Great"),
of until then Median dominated Persia defeated his grandfather and neighbour King Astyages of Media (Eastern Turkey + much of Iran) and disbalanced power in the Near East. . 
Zoroastrianism (2) (Birth of Freedom-fighting/terrorism)The rise of the HUGE but peaceful Persian Empire isolated the TINY agressive Israel tribe in a state of total confusion. (that agressivity and confusion still lasts till today in the 21st century) Assyria (21st century Syria + possibly the sunni parts of Iraq) overran Hebrew Israel (the northern tribes). Now tiny agressive Israel was in hands of big agressive Assyria and tiny peaceful Judah in hands of big power player the city state Babylon (90 kilometers south of 21st century Baghdad, center of the shia part of Iraq). The immensely rich city state of Babylon (MUCH MUCH wealthier than 21st century Dubai), always in need of skilled people, already around 600 BC had captivated the King and craftsmen of Judah. Agressive Assyria and powerplayer Babylon were since ancient time bitter enemies (like 'sunni muslims' and 'shia muslims', or Germany and France). But The City of Babylon was still rising in power and Assyria rapidly weakening. So Cyrus as fresh emperor was confronted with three powerplayers: (1) the Lydians, (2) the city state Babylon and (3) the Egyptians. In the western direction competitor-1 the Lydians (descendants of the Hittites) controlled the western part of Anatolia (modern Turkey). Cyrus defeated the Lydians under King Croesus in 546 BCE. Cyrus defeated competitor-2 The City State Babylon in 539 B.C. (at Opis, east of the Tigris). Babylon and surrounding remained a province of the Persian Empires for nine centuries, until around 650 AD (Mohammedan invasion of Persia). Babylon peoples spoke varieties of Aramaic, and continued to refer to their homeland as Babylon. By the way: Cyrus around 539 BC freed the in Babylon captivated Judah Jews (both worshipped Abraham as prophet).
. Zoroastrianism (3) Already in 722 BC the Shalmaneser king Sargon II of Assyria captured the town of Samaria and deported the citizens to rural Israel. Somewhere after 550 BC (while the Judeans were captivated in Babylon) Assyria used the turmoil around the rising Persian Empire for again conquering Israel. This explains the serious cultural split between a paranoid Hebrew Israel (learned to distrust both sunni arabs and shia arabs) and open minded Judah (shia experience, and liberated by Zoroastrian Cyrus).
The Greek historian Herodotus of Halicarnassus wrote in his Histories 1.101 and 125: The Persian nation contains a number of tribes [...]: the Pasargadae, Maraphii, and Maspii, upon which all the other tribes are dependent. Of these, the Pasargadae are the most distinguished; they contain the clan of the Achaemenids from which spring the Perseid kings. Other tribes are the Panthialaei, Derusiaei, Germanii, all of which are attached to the soil, the remainder -the Dai, Mardi, Dropici, Sagarti, being nomadic. Under Cyrus Zoroastrianism became the 'non-imposing' ritual common sense of the empire for 200 years. Cyrus' latest expedition took him to modern Khazakhstan, where he fought against a nomadic tribe called Massagetes. According to Herodotus, Cyrus was killed near the Aral Sea on this mission
The land that the Persian King Dariush ruled over was called the "Aryan" land. 25 ages later the German dictator Hitler messed up this term and referred to himself as 'Arian' . Zoroastrianism under Darius the Great 4
Cyrus' son Cambyses (ruled 530-522 BCE) conquered last competitor Egypt in 525 BCE.
But Cambyses died and Cyrus' grandson Darius I ("the Great") emerged as king (r. 521-486 B.C.).
Darius conquered the Indus River valley as far north as the Hindu Kush mountains. Darius became king after an historical struggle with prince Gaumata (=Gautama Buddha) from Southern Persia (very Northern India). Darius ruled the longest, from 521 to 486 BCE, and Darius proved to be a strong and wise ruler. In 513 BC Darius attacked the Scythians. These wealthy Mongolian nomads even for the Persian Empire proved too strong. Darius got wiser and was able to complete important public works such as a canal from the Nile to the Red Sea, irrigation projects in many areas, a new capital at Susa and the "Royal Highway" from Susa to Sardis. Darius also created an imperial organization by dividing the conquered territory into 20 "satrapies," each of which was run by a governor known as a Satrap chosen from among the Medean or Persian nobles. Each Satrap was supported by a local military commander and tax collector, and subject to intermittent royal inspection. Juda was part of the fifth satrapy, with Zerubbabel (Sheshbazzar) as its Satrap. Darius ordered that all the treasures of Jerusalem that Nebuchadnezzar had taken to Babylonia, be returned to Juda (Ezra 6:1-11). Darius also introduced a money system based on that used in Lydia. Satrapies: For instance Rachosia, was a satrapy in the eastern part of the Achaemenid empire around modern Kandahar (southern Afghanistan) After the Empire of Darius was annihilated by Alexander the Terrible, Afghanistan much later was brutally conquered by Mohammedans. And Afghanistan saw the desperate freedom war of the Mongol warrior Gengis Kahn who tried to beat the Mohammedans. The Greek colonies along the coast of Anatolia provided steady resistance until they were defeated by the Persians following their 499-494 BCE revolt. But the Greeks were organized in city-states, and the colonies in Anatolia could count on mainland Greeks for help. Thus, when the Anatolian Greek cities fell to Persia, the mainland Greeks considered this to be a provocation. The first Persian attack against mainland of Greece took place under Darius in 490 BCE. Darius' son (Cyrus' great-grandson) Xerxes I (ruled 486-464) attacked Greece for the second time in 480 BCE. The second invasion was defeated by an Athens-Sparta coalition. Darius the Great certainly followed the directives of Zoroastrianism. Darius is quoted: After that I sought help of Ahuramazda; Ahuramazda bore me aid
Darius: 'Ahura Mazda is magnificent, Aharamuzda is earth, is sky, is man, is happiness for man,
Darius is king for AhuraMazda, one king of many, one lord of many'(read in both above 'quotes' Ahuramazda as 'common sense', shocking isn't it?) . Zoroastrianism annihilated by Alexander the Terrible 5  The Zoroastrians were finally by the Greek forced back into Persia (modern day Iran + Iraq) and annihilated by the Macedonian-Greek Alexander the Terrible in 330 BC.
An unrepeated tragedy (a genocide of a world leading culture by a young megalomaniac). Many of the original Zoroastrian sacred texts were lost when the troops of Alexander the 'Great' destroyed the royal
library at Persepolis (the Greek name for 'capital of Persia'). The holy book Avesta consisted of 12.000 pages (paperdry cow skin).
Alexander the 'Great' is in the Middle East remembered as a bloodthirsty tyrant who just kept coming again and again, taking ever more land and slaughtering ever more people. With the breakdown of Achaemid Empire at the hand of Alexander and his killer army from Greece, a systematic annihilation of the Persian Empire and culture got underway. Persian dominance in Asia (based on common sense and skill) was unasked for abruptly ended, and replaced by dual Greek style rule. Based on Law and Order and Power. Hellenist Laws, Pro Hellenist Judges, goverment by Fear. Through the plunder and burning of Persepolis written texts held at the Royal Library at Persepolis were lost or robbed by Greek soldiers. All over Persia Royal palaces and Zoroastrian temples were plundered. The massacre of Zoroastrian priests at grand scale destroyed oral Zoroastrian tradition. The Macedonian Greeks who ruled West Asia after Alexander as warriors saw the refined (in essence peaceful) Zoroastrians as tricky cowardly animals, and after them the Parthians didn't care. The common sense Zoroastrianism was the most popular 'religion' among Roman soldiers, especially (known as 'Mithraism'). The Sassanids, when they took over the Parthian Empire in 227 AD, were strong believers in Zoroastrianism, and even declared Zoroastrianism as state religion of the Persian empire in 224 AD. By believing in an orthodox form of Zoroastrianism and their persecution of other cults, the Sasanians made the zoroastrian faith in Persia rigidly ritual with the holy fire as one of the most holy ritual. As head of a state religion the Sassanian High Priest like a paranoid dictator ordered to persecute Persian Buddhists and to burn down Buddhist temples. So there were many Zoroastrians in the Sassanid Empire, and this way of life even spread into India and all the way to China, were Zoroastrian way of life as The Early Religion decisively influenced Cha'n Buddhism. . Spread of Islam in Middle East (The Arab genocide in Persia 6) Zoroastrianism was the dominant world religion during the Persian empires (559 BC to 651 AC), and thus was the most influential world religion at the time of Jesus. .. The spread of Islam (muslim catholicism) in the Middle East outside Arabia started with plundering Persia (636 AC). The Arab invasion of Persia was quite different from that of Alexander the Great (the Cursed) 10 ages earlier. Even much more cruel. The Mohammedans had a lot of experience in attacking caravans (destroying and robbing), but not in building a culture. The purpose of the on average primitive and quite agressive Mohammedan Arabs was not only to conquer but to spread Mohammedanism. Like Alexander, the Arabs set out to COMPLETELY destroy Zoroastrianism in Persia. This time this was accomplished not only by killing thousands of Zoroastrians, destroying libraries and tradtions, and by making laws and rules which made life a hell for Zoroastrians. The start of many ages of persecution of zoroastrians by Mohammedanism Zoroastrianism wasn't perfect, but had been a much better startingpoint for Western and Middle East Civilizations than Catholicism and Islam Zoroastrianism nevertheless strongly influenced local islam, and the Iranian Mohammedans started a myth that Shia Mohammedanism was a partly Iranian religion. The Iranian Moslems cleverly presented Shia Islam as derived from Sasanian Royalty. This made it easier for Zoroastrians to convert to Islam. Most common Persians reluctantly gradually converted to Mohammedanism, after the Mohammedan Jihad. There are still some 200.000 of Zoroastrians in the world today: in China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, around Persia. In China amongst others around the plain of Chengdu. 80.000 in India where they are called Parsees (Persians). Many of them wealthy traders. In 21st century Iran Zoroastrians have their own member of parliament and hold high positions in bodies such as the Oil Ministry. They say their communities are more vibrant in Canada and Australia.
. Zoroastrianism yesterday In the Zoroastrian paradigm (closer to Common Sense) both 'good' and 'evil' are part of the 'fire of life'. Zoroastrianism has no dualism of sinful matter and holy spirit (only a practical division in accepted [good] and unaccepted [evil]). Ahriman (the symbol for 'deeper into the fire') is hotter, and Ahriman might yet be too hot for you. Ormuzd (the symbol for 'more close to the outside of the fire') is less hot, and maybe Ormuzd pleases your senses. But in fact because The Fire is unlimited Ormuzd and Ahriman only differ in direction in Ahura Mazda (The One, The All, ...). For Zoroastrians superiority of one culture over another doesn't exist, but the winners might temporarily punish the losers. In their view both 'winners' and 'losers' are undistinguishable parts of the Fire of Life That's why Cyrus the Great could see the punished Judean Jews as inspiring fellow people. Inspired by Aristotle, mentor of Alexander the Terrible, the Hellinists saw Persians as barbarians and they committed genocide in Persia. Inspired by the Hellinists Israelians recognize the one God as the source of the separated values good and evil, light and darkness, .... Their selfconfident YHVH claims: I form The Light and create The Dark. The Romans inherited thinking in good and evil (dualism) from the Israelians, and this became the ESSENCE of the Roman Catholic paradigm. The Roman Christian IDEA was that 'good' and 'evil' in Zoroastrianism also were mutually hostile principles. The Romans thought that Zoroastrianism just like in the Roman variant of Christianity saw the world divided between the dual forces good and evil.
. Zorostrianism today Common to all fundamentalisms is: fear of change; worship of the traditional society. Also Zoroastrianism has a fundamental/traditional branch, though certainly not hardline. Traditional Zorastrianism still strongly relies on ancient texts and ritualism, and is found in India and Iran. 'Modern' Zoroastrianism has a pragmatic view on western life, especially in education, business, and community life. Traditionalism is not solely 'religious' but much just preserving ritual life. And hidden in those rituals is an ethics of behavior. Einstein said: "Religion without science is lame, but science without religion is blind." Or translated: behavior needs an ethics for educational purposes. But traditionalism as fundamentalism should not kill creativity and pleasure in life. The evolutionary universe is splendid. Stuff for mystery Being a Zoroastrian in todays world . Mahatma Gandhi In 775 the first Parsi (Zoroastrian) refugees arrived in Gujarat from Iran. That's why often modern Zoroastrians are called Gujarati. Today the Indian town of Hyderabad houses around 1200 parsis. Because Zoroastrianism was basis of Judean Christianity (before Roman influence) it's no surprise that this group has strong British influences. The towns of Sanjan, Nausari, and Udvada in Gujarat (India) are of prime importance to Parsis, having long served as community centers before mass migration in 1790 to Bombay followed a famine in Gujarat (Maharashtra). In 1780, 9.2% of the population of Bombay were Parsis. By 1812 the number of Parsis in Bombay had quadrupled. Today, more than 55.000 of all Indian Parsis live in Bombay. A center of Parsi's is also the northern province Karnataka with capital Bangalore. 
In the nineteenth century Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948),
also known as Mahatma Gandhi, was born in the town of Porbandarin in Gujarat.
He was know to the people in India as Mahatma GandhiBombay is home to 70 percent of India's Parsis, where Parsi affairs are coordinated by a 'panchayat', an assembly that acts as a 'family council' and provides an effective social welfare system. Zoroastrianism as way of life survived But young people in 21st century India (influenced by Western lifestyle and media) make the mistake to think that wisdom has an age, and can become outdated. They started believing that non-violence is RATIONALLY 'not practical' and 'ineffective'. The catholic INVENTIONS time and rationalism are VERY addictive. The message of Gandhi is: valuing power is result of a good-evil division of reality. 'Respect' is the common sense attitude towards 'life'. 'Respect' is practiced in peaceful behavior. OR: Wars on Terrorism are only making things worse. Remind that 'rape' (rapere) was a Roman invention to be able to punish theft of sex slaves. Elsewhere in nature sexual agression is treated practically. Annoying behavior, but not very destructive. The problem of rape is IN THE BRAIN (see mind-body problem). . Zoroastrianism as common sense way of life is about 'Life is one Family' Catholicism is an abstract ethics about 'good' spirits controlling 'sinful' Houses of Flesh (dualism) The Persian religion was based on practices that originated around 1600 BCE, but became organized during the lifetime of Zoroaster, who lived around 600 BCE. Persian gods were associated with fire, and Persian worship sites often had an eternal flame. Life is symbolized as eternal flame, too hot in the center but warming the people squirming around it. The holy book of Zoroastrianism is the Avesta. The Avesta is written in old Iranian, a language similar to Vedic Sanskrit. The major sections of the Avesta are four 'Yasna', liturgical works that include the Gathas ( "songs" ). In Zoroastrianism, the WHOLE life is seen as eternal fire, with too hot temperatures 'inside' and acceptable temperatures 'outside'. It is almost impossible for absolute good-evil dualists to realize that the relativistic Zoroastrianism is based on UNITY of life ('accepted' is an extreme in common sense of 'unaccepted' and vice versa), and NOT like in Roman Christianity on a SPLIT of life in 'Good' and 'Evil'. Body = Emotion instead of material 'House of Flesh' controlled by an immaterial 'Spirit from Space'. Ahuramazda (Lord Wisdom) was the force for intuition/emotion, who steers the fire of life. At the agreeable borders of life Ahuramazda is called Ormuzd, and in the center of the fire Life Ahuramazda was called Ahriman, with behavior too hot to know. Ahriman of course symbolizes strong fears (too hot), but especially serves to make lesser fears discussable (human). In Parsi the 'Ahri-man' is "the great serpent with two feet. In Hebrew 'ahri' means 'lioness' Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord, was seen as THE ONE. (That's why the alternative name of 'Zoroastrianism' is 'Mazdaism'). Life was seen as The ONE (a flame) with outside ahuras (common sense life) and in the center daevas (burning common sense). So Zoroastrianism is only 'dualistic' in recognizing that the flame of life is warm outside, and within hot. Life takes heat-resistance. In Zoroastrianism's 7 Amesha Spentas one already recognizes Buddhism. Reality = Outside + Inside = (Spenta Mainyu, Angra Mainyu), Balanced Behavior = Common Sense, Willpower, Family, Health, and Creativity. Zoroastrian belief was the non violent religion of Ancient Persia before Islam after 650 AC. It is known as the mother religion in the area. The concepts of Hell, Heaven already were existing in Zoroastrianism, only were seen as living sides of an undividable reality (the One). Roman Christianity made these realities into absolute IDEAS. Mohammedan Islam was a muslim variant of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. 'Heaven' and 'Hell' in Zoroastrianism weer seen as sides of one life-force (the flame of life), everything that protected and enriched life was seen as acceptable part of 'heaven' (earth, waters, sky, animals, plants, justice, honesty, peace, health, beauty, joy, happiness). All that threatened life was seen as 'unacceptable part of heaven' (too hot). So 'hell' was seen as still too hot part of 'heaven'. But 'hell' was seen also as challenge, a place for 'the bold' to do 'research' and for 'the angry' to invent their wicked crimes. . Lesson of History (1): The Roman Empire could not beat The Persian Empire, Mohammedanism did the job. Although the Persian empire (Cyrus, Darius, .. ) lasted only 220 years, it provided an example for all following cultures. In its day, Persia was largest, wealthiest, mightiest, and greatest of all states. Zoroastrian conquerors and kings, especially Cyrus the Great and descendants expanded the Persian Empire to much of the known world at that time. And inevitably Zoroastrians stumbled upon many people of other faiths. Cyrus followed Zarathushtra's common sense and was very respectful of other beliefs and allowed them own 'space', he even supported them. But it was inevitable that Zoroastrianism as the dominant faith influenced the conquered peoples, surely more so than to be influenced by them. Even in 21st century present, Persian Zoroastrians (that is, the followers of the prophet Zarathustra) in myths remember a bloody religious persecution by the Macedonian Greek Alexander the Terrible, who killed the priests and scribes, raped, burned and murdered, and ordered the holy book of Zoroastrianism, the Avesta, to be destroyed. Alexander the Terrible crippled Persia, but after him The Roman Republic never succeeded in conquering Persia. Between 133 BC and 476 AD the Parthians (238 B.C.-A.D. 227) and then the Sassanids (A.D. 227-651) ruled Persia in constant conflict with Rome. When annihilated in Persia Zoroastrianism escaped along the Silk Route. In Southwest-China goods from Persia, the Steppes and all over China arrived. From there Chinese Zoroastrianism went its own way . It was faultily in 'the West' seen as 'Nestorian' (Syrian Catholicism) and therefore heretical. 'The Church of the East' was not like Roman Christianity and The Byzantine Church drenched with the thoughts of Aristotle, the tutor of Alexander the Terrible. That way it could become the motor behind Ch'an Buddhism (Zen), quite different from egoistic Catholicism Not Alexander or The Roman Empire but Mohammedanism with a jihad definitely annihilated Zoroastrianism. The persian Empire under the Sassanid dynasty was very powerful (even more than the Roman Empire). The Sassanian dynasty was able to the Persian regions from the Greco-Romans, after setting up an elephants corps in their army. At one time, the Sassanian rulers had increased its elephant corps to 12,000 elephants. In 244 AD, the Sassanid king Shapur I defeated the Roman emperor Gordian III In 244 AD, the Sassanid king Shapur I has the Roman emperor Philippus Arabs installed In 260 AD, the Sassanid king Shapur I defeated the Roman emperor Valerian The Mohammedan version of Islam finished 'the wipe-out job' that had almost been completed by Alexander the Terrible. After conquering the vast 'island' area around Mekka (present Saudi Arabia), the Medina Mohammedan Muslims in a bloody Jihad turned on their northern neighbors the Persians. The Mohamedan jihadees (followers of Mohammed in cultural frenzy) annihilated the Persian Sassanid Empire (224-651) in the year 651 Until then the Turks were no Mohammedans, but everywhere (as far as China) in bloody struggle with Mohammedanism. Now the Turks had to struggle with newly Islamized Persians who had been converted to Islam at the point of the sword by the Arabs. Finally superficially the Turks became Mohammedan as well.
Mekka Islam showed original rural Islam, peaceful and open-minded. Medina Islam (Mohammedanism) is characterized by politics, power and war.
A verse from the Mohammedan Koran: And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter ..[..] such is the recompense of the unbelievers
- ( 2.191).
. Lesson of History (2): Roman Catholicism and its clone Mohammedanism changed the rules of warfare Till the rise of the hordes of Alexander the Terrible and Mohammed , the world had known only imperial wars. A kind of fair play, temporarily sometimes quite violent but nevertheless not really influencing life. The cultural consequences of the Mohammedan Jihad in Persia were disastrous. Books were burned, scholars murdered and schools and libraries were destroyed. Because the Mohammedans regarded Mohammad's Koran as the last book that was supreme to all existing ones. From a sophisticated world centre of power and wisdom Persia fell to an illiterate and backward feable country.
Zoroastrianism fled from Persia and strongly influenced Chinese society as shows material in the collection of the Palace Museum that were first discovered in Luoyang. These indicate that many members of the Tabghach ruling class practiced Xianjiao (Chinese Zoroastrianism). Obviously spread by Silk route merchants, mostly from Sogdia, who had settled in urban centres of northern China during the late Eastern Han, Wei-Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties period. In the Sogdian city of Bukhara the Zoroastrian religion dominated when it was conquered by the Mohammedans in 709 Zoroastrianism sees dreaming as all brain activity as bodily action. Not like in Roman Christianity as 'spirituality' by immaterial souls that are different from the body (thinking). Bodily deceased relatives are referred to as 'the elders' or simply 'the departed', but never as the 'souls of the departed' or the 'ancestral spirits.' Zen Buddism inherited the following basic from Chinese Zoroastrianism (The Early Church): seeing Earth Life as One; respecting all life. Emerging Chinese Buddhism was spared the 'spiritual fantasies' St. Augustine and his concept of 'sin' (originating from the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas). This way 'sinful flesh' and immaterial 'spirits' remained local Roman Catholic aberrations. Roman Catholicism and its clone Mohammedanism changed the rules of warfare by gradually forcing the entire civilian population of an alien culture into 2nd, 3rd,... class beings (slavery, kalima, apartheid, ...). Nowadays this is known as 'fascism' (examples: Mohammedanism in Sudan, many African countries in total economic dependency of US). 'Fascism' became a mind disease expertly equiped to be stealthy for ages. . Lesson of History (3): Genghis Kahn fought Mohammedanism as freedom fighter for pre-Mohammedan Persians
By the end of the Tang dynasty at the beginning of the tenth century, the Southern Chinese city 'Guangzhou' (situated at the Spice Route) housed thousands of Persian Zoroastrians.
.... And then the European Catholics started their jihads (crusades) to destroy agressive Middle East Mohammedanism and to definitely annihilate all traces of gnosticism (judean zoroastrianism = original christianity) . Lesson of History (End): Zoroastrianism sees earth as collective good that deserves to be treated with respect. .... Many ages later: Both Russia and British Empire in a jihad-like race to capture harbours and petroleum carved out pieces from the Persian empire that became Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan amongst other previous provinces. Under the Persian Empire these 'pieces' were individual colonies participating in the collective. Proud to be member of the empire. Also quite differing from each other, but much less than 21st century US states. Common Sense had been a strong binding factor. In the 21st century after being 'liberated' following power war WWI by British Empire and Tsarist Russia these countries became places of turmoil . The borders drawn by Tsarist Russia and British Empire were not only crisscrossing ages old unities, but that way also became sources of extreme unrest The Zhenjiang Encyclopedia (China) mentions about Zoroastrianism: Zoroastrianism was once the "official" religion of Persia, and played an important role in the Achaemenid Empire in Persia. The religion is also known as Mazdaism by some followers; and currently, as Zarathustrianism by others. Zoroastrian areas once stretched from Anatolia to the Persian Gulf, and its followers once numbered in the millions. Its followers today, are located in South Asia, Iran, Africa and throughout the diaspora, ... Islam is very unpopular in Iran in circles between 'the masses' and the Muhammedan dictators. But Zoroastrianism is being rediscovered. There are about 50,000 - 70.000 Zorastrians in Iran. Around 20,000 - 40,000 in the city of Yazd. Before Pakistan became a muslim state thousands of Zoroastrians were living in Karachi. Pioneers of the industrial shape of Indian Craftmanship as the Tata family, Godrej family and Wadia family are of Zoroastrian background. In East Africa Zoroastrian communities are found in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. Isfahan, the third largest city of modern-day Iran, once was a major centre of Zoroastrianism.
. Zoroastrianism inspired Buddhism That Buddhism originated in Persia seems more and more accepted in scientific circles. That the source of Buddhism might very well be Zoroastrianism is not yet recognized. The dualism seen in Zoroastrianism was a guess of Hellinist Greek, Roman and later Catholic historians. Zoroastrianism is not dualist in catholic sense, but just like Buddhism stresses 'balance' in a unity (The One, The Fire). 
The immense Mauryan Empire helped Buddhism to become a world religion, (through king Ashoka).
After desintegration of the Mauryan Empire the Kushan emperors represented a wide variety of faiths including Zoroastrianism and Buddhism.
Especially emperor king Kanishka of the Kushan empire is known in buddhist history.During the 1st and 2nd century, the Kushan Empire expanded militarily to the north and occupied parts of the Tarim Basin. By the end of 200 AD Kushans had expanded from Northwestern China to Iran and from south Uzbekistan to Ganges river, India. Diodotus I, in 256 BC, was made a satrap in of the Seleucids in Bactria. Diodotus later assumed complete independence. Bactria became a powerful state. The Kushans moved in around 130 BC, making Bactria part of the Kushan empire. Greek culture and Buddhism actually blended together well and did well in Bactria under Kushan rule, It's easily recognized that in Gautama's Buddhism a lot is inspired by more ancient Zoroastrianism. It is also known that once Zoroastrian highpriests banned Buddhism (a 'power' move). And that later Buddhism returned (or never left) in the region of Bactria. Buddhism seems to have settled strongly in Tibet. . Common Sense
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