Iranian Religions

The Iranian religions, also known as the Persian religions, are a group of religious movements that originated in the Iranian plateau. The beliefs, activities, and cultural events of the ancient Iranians, a combination of several Aryans and non-Aryan tribes, are complex and varied. The documented history of Iranian religions begins with Zoroastrianism. The ancient Iranian prophet, Zoroaster, reformed preexisting beliefs of ancient Iranians, the speculative Ancient Iranian religion, into a form of henotheism (adherence to one particular god out of several) and monotheism. The Gathas, hymns of Zoroaster's Avesta, introduced monotheistic ideas to Persia, while through the Yashts and Yasna, mention is made to polytheism and earlier creeds. The Hindu Vedas and the Zoroastrian Avesta have both proved to be important resources in discovering the nature of early Proto-Indo-Iranian religious beliefs and ideas and the various beliefs and practices that indigenous religions of the Iranian and Indo-Aryan peoples later evolved. Ancient Iranian religions include the Scythian religion (religion of the Scythians and basis for its modern revival as Uatsdin. The malignant Zoroastrian Daevas may partly be based on Scythian gods), Zoroastrianism (presently monolithic, but in antiquity included a variety of denominations that differed slightly based on location, ethnic affiliation, and historical context), Mithraism (a mystery religion centred around the proto-Zoroastrian Persian god Mithras that was wildly popular in the Roman Empire from the 1st to the 4th centuries), Manichaeism (a 3rd century dualistic religion comprised of Christian, Gnostic, and pagan elements), and Yazdanism and Yazidism (see articles above). During the Medieval period, ancient beliefs often became blended with Islam since this region was now controlled by Muslims. Syncretic beleif systems include Persian mysticism (traditional interpretations of existence fused with Perso-Islamic Sufi monotheism), the Khurramites (a 9th-century religious and political movement based on the 8th century teachings of Sunpadh, who preached a syncretism of Shia Islam and Zoroastrianism), Behafaridians (an 8th-century cult movement centered on the prophet Behafarid based on Zoroastrianism, but Behafarid and his followers were executed on charges made by Zoroastrians of causing harm to both Zoroastrianism and Islam), Yarsanism (a religion founded in the late 14th century that professes belief in one God who manifests in one primary form and six secondary forms, the Holy Seven), and the Druze faith (an esoteric, monotheistic ethnic religion whose tenets include reincarnation and the eternity of the soul). Modern variants on ancient Iranian religion include Assianism/Uatsdin (a revival of Ossetian ethnic religion), the Roshanniya Movement (based on the monotheistic teachings of Pir Roshan), Bábism (a mid-19th century monotheistic religion founded by the Báb, who claimed to be a messenger of God. Bábism was a predecessor of the Baháʼí Faith), and the popular and widespread Baháʼí Faith (an emerging monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh, a 19th-century Persian exile. Baháʼí teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people).