Iranian religions

Background

Antiquity

• proto-Indo-Iranian religion: The various beliefs and practices from which the later indigenous religion of the Iranian peoples evolved. This religion also influenced the development of the Indian religions.
• Scythian religion: The religion of the Scythians and precursor to modern Uatsdin.
• ancient Iranian religion: The ancient religion of the Iranian peoples
• Zoroastrianism: The present-day umbrella term for the indigenous native beliefs and practices of the Iranian peoples. While present-day Zoroastrianism is monolithic, a continuation of the elite form of the Sasanian Empire, in antiquity it had several variants or denominations, differing slightly by location, ethnic affiliation and historical period. It once had large population and high diversity.
• Zurvanism: By the late Achaemenid Empire, Zoroastrianism was also evident as Zurvanism, a monist dualism that had a following as late as the Sasanian Empire.
• Mithraism: A mystery religion centred around the proto-Zoroastrian Persian god Mithras that was practised in the Roman Empire from about the 1st to the 4th century CE
• Manichaeism: A 3rd century ditheistic gnosticism that may have been influenced by Mandaeism. Manichaens believed in a "Father of Greatness" and observed Him to be the highest deity.
• Mazdakism: A late-5th or early-6th century proto-socialist gnosticism that sought to do away with private property.
• Yazdanism

  Medieval period

• The early Islamic period saw the development of Persian mysticism, a traditional interpretation of existence, life and love with Perso-Islamic Sufi monotheism as its practical aspect. This development believed in a direct perception of spiritual truth, through mystic practices based on divine love.
• 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. Under Babak Khorramdin, the movement sought the redistribution of private wealth and the abolition of Islam.
• Behafaridians, an 8th-century cult movement around the prophet Behafarid. Although the movement is considered to have its roots in Zoroastrianism, Behafarid and his followers were executed on charges of harm to both Zoroastrianism and Islam.
• Yarsan, a religious order of Yazdanism, which is believed to have been founded in the 16th century. Yazdanism promulgated the belief in a God manifest as one primary and five secondary avatars to form with God the Holy Seven.
• Yazdanism
• Yazidism

  Modern

• Assianism/Uatsdin, revival of Ossetian ethnic religion
• Roshanniya Movement, a set of monotheistic teachings of Pir Roshan which his people followed.
• Bábism, a mid-19th century monotheistic religion founded by the Báb that was a predecessor of the Bahá'í Faith.
• Bahá'í Faith, an emerging monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh, a 19th-century Persian exile.
• Kalasha, the ancient faith of the Kalash people in Pakistan.