The effect of Taqiyya (precautionary dissimulation) on the religious developments and sectarian relationships in Iran (from the entry of Islam to Iran to the end of the Seljuk period)

In the first centuries of Islam, Iran witnessed extensive changes in the religious realm, because in addition to the conversion of Iranians to Islam, many sects, including Islamic and eclectic ones appeared and in order to gain political power and attract more followers, they competed with each other. Since Taqiyya was one of the influential factors in these developments, this paper studies the role of Taqiyya in the religious developments of Iran in the first centuries of Islam by using the descriptive-analytical-deductive method. Research findings show that the religious developments of Iran in the era were largely influenced by Taqiyya. The followers of most sects and religions such as Zoroastrians, Khurramites, Sepid-Jamegan (white garments), Imamiyyah Shia, Ismailis, Sunnis and some sub-sects of Zaidis and Kharijites forcibly made Taqiyya, but some sects such as Zandiqs, some sub-sects of Kharijites as Azariqah and Zaidis were anti-Taqiyya. Therefore, they were easily at the mercy of pursuit and torture and vanished more rapidly. Appealing to taqiyya had a double effect because some sects protected themselves from threats by being under the umbrella of taqiyya, but gradually, taqiyya made them forget their identity and gradually accept the dominant religion. The matter played an important role in the decline of Zoroastrianism, Khurramites, Sepid-Jamegan, and some Islamic sects such as Hanbalis.