Kartir's Fire: The Zoroastrian Purge That Reshaped Persia

Before Islam, before the Arab conquest, the Sassanid Empire was a crucible of faiths—and one man tried to burn the others away. Kartir, a powerful Zoroastrian priest under Shapur I and his successors, launched a campaign to unify Persia under a single orthodoxy, persecuting Manichaeans, Jews, Christians, and Buddhists. Using newly built fire temples and royal decrees, he etched his vision on cliff faces at Naqsh-e Rostam. This episode follows Kartir's rise, his role in Mani's execution, and the lingering question: did his purge strengthen or fracture the empire? We explore the Ka'ba-ye Zartosht inscription, the mobad hierarchy, and how Kartir's fire burned long after his death. #Kartir #Zoroastrianism #SassanidEmpire #Mani #Manichaeism #Naqsh-eRostam #Ka'ba-yeZartosht #ShapurI #FireTemples #Mobad #PersianHistory #ReligiousPersecution #AncientEmpires #History #FexingoHistory #SassanidPersia #ZoroastrianPriest #ReligiousOrthodoxy Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo