ABSTRACT
This chapter will consider the Iranian response to the advent of Islam. Most Zoroastrians lost their traditional religion at that time, and some Iranians resisted their conquerors through armed struggle; but we shall see that many Iranian converts to Islam chose to claim their pre-Islamic heritage and to revive their culture and language. Indeed, Muslim Iranians played a significant role in shaping Islamic civilization and administration on the model of pre-Islamic Iranian dynasties. Ultimately, this chapter will document the multiple ways in which Iranians managed to preserve their national culture.
