I've been pondering this over the past few days. It's trivially obvious to posit a world in which Muhammad has born, or to go earlier that and have the non-founding of Christianity as your POD.
But how much could the layout of world religions be altered in a world in which still saw the founding of Islam and the expansion of the caliphate?
Right off the bat, this limits us to a POD in the late 6th century or later, as any earlier then would butterfly away Muhammad's conception.
The best idea I can come up with for the Sassanid campaign against the Byzantines to be more successful, culminating in the capture or Heraclius, and the exhausted Byzantine Empire splintering with rival claimants to the throne. Khosraw would then march on Constantinople with Heraclius in tow, and an offer of peace- reinstate Heraclius, accept the loss of territory and status as a vassal of Persia. Constantinople, exhausted by war and cut off from revenue and trade due to the civil war, accepts...
Of course, Khosraw could then honour the deal. But let's say that he instead decides to end the thorn in Persia's side once and for all and do to them as the Romans did to Carthage
And, just because it's poetic, let's say that just as Constantinople is being sacked the Arabic invasion begins, striking at the largely undefended and unprepared Ctephison whilst the bull of the Persian armies are far to the West.
But how much could the layout of world religions be altered in a world in which still saw the founding of Islam and the expansion of the caliphate?
Right off the bat, this limits us to a POD in the late 6th century or later, as any earlier then would butterfly away Muhammad's conception.
The best idea I can come up with for the Sassanid campaign against the Byzantines to be more successful, culminating in the capture or Heraclius, and the exhausted Byzantine Empire splintering with rival claimants to the throne. Khosraw would then march on Constantinople with Heraclius in tow, and an offer of peace- reinstate Heraclius, accept the loss of territory and status as a vassal of Persia. Constantinople, exhausted by war and cut off from revenue and trade due to the civil war, accepts...
Of course, Khosraw could then honour the deal. But let's say that he instead decides to end the thorn in Persia's side once and for all and do to them as the Romans did to Carthage
And, just because it's poetic, let's say that just as Constantinople is being sacked the Arabic invasion begins, striking at the largely undefended and unprepared Ctephison whilst the bull of the Persian armies are far to the West.