Its understandable that Persians got co-opted by Abbasids and also had many native dynasties such as Samanids, Buyids etc. which allowed them to retain their Persian culture (minus their original faiths). However how did they manage to survive the Turkic Koyunlu rule in the Middle Ages and the Mongol invasions itself. Because Safavids came in much later. What was the time after Mongol extermination and before Safavid rule under these Turkic rulers.
Did these rulers not try to Turkify Iran? How did these Turkic rulers treat Persian subejcts? How was Persian economy during this time? Why dont we see much of a Turkic element in Persian culture today considering Turkomans ruled for a long time there.
Also How did Persians so easily adopt Shia faith after being Sunni for almost a millenia at the time of Safavids?
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