Arzalism: Difference between revisions

Comprehensively describing and measuring adherence to the various facets of Arzali belief and practice in Varshan was not possible before the [[Final War of the Deluge|demise of the Zurgite Varshani state]], and remains a challenging task in the social and religious disruption following therefrom. Because all other religions were banned for millennia and no non-Arzali religious institutions functioned on the territory of Varshan, the state did not collect statistics on religious identity. Varshan's largely {{wp|closed society}}, state repression, and very limited penetration of telecommunications technology into the general population constrained the reach of open-source monitoring and prevented covert surveys from reaching a representative sample. Instead, scholars relied on analysis of (often unreliable or incomplete) early modern sources, accounts from refugees and expatriates, and studies of Arzalist minority communities outside Varshan.