To double on what @amirani said but in a different direction: I remembered when I read Hell Hath No Horizon (nae worries, nae need to read it) some years ago a story similar to this. A personal enlightenment, a personal endeavor and a start of a new movement. A new ideology, that of which he created and now gains traction. Reminds me a lot of equally Manichaeism and how widespread that was (which I must add the region being so close to Iran where it actually was established is a funny connection to make). Now I do wonder if the mystical forces of the Universe are at play here or this is the rise of a new ideology which started with one but was carried by everyone else; as they had felt it before the Merchant came along to organize them to the road they were looking for.

Upvot’d and resteem’d.