Ch. 7 Empires of Persia

The Achaemenid EmpireThe Selucid, Parthian, and Sasanid Empires

Social and Economic DevelopmentsReligions in Persian Society

4 major Empires of Persia

• Achaemenid, (558- 330 B.C.E.)• Seleucid (323- 83 B.C.E.)• Parthian (247- 224 B.C.E.)• Sasanid (224- 651 C.E.)

• controlled much of the territory between the Mediterranean Sea and India for over one thousand years, from about 550 B.C.E. through 650 C.E.

The Achaemenid EmpirePeople: Medes & Persians migrated from central Asia to

Persia (modern day Iran), who became peoples of Achaemenid Empire

Leaders: Cyrus the Shepard, Cambyses, Darius

Center of Empire: Persepolis

-full of advisors, ministers, diplomats, scirbes, accountants, translators, bureaucratic officersPolitical: - balance between central dominance and local administration-appointed governors to different regions for central control

-divided into satrapies – administrative and taxation districts

-taxes, laws, standardized coins

Darius the Great

The Royal Road

Archaemenid Empire built roads, some of them stone, and courier service

At the Height of the Empire…• Roads and administrative control allowed empire

to extend• Laws and justice maintained stability• Qanat –underground canals- improved

agriculture and led to more population• Iron Metallurgy – iron tools used in agriculture

throughout empire

Decline & Fall of Empire

• Cyrus & Darius promoted toleration of multicultural empire and various ethnic groups

• Xerxes (Darius successor) imposed his own values and moved away from toleration

• People of Mesopotamia and Eygpt resented Xerxes and rebelled.

• Ionian Greeks (500 B.C.E.) rebelled and asserted independence– Known as the Persian Wars (500-479 B.C.E)

Decline & Fall of Empire

• 150 years of battles and wars with Greek city-states– Battle of Marathon (490 B.C.E.) -Persian loss– Alexander the Great defeated Persians with

48,000 Macedonians– Battle of Gaugamela (331 B.C.E) – Alexander

the great defeated Achaemenid forces and empire was finished

Alexander the Great

The Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanid Empires (After Alexander

the Greats’ death)• Alexander the Greats’ empire was divided into 3

realms– Seleucid –reigned using Archaemenid systems of

administration & taxation, royal roads and postal service

– Parthians –took over Iran, seminomadic, no centralized government, more agriculture, warriors

– Sasanids – furthered system of administration, cultivated rice, sugar, fruits, eggplant in Iran. Fought against growing Roman Empire

Imperial Society & Economy

• Public life and social structure became more complicated– Centralized imperial governments– Educated classes– Trade, art, craftsmen, and professionals– Increased gap between rich and poor– More slavery – enslaving conquered forces

Social Development in Classical Persia

• Early Achaemenid Empire – Medes & Persians had social structure similar to Aryans in India, – Warriors, priests, peasants– Family and clan relationships very important– Various other ethnic groups

• Imperial administration led to growing numbers of bureaucrats – administrators, tax collectors, record keepers – challenged warrior elite

Free Classes

• People were free but did not live like clan leaders and bureaucrats

• Free peoples in cities – artisans, craftsmen, merchants, low-ranking civil servants

• Free peoples in countryside – peasants that owned their owned land, workers

• Religious observances

Economic Foundations in Classical Persia

• Agriculture based –support military, bureaucrats, residents

• Trade from India to Egypt – Standardized coins, good trade routes,

markets, banks, taxes– Specialization of production in different

regions– Trade promoted because of relative political

stability, general prosperity, standardized coins, and good trade routes

Religions of Salvation

• Cross-cultural influences led to development of Persian religion

• Zoroastrianism (6th century B.C.E.)– Idea of supreme god (Ahura Mazda)– Gathas (Zarathustra’s works) - – Not strict monotheists (6 lesser deities)– Good vs. Evil– Purpose of life was not to get to some heaven– Influenced Islam, Christianity, Judaism