27
THE EMPIRES OF PERSIA Chapter 7

THE EMPIRES OF PERSIA Chapter 7. Achaemenid Empire

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

  • Slide 1
  • THE EMPIRES OF PERSIA Chapter 7
  • Slide 2
  • Achaemenid Empire
  • Slide 3
  • I. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRES
  • Slide 4
  • I. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRES CONTD 2. Cyrus a. Cyrus the Achaemenid (reigned 558-530bce) b. aka Cyrus the Shepherd c. tough, wily leader & outstanding military strategist d. led first Persian Empire 3. Cyruss Conquest a. 558 bce king of Persian tribes b. 553 bce rebellion against his Median overlord c. 548 bce all Iran under his control, conquered Babylon d. ruler of empire that stretched from India to borders of Egypt
  • Slide 5
  • I. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRES CONTD e. 530 bce mortally wounded from nomadic raiders 4. Darius a. Cyruss empire expanded during the reigns of his successors b. Cyruss son Camyses conquered Egypt c. Darius (reigned 521bce-486bce) extended both east & west d. largest empire the world had seen e. better administrator than conqueror f. ruled over 70 distinct ethnic groups g. communication w/all parts of their realm, created institutions that allowed them to tax and administer their territories
  • Slide 6
  • Tomb of Cyrus at Pasargadae
  • Slide 7
  • I. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRES CONTD 5. Persepolis a. Darius centralized his administration b. Persepolis=new capital c. administrative center d. lavish halls, royal residences, well protected treasury e. advisors, ministers, diplomats, scribes, accountants, translators & bureaucratic officers 6. Achaemenid Administration: The Satrapies a. central & local initiative b. governors were agents of central administration and oversaw affairs in the various regions
  • Slide 8
  • Ruins of Persepolis
  • Slide 9
  • Stone Carving from Persepolis showing an enthroned Darius
  • Slide 10
  • I. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRES CONTD c. 23 satrapies districts governed by the satraps d. local officials filled other jobs below the satrap e. military and tax officers checked on the local power of the satraps f. eyes and ears of the king-conducted surprise audits of the provinces & collecting intelligence reports 7. Taxes, Coins, and Laws a. regularized tax levies and standardized laws
  • Slide 11
  • I. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRES CONTD b. replaced with tribute payments with formal tax levies c. had to pay a quantity of silver, horses and slaves d. issued standardized coins which fostered trade e. codified laws of the different subjects within the region 8. Roads and Communication a. roads across the realm b. Persian Royal Roads-paved with stone stretched 1600 miles, took 90 days to travel this road c. organized courier service d. stations provided fresh horses & food e. pass info from one end of the road to the other in 2 weeks
  • Slide 12
  • I. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRES CONTD
  • Slide 13
  • e. subject peoples and rulers undermined integrity of the Achaemenid empire f. Cyrus and Darius were both tolerant g. Xerxes (reigned 486bce-465bce) had a harder time with these people h. reputation for cruelty and insensitivity 2. The Persian Wars a. difficult time w/ethnic Greek subjects b. Ionian Greeks fell under Persian rule during the reign of Cyrus c. Greeks called the Persian tyrants d. Greek rebellion caused a series of wars called the Persian Wars
  • Slide 14
  • I. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRES CONTD e. 150 years of intermittent battle occurred between the Persian and Greeks 3. Alexander of Macedon a. Invades Persia in 334bce b. Military had heavier arms, more sophisticated tactics c. Battle of Gaugamela- one year defeated the Persian army and took over the Achaemenid empire d.. Alexander acted like the legitimate successor and kept many aspects of the Achaeminid empire (ex. Administrative structure)
  • Slide 15
  • Silver Coin of Alexander of Macedon
  • Slide 16
  • I. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRES CONTD
  • Slide 17
  • 2. The Parthians a. maintained customs and traditions of the steppes people of C Asia b. no centralized govt but a federation of leaders, got together to organize policy. c. skillful warriors d. effective means to resist nomadic invasions 3. Parthian Conquests a. Mithradates I is the greatest conqueror b. Transforms state to a mighty empire
  • Slide 18
  • I. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRES CONTD 4. Parthian Government a. enemies of Seleucids, b. restores Persian traditions c. followed Achaemenids in structuring their empire d. responsibility and authority to clan leaders, served as satraps, built independent bases of power e. internal pressure by satraps and Romans contributed to the weakening of the Parthians e. 3 rd century ce the empire declines
  • Slide 19
  • Sassanid Empire
  • Slide 20
  • II. IMPERIAL SOCIETY & ECONOMY
  • Slide 21
  • II. IMPERIAL SOCIETY & ECONOMY CONTD 1. Agricultural Production a. Barley and wheat 2. Standardized Coins a. Encouraged economic development and trade b. trade benefited from standardized coins c. coins were precisely measured metal and guaranteed their value d. coins were popular and drew merchants from distant lands e. banks and companies invested in commercial ventures
  • Slide 22
  • II. IMPERIAL SOCIETY & ECONOMY CONTD 3. Trade a. Long distance trade grew rapidly b. linked lands from India to Egypt in a commercial zone c. each region contributed particular products d. long distance trade became popular Alexander of Macedon and the Seleucids
  • Slide 23
  • III. RELIGIONS OF SALVATION IN CLASSICAL PERSIAN SOCIETY
  • Slide 24
  • III. RELIGIONS OF SALVATION IN CLASSICAL PERSIAN SOCIETY CONTD 2. The Gathas a. Hymns he composed in honor of various deities he recognized 3. Zoroastrian Teachings a. Ahura Mazda=supreme deity, eternal, beneficent creator of all good things b. Angra Mainyu=destructive spirit or hostile spirit c. Ahura Mazda & Angra Mainyu are adversaries. Forces of good would prevail against evil and evil would disappear. Human souls undergo judgment and experience rewards or punishment according to the holiness of their thoughts, words and deeds
  • Slide 25
  • III. RELIGIONS OF SALVATION IN CLASSICAL PERSIAN SOCIETY CONTD 3. Popularity of Zoroastrianism a. did not ask to renounce material things in the world in to reach heaven b. material world a blessing c. moral teachings allowed people to enjoy the fruits of the earth d moral teachings as good faith, good works, good deeds e. Darius (emperor) associated himself with Ahura Mazda and claimed divine sanction for their rule
  • Slide 26
  • III. RELIGIONS OF SALVATION IN CLASSICAL PERSIAN SOCIETY CONTD
  • Slide 27
  • 2. Other Faiths a. Jewish communities existed b. Manichaeism 3. Influence of Zoroastrianism a. left its mark on other religions of salvations b. the ideas that developed: omnipotent deity, evil against the creator, good will prevail, high moral standards, humans undergo judgment