Transcript The Empires of Persia

The Empires of Persia
Chapter 7
The Achaemenid Empire
• Indo-European migrants to Persia (Iran) – subject
to Mesopotamian empires
• Pastoral, limited agriculture
• Clan-based
• Militarily strong – horse-riding archers
The Achaemenid Empire (cont.)
• 558 BCE: Cyrus becomes king of Persian tribes
and begins building power and expanding
• => Persian Empire
• Cambyses and then Darius continue expansion
The Achaemenid Empire (cont.)
• Difficult to govern due to size and diversity
– -> needed communications and institutions for taxing
and administering territories
• Built new capital (Persepolis),
• Satrapies (admin. and tax districts governed by Satraps;
“checks” and spies),
• standardized taxes and money, and codified laws,
• roads and courier service,
• public works (qanats)
Decline and Fall of Achaemenid Empire
• Diversity was tolerated at first, but under Xeres,
Persian identity was flaunted
– -> rebellions and resentment, esp. Greeks in Anatolia
(Persian Wars – Greeks won at Marathon and kept
Persians out of Greece)
• Then, Alexander the Great: invaded Persia and
won at Gaugamela
• Looted, destroyed Persepolis,
took over as ruler, kept
administrative structure
The Seleucid Empire
• Part of Alexander’s empire, ruled by one of his
generals (Seleucus)
– Kept admin. system in place, but founded new cities
and brought in Greek colonists (Hellenism) ->
increased trade and economic development
• Opposition from Persians -> lost some land, but
lasted until 83 BCE
The Parthians
• Nomadic warriors from eastern Iran who settled
and began agriculture (satrapy)
• Decentralized gov’t = federation of leaders
• Figured out how to breed bigger horses = military
edge
• 200s BCE: became independent from Seleucids
The Parthians (cont.)
• By 171 BCE, became an empire and by 155 BCE,
controlled all of Iran into Mesopotamia
• Restored Persian traditions of administration, but
kept some steppe traditions (clan leaders)
• By 2nd century CE, pressure from Roman Empire
and internal conflict => weakening and collapse
The Sasanids
• 224 CE: defeated the Parthians, established
strong rule and rebuilt admin. system
– Increased trade, introduced new crops
– Created buffer states against Romans
• Conflict with other empires to east and west =>
weakening
• 651 CE: defeat by Arabs
(but, cultural elements
continued)
Imperial Society and Economy
• Early social structure: warriors, priests, peasants
• As empire formed: required lots of educated
bureaucrats
• Slaves: POWs and debtors, domestic servants,
farmers, public works
• Free classes:
– city – artisans, merchants,
priests/priestesses
– countryside – landed peasants, and
tenant farmers (also maintained irrigation system)
Economic Foundatinos of Classical
Persia
• Agriculture: barley and wheat, surplus
– State-owned farms – supported imperial bureaucracy
and satraps
• Long-distance trade expanded <- stability,
prosperity, money, trade routes, markets
– Regional specialization
– Trade with Mediterranean
increased (cultural diffusion)
Religions of Salvation in Persia
• Early: similar to Aryans
• Empire: adapted to cosmopolitan society
• Zoroastrianism: teachings of Zarathustra (the
Gathas)
– Ahura Mazda = supreme deity and creator, in conflict
with Angra Mainyu (evil spirit)
– When good prevails, souls will be judged and sent to
“heaven” or “hell”
– Appreciation of material world and with honesty
Zoroastrianism (cont.)
• Gained followers (esp. elites) and built temples,
priesthood, rituals, calendar, teachings
• Darius claimed divine sanction of Ahura Mazda
• No organized effort to spread the religion
Religion in Persia
• Alexander the Great destroyed temples and killed
magi (priests)
• Parthians used it to gain support
• Sasanids revived it: wrote texts (Avesta)
• Conquered by Islamic empire: pressure on
temples -> some fled to India, most converted to
Islam
• Big influence on other faiths (Judaism,
Christianity, Islam): moral standards, good vs. evil,
judgement, future rewards and punishments,