Persian Empire
Large and In Charge
Part 1 watch from
5:45
https://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=8aukC8
GBEsU
Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSm68TxRBRo
Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=N5mwOovpetA
Engineering an Empire:
The Persians
The Persian empire stretched from Asia minor to the hindu kush mountains---about 2000 miles! Also called the Achaemenid Empire (550-330 BCE)
Essential Question How did Persia govern its empire?
The Persian empire ruled with tolerance and a wise
government
Cyrus the Great
Cyrus the Great
Persia’s first king
Started his empire by conquering the Medes and the Babylonians.
Cyrus presented himself as a liberator to those he conquered.
Soldiers were not allowed to loot conquered towns or enslave
people
Honored local customs and religions
Cyrus the Great wrote the
Cyrus Cylinder:
an ancient declaration of human rights
- Clay
- Symbol of Peace
Cyrus’ Empire
Darius the Great522 b.c-428 b.c.
Darius the GreatExpanded the empire
to its largest size
Developed an
Imperial
Bureaucracy to
govern his massive
empire
Started the use of
standard money and
the Royal Road
Importance of the Royal Road
Helped Darius unite his empire
Increased trade
Royal Road
Imperial BureaucracyIn order to make ruling easier, Darius
divided up the empire into 20 provinces
Each province had a satrap
(governor), army leader, and tax
collector
Each position was appointed by Darius
Although the provinces were a part of the
Persian empire, they were able to practice
their own religion and speak their own
language
SatrapsSatraps: governors of Persian provinces
Were checked on by the “King’s eyes and ears”
(inspectors)
Governor McAuliffe: Virginia’s “satrap”
Major difference: Appointed by the people, and not the
president (king)
The most important thing they have in
common:Practiced tolerance
Zoroastrianism
https://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=a4ezRTvD
rqw
ZoroastrianismPersian Prophet Zoroaster founded Zoroastrianism
Belief in 2 Spiritual armies led by:
Ahura Mazda, the god of truth and light
Ahriman, the god of evil and darkness
Both armies are fighting for control of a person’s soul
Followers controlled their fate by either choosing the
side of goodness or the side evilness
Had similar concepts to Judaism, Islam, Christianity
Spreads to India which now has the largest group of
practicing Zoroastrians