Persia RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATION

Strong Empire – Good or Bad?  You are a merchant who travels great distances with your camel caravan in order to sell and trade goods. Your life has become increasingly difficult because bandits and thieves plague the roads. They ambush and rob unwary travelers, particularly merchants selling their goods. There is a new military power expanding its empire throughout the region of your travels that is suppressing the worst outlaw bands. At the same that it is putting down the lawlessness and disorder, however, the military empire is imposing harsh laws and heavy taxes on the regions it conquers.

 Why might a merchant or other common person favor the establishment of a strong empire?  Why might such a person oppose a strong empire?  Why might a victorious army enslave a subject people?  What advantage or abuses might a strong military power bring to the region?

The Persian Homeland  Around 1000 BC, Indo-Europeans first migrated from Central Europe and southern Russia to the mountains and plateaus east of the Fertile Crescent (from the Caspian in the north to Persian Gulf in the south)  This ancient area of current day Iran boasted prosperous farmland and a wealth of minerals (including copper, lead, gold, silver and blue lapis lazuili)

 Under the ruling of the following three Persian rulers the Persian Empire grew in size – stretching from Egypt and southeastern Europe all the way to the Indus River.  Cyrus  Cambyses  Darius

Social Patterns of Persian Empire  As a leader, Cyrus’ legacy was his method of governing – he was best known for his kindness towards conquered peoples helping to reveal a wise and tolerant view of his empire.  His generals enforced strict discipline against looting and burning, believing in respecting the local customs and religions.  Instead of destroying local temples, Cyrus would kneel and pray there.

 Under Persian rule, subject people enjoyed remarkable freedom.  Cyrus also allowed the Jews, who had been deported from the Babylonians, to return to Jerusalem in 538 BC.  Under Cyrus, the Jews rebuilt their city and temple – resuming sacred rituals.

Government in the Persian Empire  By the reign of Darius, the Persian Empire covered 2,500 miles east to west.  In order to govern, the king divided it into 20 provinces, roughly similar to the homelands of the many groups within the Persian Empire.  They were allowed to practice their own religion, speak their language and followed many of their own laws.

Still the boss  Although tolerant of many groups in the empire, Darius still ruled with absolute power.  In each province, Darius installed a governor called a satrap, who would rule locally – who’s loyalty would be checked using inspectors known as the “Kings Eyes and Ears

Unified as one  An excellent road system and use of standard money helped to unite the empire.  The Royal Road of the Persian Empire ran from Susa in Persia to Sardis in Anatolia, a distance of 1,677 miles.  Coins of standard value circulated throughout the extended empire – no longer did people have to weigh and measure odd pieces of gold or silver to pay for what they bought.  Trade also helped to hold the empire together.

Persian Religion  Thousands of years of war, conquest and famine in the Fertile Crescent gave rise to a question: Why should so much suffering and chaos exist in the world?  A Persian prophet, Zoroaster (600 BC), offered the people an answer – two spiritual armies fight for possession of a person’s soul

Light and darkness  The god of truth and light, Ahura Mazda, leads one army.  The god of evil and darkness, Ahirman, leads another army.  Zoraster preached that all souls would be judged by which side they had chosen.  Followers of Ahura Mazda would be lifted into paradise, while followers in Ahirman would suffer forever in a fiery pit.

Ahura Mazda A Persian Prince in battle with an animal symbolizing Ahirman

Sacred writing and connections to other faiths  The Avesta became the holy writings of the Zorastrian religion.  The Zorastrian religion developed ideas about heaven, hell and final judgment that were similar to the concepts of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

The Legacy of the Persian Empire  Political order in southwest Asia with tolerance and good government.  Respect of cultures helped to preserve their culture for the future.  Cyrus’ dynasty lasted 200 years and helped to grow into a huge empire.

Promoting Persia!  Create a poster promoting the virtues of the Persian empire to potential visitors!  Pretend that you work for some version of the Persian Chamber of Commerce and think of ways you might present information through promotional posters to the rest of the ancient world.  For example: accommodations, roads, portraits of rulers, and history briefs.  Your poster should contain accurate information, cover relevant topics, be creative and neat!