Foundation of an Empire Indo-Europeans settled in Iran – Became Persians Settled by the Fertile Crescent - brought chariots, iron technology and Sanskrit 550 B.C. - Cyrus the Great defeated nearby kingdoms Lands had copper, lead, gold, silver, fertile soil World payed little attention to the Persians until Cyrus began his path of conquest –Governed with tolerance toward conquered peoples Honored local/religious customs – let people dress, worship as they pleased

Persian Rule Cyrus died and the empire fell into chaos Son Cambyses was a hostile ruler – unpopular - executed Military generals and royals/nobles fought for the throne 521 B.C.: Darius takes over - Expands empire to India and Europe Used the Immortals – Elite force of 10,000 soldiers for conquest Made sure they were well equipped and had best equipment available Focused on setting up an administration that was effective to govern the Persian Empire Large amount of territory, different peoples and cultures, possibilities of rebellion

Cyrus the Great Darius

Persian Rule (Cont.) Empire = divided into 20 districts Satraps – local governors – ruled the districts Paid tribute to the king Satraps collected tribute from the people – made sure it was sent to the king Sent officials to make sure the satraps were ruling correctly (“Kings Eyes and Ears”) Satraps sometimes tried to rebel against the king, so the officials had to go around and keep the satraps in check Sometimes they had to go undercover and spy

Persian Rule (Cont.) Most people conquered by Persians accepted their rule People were allowed to practice their religion and keep many of their old laws Darius knew that there would be peace in the Persian Empire if the people were satisfied Question of whether to be loved or feared: Persian leaders try to be loved Women were allowed to own/manage property and shops Upper-class women often wore veils to show they were Still faced limitations – couldn’t be government officials/bureacrats/not many queens

Zoroastrianism Zarathustra –Persian Prophet (Modern Day Iran) Unclear dating on his birth – Some Zoroastrians claim 6000 BCE! Others think 600 BCE; modern historians date it to between 1500-1000 BCE His teachings became the main religion in the Persian Empire until the 7th century CE (Islam replaced it) One day he Experienced a vision sent to him by the Supreme God Ahura Mazda Told him to spread his teachings to the people Zoroastrianism

Ahura Mazda – The Only God A single god Ahura Mazda who is supreme. He created the world from nothing Also created powerful spirits to help him create the rest of the universe – called Amesha Spentas

Amesha Spentas

Holy Scriptures Avesta – Holy Book of Zarathustra’s words – they are kept in a series of five hymns called the Gathas The Gathas are sacred poetry (hymns/songs) directed towards: worship of the One God, understanding of righteousness and order in the world promotion of social justice and individual choice between good and evil.

Cosmic Dualism Ahura Mazda has an enemy - Angra Mainyu: Evil spirit of violence and death The world struggles every day between good and evil Every day humans choose whether to follow Ahura Mazda or Angra Mainyu

The Afterlife After death, a person's Urvan (soul) is allowed three days to meditate before being judged/sent to afterlife The Soul is judged by three spirits: Mithra, Sraosha and Rashnu If the good actions outweigh the bad, then the soul is taken into Heaven. Otherwise, the soul is led to Hell.

Connections with Other Monotheistic Religions Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have: One creator god Good vs. evil Light vs. dark Final judgment in which good triumphs