Chapter 7 The Empires of Persia

Persian Empires Contemporary Iran Four major dynasties Achaemenids (558-330 BCE) (AWE KEE MA NIDS) Seleucids (323-283 BCE) Parthians (247 BCE-224 CE) Sasanids (224-651 CE)

Achaemenid Empire (558-330 BCE) Migration of Medes and Persians from central Asia, before 1000 BCE Indo-Europeans Capitalized on weakening Assyrian and Babylonian empires Cyrus (r. 558-530 BCE) founder of dynasty “Cyrus the Shepherd” Peak under Darius (r. 521-486 BCE) Ruled Indus to the Aegean Capital Persepolis

Achaemenid Administration: The Satrapies 23 Administrative divisions Satraps Persian, but staff principally local System of spies, surprise audits Minimized possibilities of local rebellion Standardized currency for taxation purposes Massive road building, courier services

Technologies Qanat: System of underground canals Avoided excessive loss to evaporation Extensive road-building Persian Royal Road 1,600 miles, some of it paved Courier service

Decline of the Achaemenid Empire Policy of toleration under Cyrus, Darius Rebuilding of Temple in Jerusalem Xerxes (486-465 BCE) attempts to impose Persian stamp on satrapies Increasing public discontent

Persian Wars (500-479 BCE) Rebellious Greeks in Ionia Peninsular Greeks join in Persians defeated at Marathon (490 BCE), retreated Alexander the Great conquers the Achaemenid Empire (334-331 BCE)

Seleucid Empire Alexander the Great dies suddenly No one knows exactly of what…had a high fever Generals divide empire, best part goes to Seleucus (r. 305-281 BCE) Attacked by rebellion in India, invasion of Parthians

Funeral of Iskander (Alexander): pallbearers carry his coffin draped with brocaded silk and his turban at one end. In Nizami's version Iskandar fell ill and died near Babylon. Because it was believed he had been poisoned, no antidotes could revive him Buried in Memphis, Egypt and then in Alexandria

The Achaemenid and Selucid empires, 558-83 B.C.E.

Parthian Empire Semi-nomadic Parthians drive Seleucus out of Iran Federated governmental structure Especially strong cavalry Weakened by ongoing wars with Romans Fell to internal rebellion

Sasanid Empire (224-651 CE) Claimed descent from Achaemenids Continual conflicts with Rome, Byzantium in the west, Kush in the east Overwhelmed by Arab conquest in 651 Persian administration and culture absorbed into local Islamic culture

The Parthian and Sasanid empires, 247 B.C.E.-651 C.E

Persian Society Early steppe traditions Warriors, priests, peasants Family/clan kinship very important Creation of bureaucrat class with Empire Tax collectors Record keepers translators

Women in Persia Women owned property, were involved in managing their assets, earned wages and as a result were able to be economically independent. Patriarchal system prevailed and husbands and other males had far more rights and privileges than their wives or children. Upper class and free women wore veil. Adopted from Assyrians (only slaves, prostitutes and concubines were without the veil)

Slave Class Prisoners of war, conquered populations Debtors Children, spouses also sold into slavery Principally domestic servitude Some agricultural labor, public works

Persian Economy Several areas exceptionally fertile Long-distance trade benefits from Persian road-building Goods from India especially valued

Zoroastrianism Early Aryan influences on Persian religious traditions Zarathustra (late 7th-early 6th c. BCE) Prophet of Ahura Mazda, against Angra Mainu Priests of Zarathustra known as Magi Oral teachings until Sasanid period composed Gathas

Fortunes of Zoroastrianism Under Alexander: Massacre of Magi, burning Zoroastrian temples Weak Parthian support Major revival under Sasanids, persecution of non-Zoroastrians Discrimination under Islam

Other Religious Groups in the Persian Empire Major Mesopotamian communities of Jews Composition of the Talmud, c. 500 CE “constitution of Judaism” Buddhism, Christianity and Manichaeism also survived Manichaeism (/ˌmænᵻˈkiːɪzəm/;[1] in Modern Persian آیین مانی Āyin-e Māni; Chinese: 摩尼教; pinyin: Móní Jiào; Xiao'erjing: موْنِ كِيَوْ) was a major religion that was founded by the Iranian[2] prophet Mani (in Persian: مانی, Syriac: ܡܐܢܝ , Latin: Manichaeus or Manes; c. 216–276 AD) in the Sasanian Empire.[3][4] Manichaeism taught an elaborate dualistic cosmology describing the struggle between a good, spiritual world of light, and an evil, material world of darkness. Through an ongoing process which takes place in human history, light is gradually removed from the world of matter and returned to the world of light from whence it came. Its beliefs were based on local Mesopotamian gnostic and religious movements.[5] Manichaeism was quickly successful and spread far through the Aramaic-Syriac speaking regions.[6] It thrived between the third and seventh centuries, and at its height was one of the most widespread religions in the world. Manichaean churches and scriptures existed as far east as China and as far west as the Roman Empire.[7] It was briefly the main rival to Christianity in the competition to replace classical paganism. Manichaeism survived longer in the east than in the west, and it appears to have finally faded away after the 14th century in southern China[8] contemporary to the decline in China of the Church of the East during the Ming Dynasty. While most of Manichaeism's original writings have been lost, numerous translations and fragmentary texts have survived.