1 / 18

Empires of Persia: A Historical Overview

Explore the rise and fall of Achaemenid, Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanid Empires in Persia, their societal structures, economy, and religious practices. Discover the impact of Zoroastrianism and other religious groups in the region.

ori-rowland
Download Presentation

Empires of Persia: A Historical Overview

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Chapter 7 The Empires of Persia

  2. Persian Empires • Contemporary Iran • Four major dynasties • Achaemenids (558-330 BCE) • Seleucids (323-283 BCE) • Parthians (247 BCE-224 CE) • Sasanids (224-651 CE)

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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)

  8. Seleucid Empire • Alexander the Great dies suddenly • Generals divide empire, best part goes to Seleucus (r. 305-281 BCE) • Attacked by rebellion in India, invasion of Parthians

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

  10. Parthian Empire • Seminomadic Parthians drive Seleucus out of Iran • Federated governmental structure • Especially strong cavalry • Weakened by ongoing wars with Romans • Fell to internal rebellion

  11. 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

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

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

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

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

  16. 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

  17. 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

  18. 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

More Related