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Persia
Cyrus the Great, after his victory over the Medians, founded the Achaemenid Empire. The Achaemenid Empire would become one of the most formidable in the ancient Near East/Central Asia. One of the reasons why the Achaemenid grew in power, wealth, and stature was due to the unique combination of a strong centralized government and the satrapy system. Another reason why the Persian Empire grew and lasted as long as it did was that its rulers understood how to turn diversity into a strength. Thus, Persian leaders capitalized on the ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity of their regions in order to remain strong.
From the time of Cyrus the Great, the Achaemenid Empire demonstrated remarkable and astute leadership. Although the Persian notion of king tended to be theocratic in tone, Cyrus was nevertheless an egalitarian leader, which is why he was able to rule over diverse populations without significant, at least recorded, discord. The satrapy system was the cornerstone to Cyrus's success as a leader, and the satrapy system lasted throughout the Achaemenid Empire.
The satrapy system characterized the administrative and political institutions of ancient Persia since Cyrus. Under this system, the King allowed the satraps to rule over their regions as they saw fit, according to the needs, circumstances, customs, and languages of that area. The satraps enjoyed a high degree...
The satrap system is akin to the modern American system in which local, county, state, and federal politics all coexist in one system.
Although he was deemed to be divine and his position hereditary rather than elected, the King himself maintained control over the satraps through an organized bureaucratic system. Achaemenid leaders tended to be well liked, which is why harmony reigned throughout the extent of the empire. The King's domain was religious as well as spiritual; but he would have to interact with numerous officials in government in order to communicate about the diverse regions under Achaemenid control. Also part of the satrapy system included unified armies and courts. There were federal, or king-level, court systems as well as local ones.
Thus, the Persian emperors emphasized the multi-lingual, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious differences of their subjects by allowing his subjects a strong degree of freedom. The reason for the King's decision to serve as an egalitarian leader was to maintain peace and prevent uprisings that would certainly have resulted if a group of people were unhappy with their governance. The satrap system ensured that local voices were heard and heeded. Instead of imposing a state religion or normative system, individuals were permitted to practice their own faiths…
Cyrus the Great of Persia and Emperor Ashoka of India The history of a nation is measured chronologically by its rulers. An era of history can be discussed while comparing the government and sociology of one nation to that of another existing in the same time period. How then, can we compare two nations that existed in two different portions of the world, nearly three centuries apart? Since one cannot do
Except for Miletus, which was sacked as an initiator of the revolt, the other cities were treated rather reasonably, going as far as recommendations for the settled Persians to respect local religious traditions (Herodotus VI 42-45). This does not necessarily need to be seen only as a reasonable conquering policy, but also as a diplomatic and political approach: once Darius asked for the submissions of mainland Greek cities, many of
They also counted with cavalry and carts. However on thin passages or gorges, the Persian cavalry could not display its full power and their number superiority was blocked, since their spears were shorter than the Greek weapons. The narrow battlefield of the gorge forced them to fight almost in equal number with the Greek army, forcing them to retreat after two days of battle. The Persian army achieved important victories: the
Persian Wars (490 BCE to 479 BCE) between the Greek city-states and the Persian Empire were predicated by various circumstances, ranging from cultural ideologies to political connivances. For the Greeks, particularly the Ionians and the Athenians, Persian rule was unwanted and unacceptable. The Persian leaders Darius and his son Xerxes, however, following in the example of Cyrus the Great, saw the Greek city-states as puny colonies that were to be
Dark Age and the Archaic Age Having watched the lectures for the prior learning unit on video, I was prepared to enjoy the video lecture presentation for this learning unit. I previously found the presentation of lectures in the video format to be very convenient because I could observe at my own pace, rewind if I missed part of the lecture, have flexibility about when I was viewing the lecture, and
Known as the Median kingdom, centered in what is today northern Iran, this powerful alliance of Mesopotamian kingdoms and nations emerged in the late 8th century B.C.E. with its mighty army joining that of Babylon to destroy the Assyrian Empire. In 546 B.C.E., Cyrus the Great, after conquering Lydia and subduing its king Croesus, quickly acquired domination over many of the Greek polis or city-states on the western coast