IRANIAN 35 Test 1 (Concepts)

Concepts

French Era

Late 1800s and 1900s France gained exclusive rights for excavation in Iran (mainly Susa)

Archeology was tied to national prestige, imperial politics, and identity-building

Jaques de Morgan’s excavation efforts leaned towards a political tool over scientific research over the region

Indo-European Migration

The movement of Indo-European languages that most likely originates in Central Asia

Languages spread from cultural diffusion, elite dominance, and not from replacement from new populations

Persian identify comes from mixture of Elamite populations and Indo-European languages

Median Empire

Medes were an early Iranian-speaking group

Known as the Median empire but was comprised of decentralized leaders

Built hilltop fortresses and columned halls and had influence in early Persian political organization

Achaemenid Empire

Founded by Cyrus II and largest spanning empire

Multicultural and tolerance of local cultures

Included the royal road which helped with maintenance of empire and recorded through tablets

Satrapy system where empire is divided into provinces and governed by a satrap and local elites retained power

Kings ruled by divine right of Ahura Mazda

Cyrus II

Conquered Medes, Lydia, and Babylon

Transitional period from local ruling to imperial rule

Known for cultural tolerance and strategic expansion

Darius I

Consolidation of Achaemenid empire and standardized administrative systems

Known for grand monumental architecture and representing power, unity, and diversity

Truth vs “liars” and expressed himself as the restorer of order

Parsagadae

First Achaemenid Capital with influence from many cultures and architecture

Includes the Tomb of Cyrus

Open elemtn with palaces and gardens

Traditions from regional kingship over imperialism

Persepolis

Building includes the Apadana that contains reliefs showing tribute across the empire and the Terrace which how that it is a ceremonial site

Fortification texts have administrative records of travel and rations showing functionality of empire

Naqš-e Rustam

Royal tomb complex carved into cliffs

Refers to the ideology of the King above it’s subjects

Expresses the idea of supreme royalty and divine legitimacy

Behistun Inscription

Inscription written by Darius I that is written in many languages

Stories include Darius defeating rebels and defending his rule over the empire

Zoroastrianism

An ancient Iranian religion that is influenced from Zoroastrianism

Ideo of good vs evil with the god Ahura Mazda

Religion influences kingship through justification

Achaemenid Egypt

Conquered by Cambyses and governed as a satrapy

The rulers originated from Persia and adopted Egyptian titles

Investment into infrastructure and embracement of local traditions

Greco-Persian Wars

Greeks described Persian rule as an absolute monarchy, contrasting with Greek ideals of citizenship and political participation

Persian belief in maintaining imperial control and practiced local autonomy with satrapies allowing regional control

Conflicts between Achaemenid Empire and Greece where Greece resisted Persian expansion

Orientalism

Western perspective of the East described as exotic and backwards

Greeks viewed Persians as “others”