Persia

Persia

Geography

• Balkan peninsula, to the indian subcontinent

• Conquered: Mesopotamia, Egypt, and NW india

• Based around modern day Iran

Religion

• Zoroastrianism 

• Founder: Zoroaster (aka Zarathustra)

• Monotheistic

• Avesta: Holy book

• Beliefs: Forces of good and evil fight for control of your soul, Everyone is judged at the end of time and it influences their afterlife

Achievements 

• Royal Road: Safe, used for communication & trade

• Persepolis: Persian capital city, Ruined by Alexander the Great

• Art: Metal work, rock cravings, weaving & architecture

Politics

• Imperial Bureaucracy: Government structure, Empire made up of many local provinces=Each province ruled by a local government called a Satrap, Satrap: Like teacher of school, Satrap reported back to king, Spies deployed to keep an eye on Satraps

• Cyrus the Great: Military Genius, Tolerant ruler

• Darius |- Imperial bureaucracy & Satraps, Royal Road, Persepolis 

• Xerxes: Led Persia in war against greeks

Economy

• Based on trade: Royal road, standardized currency, weights and measures 

Society

• Tolerance: must pay taxes, conquered people who were free to speak their own language, practice their own religion, follow their own customs

• Social classes: power based hierarchy, slavery used (debt & war)