Persian power had a huge impact on the history of the Ancient World. Formed by a small tribal union, the state of the Achaemenids lasted about two hundred years. The splendor and power of the country of the Persians are mentioned in many ancient sources, including the Bible.
Start
For the first time, the mention of the Persians is found in Assyrian sources. In an inscription dated to the ninth century BC. e., contains the name of the land of Parsua. Geographically, this region was located in the Central Zagros region, and during the mentioned period, the population of this region paid tribute to the Assyrians. Tribal unions did not yet exist. The Assyrians mention 27 kingdoms under their control. In the 7th century the Persians, apparently, entered into a tribal union, since references to kings from the Achaemenid tribe appeared in the sources. The history of the Persian state begins in 646 BC, when Cyrus I became the ruler of the Persians.
During the reign of Cyrus I, the Persians significantly expanded the territories under their control, including taking over most of the Iranian plateau. ATAt the same time, the first capital of the Persian state, the city of Pasargada, was founded. Some of the Persians were engaged in agriculture, some led a nomadic lifestyle.
Rise of Persian Power
At the end of the VI century. BC e. the Persian people were ruled by Cambyses I, who was dependent on the kings of Media. The son of Cambyses, Cyrus II, became the lord of the settled Persians. Information about the ancient Persian people is scarce and fragmentary. Apparently, the main unit of society was the patriarchal family, headed by a man who had the right to dispose of the life and property of his loved ones. The community, at first tribal, and later rural, for several centuries was a powerful force. Several communities formed a tribe, several tribes could already be called a people.
The emergence of the Persian state came at a time when the entire Middle East was divided between four states: Egypt, Media, Lydia, Babylonia.
Even in its heyday, Media was actually a fragile tribal alliance. Thanks to the victories of King Cyaxares of Media, the state of Urartu and the ancient country of Elam were conquered. The descendants of Cyaxares could not keep the conquests of their great ancestor. The constant war with Babylon required the presence of troops on the border. This weakened the internal politics of Media, which the vassals of the Median king took advantage of.
Reign of Cyrus II
In 553, Cyrus II revolted against the Medes, to whom the Persians paid tribute for several centuries. The war lasted three years and ended in a crushing defeat for the Medes. The capital of Media (the city of Ektabana) became one ofresidences of the ruler of the Persians. Having conquered the ancient country, Cyrus II formally retained the Median kingdom and assumed the titles of Median lords. Thus began the formation of the Persian state.
After the capture of Media, Persia declared itself as a new state in world history, and for two centuries played an important role in the events taking place in the Middle East. In 549-548 years. the newly formed state conquered Elam and subjugated a number of countries that were part of the former Median state. Parthia, Armenia, Hyrcania began to pay tribute to the new Persian rulers.
War with Lydia
Croesus, lord of the mighty Lydia, realized what a dangerous adversary the Persian state was. A number of alliances were made with Egypt and Sparta. However, the Allies did not manage to start full-scale military operations. Croesus did not want to wait for help and went out alone against the Persians. In the decisive battle near the capital of Lydia - the city of Sardis, Croesus brought his cavalry to the battlefield, which was considered invincible. Cyrus II sent out warriors on camels. The horses, seeing unknown animals, refused to obey the riders, the Lydian horsemen were forced to fight on foot. The unequal battle ended with the retreat of the Lydians, after which the city of Sardis was besieged by the Persians. Of the former allies, only the Spartans decided to come to the aid of Croesus. But while the campaign was being prepared, the city of Sardis fell, and the Persians subjugated Lydia.
Expanding boundaries
Then came the turn of the Greek policies, which were located on the territory of Asia Minor. After a number of majorvictories and suppression of rebellions, the Persians subjugated the policies, thereby acquiring the opportunity to use Greek ships in battles.
At the end of the 6th century, the Persian state expanded its borders to the northwestern regions of India, to the cordons of the Hindu Kush and subjugated the tribes living in the basin of the river. Syrdarya. Only after strengthening the borders, suppressing rebellions and establishing royal power, Cyrus II turned his attention to powerful Babylonia. On October 20, 539, the city fell, and Cyrus II became the official ruler of Babylon, and at the same time the ruler of one of the largest powers of the Ancient World - the Persian Kingdom.
Reign of Cambyses
Cyrus was killed in battle with the Massagetae in 530 BC. e. His policy was successfully carried out by his son Cambyses. After a thorough preliminary diplomatic preparation, Egypt, another enemy of Persia, found itself completely alone and could not count on the support of the allies. Cambyses carried out his father's plan and conquered Egypt in 522 BC. e. Meanwhile, in Persia itself, discontent was ripening and a rebellion broke out. Cambyses hurried to his homeland and died on the road under mysterious circumstances. After some time, the ancient Persian state provided an opportunity to gain power to the representative of the younger branch of the Achaemenids - Darius Hystaspes.
The beginning of the reign of Darius
The seizure of power by Darius I caused discontent and grumbling in the enslaved Babylonia. The leader of the rebels declared himself the son of the last Babylonian ruler and became known as Nebuchadnezzar III. In December 522 BC. e. Darius I won. The leaders of the rebels wereput to public execution.
Punitive actions distracted Darius, and meanwhile rebellions rose in Media, Elam, Parthia and other areas. It took the new ruler more than a year to pacify the country and restore the state of Cyrus II and Cambyses to its former borders.
Between 518 and 512, the Persian Empire conquered Macedonia, Thrace and part of India. This time is considered the heyday of the ancient kingdom of the Persians. A state of world significance united dozens of countries and hundreds of tribes and peoples under its rule.
The social structure of Ancient Persia. Reforms of Darius
The Persian state of the Achaemenids was distinguished by a wide variety of social structures and customs. Babylonia, Syria, Egypt were considered highly developed states long before Persia, and the recently conquered tribes of nomads of Scythian and Arab origin were still at the stage of a primitive way of life.
Chain of uprisings 522-520 showed the inefficiency of the previous scheme of government. Therefore, Darius I carried out a number of administrative reforms and created a stable system of state control over the conquered peoples. The result of the reforms was the first effective administrative system in history, which served the rulers of the Achaemenids for generations.
An effective administrative apparatus is a clear example of how Darius ruled the Persian state. The country was divided into administrative-tax districts, which were called satrapies. The size of the satrapies was much larger than the territories of the earlystates, and in some cases coincided with the ethnographic boundaries of the ancient peoples. For example, the satrapy of Egypt territorially almost completely coincided with the borders of this state before its conquest by the Persians. The districts were led by state officials - satraps. Unlike his predecessors, who were looking for their governors among the nobility of the conquered peoples, Darius I put only nobles of Persian origin in these positions.
Functions of governors
Previously, the viceroy combined both administrative and civil functions. The satrap of the time of Darius had only civil powers, the military authorities were not subordinate to him. The satraps had the right to mint coins, were in charge of the economic activities of the country, collected taxes, and ruled the court. In peacetime, the satraps were provided with little personal protection. The army was subordinated exclusively to military leaders independent of the satraps.
The implementation of state reforms led to the creation of a large central administrative apparatus, headed by the royal office. State administration was conducted by the capital of the Persian state - the city of Susa. The major cities of that time, Babylon, Ektabana, Memphis, also had their own offices.
Satraps and officials were under the vigilant control of the secret police. In ancient sources, it was called "the ears and the eye of the king." The control and supervision of the officials was entrusted to the Khazarapat - the chief of the thousand. State correspondence was conducted in Aramaic, which was owned by almost all the peoples of Persia.
Culture of the Persian state
Ancient Persia leftdescendants of a great architectural heritage. The magnificent palace complexes in Susa, Persepolis and Pasargada made a stunning impression on contemporaries. The royal estates were surrounded by gardens and parks. One of the monuments that have survived to this day is the tomb of Cyrus II. Many similar monuments that arose hundreds of years later took the architecture of the tomb of the Persian king as a basis. The culture of the Persian state contributed to the glorification of the king and the strengthening of royal power among the conquered peoples.
The art of ancient Persia combined the artistic traditions of the Iranian tribes, intertwined with elements of Greek, Egyptian, Assyrian cultures. Among the items that have come down to the descendants, there are many decorations, bowls and vases, various goblets, decorated with exquisite painting. A special place in the finds is occupied by numerous seals with images of kings and heroes, as well as various animals and fantastic creatures.
Economic development of Persia in the time of Darius
The nobility occupied a special position in the Persian kingdom. The nobles owned large land holdings in all the conquered territories. Huge plots were placed at the disposal of the “benefactors” of the tsar for personal services to him. The owners of such lands had the right to manage, transfer allotments as inheritance to their descendants, and they were also entrusted with the exercise of judicial power over subjects. A land use system was widely used, in which the plots were called horse allotments,bows, chariots, etc. The king distributed such lands to his soldiers, for which their owners had to serve in the army as horsemen, archers, charioteers.
But still huge tracts of land were in the direct possession of the king himself. They were usually rented out. The products of agriculture and cattle breeding were accepted as payment for them.
In addition to the lands, the canals were in the immediate royal power. The administrators of the royal property rented them out and collected taxes for the use of water. For the irrigation of fertile soils, a fee was charged, reaching 1/3 of the landowner's crop.
Persian labor force
Slave labor was used in all sectors of the economy. The bulk of them were usually prisoners of war. Bonded slavery, when people sold themselves, did not become widespread. Slaves had a number of privileges, for example, the right to have their own seals and participate in various transactions as full partners. A slave could redeem himself by paying a certain dues, and also be a plaintiff, witness or defendant in legal proceedings, of course, not against his masters. The practice of recruiting hired workers for a certain amount of money was widespread. The work of such workers was especially widespread in Babylonia, where they dug canals, made roads and harvested crops from royal or temple fields.
Darius' financial policy
The main source of funds to the treasury were taxes. In 519, the king approved the basic system of state taxes. The tributes have been calculatedfor each satrapy, taking into account its territory and land fertility. The Persians, as a conquering people, did not pay a monetary tribute, but were not exempt from tax in kind.
Various monetary units that continued to exist even after the unification of the country brought a lot of inconvenience, so in 517 BC. e. The king introduced a new gold coin, called the darik. The medium of exchange was the silver shekel, which cost 1/20 of a darik and served as a bargaining chip in those days. On the reverse of both coins was placed the image of Darius I.
Transport routes of the Persian state
The spread of the road network contributed to the development of trade between the various satrapies. The royal road of the Persian state began in Lydia, crossed Asia Minor and passed through Babylon, and from there to Susa and Persepolis. The sea routes laid by the Greeks were successfully used by the Persians in trade and for the transfer of military force.
Marine expeditions of the ancient Persians are also known, for example, the voyage of the navigator Skilak to the Indian shores in 518 BC. e.
