Transcript Slide 1
The First Empires! Mesopotamia and Egypt The Meaning of Empire Empire is the extension of rule by one people over other, different peoples People see empires as glorifying wealth and power but… Empires are actually about: – – – – Effective communication and administration Unified monetary systems Cultural diffusion Figuring out how the conquered people fit in Types of Empire: – Hegemony = dominated by someone else because the benefits of belonging to the empire make it acceptable to subject peoples – Dominance = you become part of the empire by sheer force of military power – whether you like it or not… – …resistance is normal The Meaning of Empire Reasons for Decline and Fall of Empires – Failure of leadership – Overextension of administration – Collapse of the economy – Doubt over ideology – Military defeat The Earliest Empires Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent – Cities/states fought constantly over land, irrigation rights, and prestige – Victory in one generation often followed by revenge in the next Hi! Remember Me? The First Empire! Sargon of Akkad [r. 2334-2279 B.C.E.] – Sargon defeated Mesopotamian cities and created empire of Akkad – Conquered widely, razed city walls, wrote in Akkadian language, standardized weights and measures, created ideology based on Sargon’s image; lasted about one hundred years The Ebb and Flow of Empires Waves of Invaders: Babylonians Hammurabi created noted legal code but was also a skilled military leader – The Babylonian Empire lasted about 250 years (1792 – c1500) bce Babylon Hanging Gardens of Babylon? The Earliest Empires Invaders: Hittites Hittites from north spoke Indo-European language – Advanced technology of ironworking (beginning of the Iron Age) – Hittite empire dominant from 1400 to 1200 B.C.E. The Earliest Empires Invaders: The Assyrians Rise to dominance began 900 B.C.E. – Ruled by terror and forced migration – Esarhaddon [r. 680669 B.C.E.] conquest of Egypt made Assyria greatest power of the time The Battle of Kadesh Ramses II at Kadesh Treaty of Kadesh Egypt! Egypt and International Conquest – Egyptian power based on unified state – Egyptian power in Middle East (1550 – 1070 bce) during New Kingdom extended to Euphrates River – Pharaohs gain power and wealth in this era – This leads to increased resistance! Egypt! The End of Empire… – Military defeat (the Assyrians) caused Egypt to abandon empire outside Nile Valley – Maintained control of Nubia till 1050 B.C.E. – Nubian empire actually included Egypt [712657 B.C.E.] – Assyrians, Persians, and Alexander the Great controlled Egypt in turn [671-332 B.C.E.] The Persian Empire Persians broke Assyrian power Persian expansion leads to empire under Cyrus [r. 558-529 B.C.E.] and successors that control Middle East Persepolis – Ancient Capitol of Persia (Present Day Iran) The Persian Empire – Cyrus II [r. 558-529 B.C.E.] – much different than other conquerors: • Merciful toward defeated foes • Tried to balance needs of empire You can with desire for local autonomy call me – Cyrus • Used bureaucracies of conquered the administrations Great! • Supported Babylonian gods • Allowed exiles of Babylonian government to return home [included Jewish return to Judea] The Persian Empire – Cambyses II [r. 529-522 B.C.E.] • Did not practice restraint in conquest or administration • Attacked Egypt and captured the Pharaoh • Expanded the empire • Frequent rebellions • Unstable • Suicide? The Persian Empire Darius I extended power all the way to India [r. 522486 B.C.E.] • Continued moderate practices of Cyrus II More balanced and capable administrator than Cambyses Commissioned design of 1st written Persian script Darius Built elaborate capital and called it Parsa (Persia), the Greeks called it Persepolis! Nile/Red Sea Canal (that’s right, an ancient Suez canal!) Thousands of miles of roads The Persian Empire – Little artwork outside of architecture survives – Reliefs on walls reflect imperial power – Rulers were probably followers of Zoroastrianism • Followers had to choose between the forces of good and evil – Moderate policies brought local support except at western Greek borders of the empire