Transcript Classical Persia

WHEN YOU GET BACK FROM LUNCH
Grab an India map from the back
table and an Atlas of World History
from the bookshelf!
AP EXAM REGISTRATION
IS COMING!
When: February 1st -4th –Done through your
AP classes
AP Exam Cost: $93
AP Exam payments due February 12th by
4:30PM!
AP exam cost: $93
6 hours of World History classes at UNT
(for Texas residents):
$2222
Empire (n.)
a group of nations or peoples ruled over by an emperor, empress, or
other powerful sovereign or government: usually a territory of greater
extent than a kingdom.
Key Concept 2.2: The Development of States and Empires
As the early states grew in number, size, and population, they competed for resources and
came into conflict with one another. In quest of wealth, land, and security, some empires
expanded dramatically. In doing so, they built powerful military machines and
administrative institutions that were capable of organizing human activities over long
distances, and they created new groups of political and military elites to manage their
affairs. As these empires expanded their boundaries, they also faced the need to develop
policies and procedures to govern their relationships with ethnically and culturally diverse
populations, sometimes to integrate them and sometimes to include them in their
imperial societies. In some cases, these empires became victims of their own successes. By
expanding their boundaries too far, they created political, cultural, and administrative
difficulties they could not manage. They also experienced environmental, social, and
economic problems when they overexploited their lands and subjects and permitted
excessive wealth to be concentrated in the hands of privileged classes.
 From modern Iran, largest empire to this date in history
 Took over Neo-Assyrian empire
 Medes: Persians who challenged Neo-Assyrian rule
 Empire under the Achaemenid ruling family: Greece to India, as
far north as Caucasus Mntns, as far south as North Africa
 Cyrus I: Founder – conquers Anatolia/Babylonia.
 Lets Jews in OT go home. (end of Babylonian Captivity)
 Darius I: Organizer & Lawgiver Divides empire into 23 satrapies
(satrap = governor related to royal family)
 satrap: collect taxes, oversee territory, lots of autonomy further from the





capital
Conquered Indus
Decentralized system. Conquered lived according to own traditions.
Standardized coins, big empire, roads, stability brought forth good trade
Est. new capital @ Persepolis
Zoroastrianism – Heaven/Hell, 1 supreme god, reward/punishment,
“messiah.” Monotheistic polytheism – Ahura Mazda – supreme deity, over
lesser deities.