4-3 Notes: Persia Controls Southwest Asia

A Land Between East and West The Medes (from Media) controlled lands which included the Persians Modern-day Iran lies on Persian land Persia is isolated from the rest of the Fertile Crescent and the sea by mountain ranges such as the Hindu Kush, the Zagros, and the Caucasus ranges Most people lived at the edge of high plateaus in the middle of Persia or in mountain valleys, where farming was successful Iron, copper, and semiprecious gems could be found in the land

Persians Occupy the Land Nomadic invaders from Central Asia often swept through and occupied these lands (they were related to other nomadic invaders who would move on to Europe/India) These invasions caused cultures and customs to mix in these lands Around 1000 BCE, Persians entered the region They created many tiny kingdoms that thrived on trade (horses and minerals) The kingdoms began to grow in power and threaten the power of the Medes

Cyrus Founds the Persian Empire The Medes ruled until a Persian king named Cyrus took control (known as “Cyrus the Great”) Cyrus wanted to conquer the lands around Persia and unite them into one large empire Cyrus led swift, deadly attacks in the region Cyrus first conquered Anatolia, also known as Asia Minor (part of modern-day Turkey) Between 550 and 539 BCE, he conquered the Fertile Crescent Lands that were once controlled by the Chaldeans and the Assyrians

A Wise Emperor Cyrus used a policy of toleration, or allowing people to keep their beliefs and practices and customs, to control his empire Cyrus allowed people to worship their own gods, speak their own languages, and practice their own ways of life – they did pay tribute for protection though Cyrus’s policies of respect and toleration made friends instead of enemies He was greatly admired by the Hebrew people, who liked that they allowed them to rebuild their temple and the city of Jerusalem

Darius Expands the Empire After Cyrus died, a weaker and less tolerant ruler faced rebellions in the empire until a strong leader named Darius I came to power Darius I spent his first few years dealing with rebellious peoples After putting down the revolts, he began conquering lands in the east until reaching India (his empire was 2,800 miles west to east!) Darius’ empire was so large he divided it into 20 provinces (small regions like states) Each had a local government run by a satrap, who had to carry out his orders and collect taxes He also appointed a military commander for each satrap and spies (called the “king’s eyes and ears”) to be sure that satraps followed his orders

Uniting the Empire Darius also began the use of the Royal Road, a road specifically made for government purposes The road was 1,775 miles long stretching from Susa in the east to Sardis in the west on the Anatolian Peninsula Messages were sent by a relay of messengers About every 15 miles there was a relay station where the messengers could get a fresh horses Messages could move across the entire length of the road in 7 days Military troops, mail, trade goods could also move along the road Darius also set up a law code similar to Hammurabi’s Darius also borrowed the idea of minting and distributing coins from the Lydians The coins helped to promote business and made tax collection simpler

Enemies of Persia Darius planned a march against Egyptian rebels in 486 BCE but he died that year His son, Xerxes, had to deal with the rebels instead