1. The Persian Empire c. 550 – 330 BCE
World History I

2. Main Ideas
Geography – Persia’s location between Mesopotamia and India was a bridge between eastern and western Asia.
Government – Cyrus used a policy of toleration to control the Persian Empire.
Government – To better govern, Persia divided its lands into smaller units and developed an imperial bureaucracy.
Religion – Persia practiced Zoroastrianism

3. What was the land of the Persians like?
Essential Question:
What was the land of the Persians like?

4. Mountains, Deserts, and a Plateau
The lands of the Medes included Persians in modern-day Iran
Mountain ranges isolated Persia from the rest of the Fertile Crescent
Ranges are Zagros, Caucasus, Hindu Kush
Most people lived on a high plateau in the middle of the region, or in valleys
Iron, copper, semiprecious gems found in the land

5. Map of the Persian Empire

6. Persians Occupy the Land
Medes lands often invaded by Central Asian nomads
Nomads’ customs mixed with other societies living in the area
Persians entered into region, and created tiny kingdoms around 1000 BCE
Traded horses and minerals with eastern and western Asia
Persian kingdoms grew in power and threatened Medes’ control of the land

7. Cyrus Founds the Persian Empire
Essential Question:
What was the rule of Cyrus like?

8. Fearless Military Leader
Medes ruled Persia until Persian king Cyrus the Great took control
Cyrus wanted to conquer and unite the surrounding lands as one empire
Quickly conquered Anatolia, or Asia Minor, within modern-day Turkey
Conquered the Fertile Crescent between 550 and 539 BCE

9. A Wise Emperor
Cyrus controlled lands of different peoples with a policy of toleration
Toleration: allowing people to keep their customs and beliefs
Conquered people kept their own religions, languages, and paid tribute
Policies made friends of conquered peoples, such as the Hebrews
Freed Hebrews and allowed them to rebuild temple and Jerusalem
Fewer revolts and people lived in peace

10. Why can Cyrus be considered a wise emperor?
Review Question:
Why can Cyrus be considered a wise emperor?

11. Darius Expands the Empire
Essential Question:
How did Darius control his empire?

12. Darius Extends Persian Control
After Cyrus’s death, weaker ruler faced rebellions
Darius I followed weak ruler, and put down the revolts
Darius conquered lands as far east as India
Persian Empire grew to 2800 miles from east to west

13. Political Organization
Darius divided the large empire into 20 provinces
Provinces: areas of land similar to states, each with a local government
Set up satraps: governors who ran provinces and collected taxes
Appointed military commanders for each satrap
Spies called “king’s eyes and ears” helped Darius control satraps
Had extensive imperial bureaucracy

14. Uniting the Empire
Darius started the use of the Royal Road for government purposes
Royal messages sent by relay of horseback messengers
Stretched from Sardis to Susa
Moved troops, mail, and promoted trade
Darius set up law code based on Hammurabi’s and used minted coins

15. Enemies of Persia
Darius died in 486 BCE before attacking Egyptian rebels
Followed by Xerxes who had to deal with Egypt and Greece
Xerxes was defeated by the Greeks in the Persian Wars in 480 BCE
Led to the decline of the empire
The Persian Empire fell when defeated by Alexander the Great under Darius III in 330 BCE

17. Why did Darius divide the empire?
Review Question:
Why did Darius divide the empire?

18. Zoroastrianism Official religion of Persia
Based on the teaching of the prophet, Zoroaster
Monotheistic - one universal and inspiring God, Ahura Mazda
Believe in that there are two opposing forces in the universe
Belief in the idea of free will
“I praise aloud the thought well thought, the word well spoken, and the deed well done”

19. Lesson Summary Tiny Persian kingdoms succeed due to trade
Cyrus the Great ruled the Persian Empire with a policy of toleration
Darius formed provinces and appointed satraps to improve government
Zoroastrianism was the official religion of Persia

20. Why it matters now…
The Persians showed that lands ruled with policies of toleration could be stable and peaceful.