The Empires of Persia free essay sample

1. Why does the book say that Darius was more important as an administrator than as a conqueror? Darius built a new capital at Persepolis Center of a sophisticated bureaucratic state Created the Twenty-three satrapies(governors) Created weights and Measurements One central Coinage (Currency) and standardized taxation He had tolerance: Spies to check every level of govt 2. How did Darius organize his empire politically – how did he govern, what were the levels of government in the empire? Set up an efficient administration of twenty-three satrapies (provinces) Created a fine balance between central and local control( Satraps, Spies Provincial rulers, satraps Constrained by the presence of imperial troops and tax collectors While traveling bureaucrats also monitored their actions 3. What systems did Darius establish to rule such a large empire? 23 Satrapies (provinces) that created a fine balance between central local control Taxes and soldiers Traveling Bureaucrats Centralized Coinage, Unified taxes, (Common weights and measurements) -Postal Systems 4. In what ways did Darius, and his successors, promote communication and commerce throughout the empire? They created the Persian Royal Road stretched for 1600 miles from the Aegean Sea to Iran. -It provided communication w/ large parts of the empire. Used uniform taxes which allowed every Satrap to collect Darius had bureaucrats who monitored their actions Coinage- This was to unify the entire empire Bureaucrats- They monitored the tax collectors Postal Stations 6. How did the Parthians come to control the Persian Empire? Power of Parthian was heavy cavalry Mithradates I established a empire through conquests from 171-155 B.C.E. Parthian government followed the example of Achaemenid administration Conquered Seleuds 7. What was the role of the imperial bureaucrats in Persian society? How did they fit in with the other social classes? Imperial administration called for educated bureaucrats Shared power and influence with warriors and clan leaders(fell under the warrior class) Administrators, tax collectors, record keepers, and translators 8. What agricultural technologies and techniques did the Persians use to produce the large surpluses they needed to feed their huge population of nonfood producers? The Persians came up w/ underground irrig. Canals (Qanats) does not evaporate It makes its way to the crops. Extensive road building -Persian Royal Road -Courier Service 9. The Persian Empires were noted for being part of a trade route critical to the economy of the classical world. What did the rulers do to facilitate trade? They: Used long-distance trade Imported products from India Their lands were fertile Persian elites considered trade to be a profession of lies and deceit Most Persian communities and estates were self-sufficient Local merchants and traders continued to deal with trade along key routes: -Silk Road (East) -Trans-Arabian (West) -Red Sea Maritime Trade (West) -Mediterranean Coastal Trade (Northwest) 10. What were the basic teachings of Zoroastrianism? Why is it considered a highly moralistic religion? How did Zoroastrianism influence other religions? Ahura Mazda super deity with 6 lesser deities There was a cosmic conflict between Ahura Mazda and ANgra Mainyu Heavenly paradise and hellish realm as reward and punishment Saw the material world as a blessing. The moral formula was good words, good thoughts, and good deeds. Influenced the Jewish religion (belief in future reward and punishment); Christianity (concepts of heaven and hell Moral formula Good deeds, Good Words, and Good thoughts Islamic conquerors toppled the Sasanid empire, seventh century C.E. Some Zoroastrians fled to India (Parsis) Most Zoroastrians in Persia converted to Islam Some Zoroastrians still exist in modern-day Iran 11. The authors refer to the Persian Empires as cosmopolitan. What does this mean? In what ways did the rulers promote this cosmopolitanism? Fashion and Art—ethnically diverse  Broad culture  Persian arts, or Iranian arts is one of the richest art heritages in world history and encompasses many disciplines including architecture, painting, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, metalworking and stonemasonry. There is also a very vibrant Iranian modern and contemporary art scene. 12. The authors suggest that classical societies were more complex and more sophisticated than the early societies discussed in part. What evidence do you see of this in the development of the Persian Empires? Classical Civilizations: (1000 BCE 600 CE) Change political centers Improve technology Establish more elaborate philosophical and religious traditions Expand science and math  Methods for territorial expansion; Embraced diverse group of people Integrated aspects of their institutions and traditions  Each civilization operated separately despite contacts with each other Sophisticated internal organization  Roads for better internal trade and travel