An Assignment on a Major Civilization of the World

Course: Society, Business & Government

Course ID: Bus 105

Submitted To:
Mr. Shahriar Kabir
Assistant Professor,
Institute of Business Administration,
Jahangirnagar University,
Savar, Dhaka.

Submitted By:
Sams Saiyadena Zeesha
ID No: 1642
Institute of Business Administration,
Jahangirnagar University,
Savar, Dhaka.

Date of Submission: 26th July, 2015

Civilization:
A civilization is generally defined as a large group of people who live and work co-operatively, a
society that shares a single culture, an advanced state of human society containing highly
developed forms of government, culture, industry and common social norms. It is also a label for
human societies which have attained a specific degree of complexity.
Homo sapiens, or human beings, have been around for nearly 300,000 years. For most of that
time, however, they had no written history. During this time of prehistory, humans spent most
of their lives moving from place to place, hunting for food, building crude shelters, and
protecting themselves from wild animals. Around 5000 BCE, things slowly began to change. For
the first time, humans started to settle down in one place. They began growing their own food
and building permanent homes. The first cities were formed. People began using metals, such as
copper and bronze, instead of stones to make tools. Then, around 3000 BCE, they created a
system of letters and began to write. This new form of living was called Civilization.
The word civilization comes from the Latin word Civilis meaning Civil. It is related to the Latin
word Civis (Citizen) and Civitas (City or city-state) which also somehow defines the size of the
society. The word Civilization first began appearing during the Enlightenment. The
Enlightenment was all about civilizing humankind, using reason, education, and science to bring
people up to a high state of human functioning.
Historians, anthropologists, and other scholars have identified several core characteristics of
civilization. Some of the most commonly suggested characteristics include urban centers,
agricultural manipulation and storage, irrigation, written language, standards of measurements,
craftsmanship technology, social stratification, state government, a common religion and/or
ideological outlook, and a shared culture.
The Roman civilization, the Greek empire, the ancient Egypt, the Persian civilization, the
Chinese civilization, the Aztecs civilization etc. are among the major civilizations of the world.
Persian civilization is one of the major civilizations that were existed between the timeline of
3000BC to 1000AD.

The Persian Civilization

(550 BC-330 BC)
Cyrus the Great founded the Persian Empire in 550 BC by conquering Median Empire. There
was a time when ancient Persian civilization was in fact the most powerful empires in the world.
Though only in power for a little over 200 years, the Persians conquered lands that covered over
2 million square miles. From the southern portions of Egypt to parts of Greece and then east to
parts of India, the Persian Empire was known for its military strength and wise rulers. Before 550
BC, Persian (or Persis as it was called back then) used to be divided in factions among a number
of leaders.
But then King Cyrus II, who later on came to be known as Cyrus the great, came into power and
unified the entire Persian Kingdom. Then he went on to conquer the ancient Babylon. In fact, his
conquest is so rapid that by the end of 533 BC, he had already invaded India, far in the east. And
even when Cyrus passed away, his bloodline continued the ruthless expansion and even dueled in
now legendary battle with the brave Spartans. At its prime, ancient Persia ruled all over central
Asia, much of Europe and Egypt.

Persian Empire:
The Persian Empire was the most powerful kingdom of the ancient world. Though only in power
for a little over 200 years, the Persians conquered lands that covered over 2 million square miles.
From the southern portions of Egypt to parts of Greece and then east to parts of India, the Persian
Empire was known for its military strength and wise rulers.

In the seventh century BC, a small kingdom of Persians was established in Parsumash under the
leadership of Achaemenes. Later on, the Persian dynasty was named after this first king.
Achaemenes son, Teispes, who reigned from 675 BC to 640 BC, was under the domination of
the Medes, who were gathering an army to overthrow Assyria. During their war with Assyria,
when the Medes were in trouble, the Persians were free from being controlled by the Medes. In
fact, King Teispess army was able to capture the province of Parsa from the Elamites. When the
Assyrians finally conquered the Elamites, they came into contact with the Persians, who were
then being ruled by Cyrus I, the son of King Teispes.
Cambyses, the son of Cyrus I, married the daughter of the Median king, Astyages. Their son,
Cyrus the Great, who reigned from 559 BC to 530 BC, built an enormous palace for himself in
Pasargadae. The Babylonian king, Nabonidus, became an ally with Cyrus against the Medes. In
this war, Cyrus fought and defeated his grandfather, Astyages, and changed the Median capital to
Ecbatana. This became his own capital and he set up his library of archives there. Cyrus the
Great defeats the Median king Astyages at the battle of Pasargadae and become the king of both
kingdoms. He established the Persian Empire in 550 B.C.E. Cyrus the Great had a concept of
One World and the Unification of All People around the known World. By accepting the
practices and religions of the subject people he created the worlds first humane and religiously
tolerant empire and evolved an administrative system that was sufficiently flexible to cater for
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the multitude of different languages, races, religions and cultures while maintaining the
fundamental unity of government necessary to maintain the huge empire.
Cyrus and King Darius, who ruled later, were usually kind and generous to the enemies they
defeated. Sometimes, however, this attitude worked against the Persians. Cyrus eventually
invaded Asia Minor and defeated Croesus, the king of Lydia. Cyrus also conquered many of the
Greek cities in the area. After this, he solidified his control to the east. In 539 BC he captured
Babylon almost without a fight and he decreed that the exiled Jews could return to Jerusalem to
rebuild the temple.
Cyruss son, Cambyses II, who reigned from 529 BC to 522 BC, conquered Egypt. However,
when he committed suicide, the Persian kingdom almost fell apart. Cambyses was succeeded by
Darius I the Great, who reigned from 521 BC to 486 BC. Darius I was the son of Hystapis, who
was a governor of Parthia. Darius put an end to all of the internal revolts and he unified the
Persian Empire. In order to run the empire more efficiently, he divided it up into 20 provinces
that were ruled by separate satraps, or governors. He also set up other positions that checked on
the activities of the governors. Darius moved the capital of Persia from Pasargadae to Persepolis.
He started a building project to make a tremendous palace complex that was continued by later
kings. Darius was a member of the Zoroastrian religion and he worshiped the god, Ahura Mazda,
as did Xerxes and Artaxerxes, two kings who ruled after Darius.
King Dariuss early victory over the rebels is described on the famous rock of Bisitun. This
memorial included different carved pictures and a long inscription in three different languages:
Persian, Elamite, and Akkadian. Henry C. Rawlinson made a copy of these records in 1855. This
was a very risky task because the monument was carved into a cliff about 500 feet above the
ground. Rawlinsons accomplishment played a large part in helping scholars translate these
ancient languages.
During the latter part of Dariuss reign, he was defeated by the Greeks at Marathon in 491 BC.
When he died, King Darius was buried in a tomb cut into a cliff in Naqsh-i-Rustam, which was
northeast of Persepolis. The memorial at his tomb praised Dariuss ability as king of Persia. Later
kings were buried in tombs cut into the same cliff.
His son Khshayarsha, who is called Xerxes in the Bible, succeeded King Darius. Xerxes reigned
from 485 BC to 465 BC. The inscription on Xerxes tomb lists the nations he controlled and
describes how he worshiped Ahura Mazda. During his rule, the Persian fleet was defeated at
Salamis in 480 BC.
After Xerxes, there were several kings who ruled Persia, including Artaxerxes I Longimanus,
Darius II, Artaxerxes II Mnemon, Artaxerxes III Ochus, Arses, and finally Darius III.
The loss of the Persian empire has been attributed to the cowardice of Darius III. His armies
were defeated by Alexander the Great at Issus in 333 BC. Eventually, Persia was defeated again
5

at Gaugamela in 331 BC. When Alexander the Great died in 323 BC, Persia was controlled by
one of his generals, Seleucus. There are not many historical records that describe life in Persia
between Darius II and the third century AD, when the Sassanians ruled them.

Date
550 B.C.

550 B.C.

539 B.C.
533 B.C.
529 B.C.

521 B.C.

521 B.C.

485 B.C.

465 B.C.

404 B.C.

359 B.C.

336 B.C.

The Timeline of Persian Empire

Event
Cyrus rules (Around 550 B.C.): Cyrus II, later known as Cyrus the Great, comes
to power as king of Ashan in western Persis. Under his control all of Persis is
united. He starts the Achaemenid dynasty.
Cyrus is attacked: King Astyages of Media attacks Cyrus. During the fight, some
of Astyages' men turn on their leader and Cyrus becomes the victor. He goes on to
defeat the Medes and conquers Lydia.
Cyrus captures Babylon: Cyrus continues his conquests and soon even Babylon
is under his control.
Cyrus conquers more (533 - 529 B.C.): Cyrus continues to take over more lands.
In 533 B.C. he invades India. He later dies in battle in 529 B.C.
The family line goes on (529 - 522 B.C.): After the death of his father, Cambyses
II rules. He conquers both Egypt and Cyprus, extending the empire even more. He
dies in 522 B.C.
Darius I reigns (521 B.C.): Darius claims the throne, but Bardiya, presumably
Cambyses' brother, claims it, too. Bardiya is eventually defeated and Darius
becomes king of Persia
Darius' contributions (521 B.C.): Darius divides the empire into provinces called
satrapies, each governed by a satrap. He links the empire by roads and has a
common currency throughout. He also allows the Jews to continue rebuilding their
temple after disputes from neighboring areas are brought to his attention.
Xerxes I rules (485 - 465 B.C.): Xerxes I comes to power after the death of
Darius. He continues the war with Greece. The Persians burn Athens in 480, but
are defeated at Salamis the following year when the fleet sinks. Xerxes is
assassinated in 465.
Artaxerxes reigns (465 - 424 B.C.): Xerxes' son, Artaxerxes, takes over the
empire. During his reign he allows his cupbearer Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem
to restore the walls to protect the city. In 447 B.C. a satrap from Syria revolts.
Artaxerxes comes to power (404 - 359 B.C.): Artaxerxes comes to the throne in
404 after the reign of Darius II. He rules longer than any other Persian king.
During this time, Egypt leads a successful revolt.
Artaxerxes III recaptures Egypt (359 - 338 B.C.): Egypt doesn't stay
independent for long. In 343 Persia regains control. Artaxerxes III is assassinated
in 338 B.C. Arses takes over, but is assassinated two years later.
Darius and Alexander (336 - 330 B.C.): Darius III takes over. In 334 Alexander
the Great of Macedonia invades Central Asia. Darius loses three battles with
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Alexander and is finally defeated in 331. He is murdered in 330 B.C

The Persian Empire was an empire that stretched from India to Europe from 550 B.C. to 330
B.C. It was ruled by a series of monarchs. An empire is defined as a geographically extensive set
of states or peoples that are ruled either by a monarch or by an oligarchy, a small group of ruling
elites. Although they gained power by conquering local people, the Persian Empire marked a
period of peaceful rule and extensive trading for much of the Middle East.

Geography and Climate:

Persia was a geographical link between the inner part of Asia and Asia Minor. Some scholars
have described Persia as a triangle-shaped land set between the Persian Gulf on the south and the
Caspian Sea to the north. The sides of this triangle are made up of mountain ranges that surround
a large desert. On the west, is the Zagros Mountains, which have many fertile areas that are good
for farming. Because it gets so hot during the summer, farmers have to take their animals into the
mountains where the temperatures are cooler.
The Elburz Mountains are on the northern border of Persia. The highest peak in this range is
Mount Demavend, which is over 19,000 feet tall. The area in Persia that has the most people is
Azerbaijan. Because Azerbaijan had many roads that allowed people to enter it from the north, it
was one of the most accessible parts of the country. However, because of this easy access,
Azerbaijan also had to be well protected from enemies.
The mountains of Khorasan are further east. There were roads through these mountains that
allowed people to easily travel into Persia. This area, which has been called the granary of
Iran, has been very vulnerable to attacks from foreign enemies over the centuries.
On the south, which is the third side of the triangle, are the Makran Mountains. There are deserts
spread out within these mountains and the southern part of this area is drier than the Gobi Desert.
One of the important areas of Persia is on the plain of Mesopotamia. In ancient times, this area
was called Susiana but today it is called Khuzistan. The capital, Susa, was in this area. To the
north of this area was an area called Luristan, which was very famous for the bronze it produced.
There is another plain near the Caspian Sea that has a tropical climate. Because it gets so much
rain, it is a good spot for farming.
Persia does not have a substantial river like the Nile, Tigris, or Euphrates running through it. It
also does not have a rainy season like Palestine. Because of this, the farmers in Persia depend on
irrigation to grow crops. The amount of rainfall is very different for each of the different regions.
The climate is also very different depending on the land.

In ancient times, the lower mountains were covered with trees that were used as building
materials by the Sumerian kings in Mesopotamia. There were large supplies of alabaster, marble,
lapis lazuli, carnelian, turquoise, and other minerals in this area. In addition, iron, copper, tin, and
lead were found here. In modern times, many different countries have exploited the oil supply in
Iran.

Capital:
During the history of the Persian Empire, five cities served as the royal capital. The first was
Pasargadae, built by Cyrus to commemorate his victory over the Medes. It was remote and
impractical as an administrative capital. Babylon was rebuilt by Cyrus as a royal capital for his
use when affairs brought him to Mesopotamia. Darius moved the empires administration to
Susa, the old Elamite capital, perhaps for efficiency. It was well-located at the hub of a road and
water transport network. The extreme summer heat of Susa drove the Persian court first to the
higher altitudes of Ecbatana, the old Median capital in the Zagros Mountains. In 520 BC Darius
began building the greatest of the Persian capitals at Persepolis. Construction of Persepolis was
interrupted for long periods and was not completed nearly 200 years later when the city was
sacked and burned to the ground by Alexander.

Economy:
The early Persian economy was based on herding because the land was so poor for agriculture.
The Persians attributed their toughness to the meager lifestyle to which they had been acclimated
for generations. The sudden acquisition of the Median Empire, Lydia, Babylon, Egypt, and goldrich areas in India made Persia an economic powerhouse. It controlled the rich agricultural areas
of Mesopotamia, the grasslands of Anatolia, the trade routes in every direction, and rich deposits
of metals and other resources. Great King Darius instituted many economic innovations and
reforms: systematized taxation; standardized weights, measures, and monetary units (the first
successful widespread use of coins); improved transportation routes, including the 1600-mile
Royal Road from Susa to Sardis and an early Suez Canal; royal trading ships; promotion of
agriculture; a banking system; and promotion of international trade.

Government:
The head of the Persian government was the king whose word was law. His authority was
extended by a bureaucracy led by Persian nobles, scribes who kept the records, a treasury that
8

collected taxes and funded

building projects and armies, and
a system of roads, couriers, and
signal stations that facilitated mail
and trade. In the early years when
the army was predominately
Persian, it capably preserved the
internal and external peace. Much
of the empire was divided into
provinces called satrapies, ruled
by a satrap. All of Egypt was
usually a single satrapy, for example. The satraps were normally Persians or Medes to help
ensure their loyalty. They ruled and lived like minor kings in their own palaces. Some satraps
became strong enough to threaten the king. Strong kings kept their satraps in check by holding
close the reins of the armies and the treasury.

Military:
All Persian men to the age of 50 years were obligated to serve in the armies of the Persian
Empire. Greek historians report that boys were trained in riding, archery, hand-to-hand combat,
and mounted combat. At the age of 20 they were eligible for military service. The army consisted
mainly of four types of units: spearmen for infantry shock combat, foot archers to act as
skirmishers, light cavalry armed mainly with bows, and heavy cavalry that wore some armor and
carried spears. In the early years of the empire, the predominantly Persian army was highly
motivated and responsive on the battlefield, making it a dangerous foe. The elite of the Persian
army were the Ten Thousand Immortals, so called because the unit was always kept at a full
strength of 10,000 men. The loss of any man to death or incapacitation was immediately made
good by promotion from another unit. One thousand of the Immortals were the kings personal
bodyguards. In its later years, the ratio of Persians to provincial levies declined. The hardened
army of disciplined and well-trained Persians was replaced by a mixture of formations, weapons,
and methods. These troops lacked the discipline of the Persians and proved difficult to maneuver
and employ on.

Religion:
The Persians had a great influence in religion. The Persian civilization spawned three major
religions: Zoroastrianism, Mithraism, and Manichaeism. Persians are noted for the development
of one of the oldest monotheistic religions, Zoroastrianism. The Persian thinker Zoroaster (who
9

propagated Zoroastrianism) was the main religious movement leader. Living around 18th century
BC (although some believe as recent as 6th century BC), he helped to unite the Persian Empire.
He rejected the Old Persian gods and introduced that a single wise god, Ahura Mazda, ruled the
world. However, Ahura Mazda was often in battle with the prince of evil and lies, Ahriman. On
Earth, each person had to choose which side to support. Zoroaster's teachings were written in a
book, the Zend-Avesta. It said that Ahura Mazda would conquer over the forces of evil, Ahriman,
at the end. On that day, all the people would be judges for their actions. Those who did good
work would enter paradise. Those who did evil would be condemned to eternal suffering. In this
religion, there is Lord Wisdom, known as Ahura Mazda. Also important to the religion is the
concept of the nature of good (Senta Mainyu) and evil (Angra Mainyu). One can see how the
later monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have taken many of their
teachings from this religion.

Way of Life:
The Persian king wore a robe of honor that was a large piece of fabric that was draped around
him. For the king and other aristocracy, their clothes were often decorated with golden clothing
ornaments. Some of these are in the form of roundels, while others are gold plaques with loops
or rings on the back so they can be sewn onto the cloth. Rich people also liked to wear gold
jewelry such as bracelets with animal head carvings. Common people wore coats and pants made
out of leather. Men's coats reached from their shoulders down to their knees and were fastened
with a girdle. Their sleeves were somewhat tight and went down to their wrists. Originally
woman's clothing was quite similar to men's clothing but as time went their style changed.
Initially their clothes were short and tight but when the style changed their clothes were made
longer, more voluminous and were made out of softer materials. Persian shoes were usually just
pieces of leather that were wrapped around their feet and were tied up on the top. These would
have look similar to moccasins.

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The food prepared for Persian kings is legendary. Persians ate stews made from meat and fruit
with herbs. They ate rice and bread made with wheat. Yoghurt was also a staple in Persian food.
Tablets from the time of these ancient peoples indicate that the inhabitants of Mesopotamia were
using basil, cilantro, cumin and caraway in their food. Apricots, artichokes, eggplants, lemons,
lime, oranges, pistachios, spinach, saffron or tarragon all came to Europe through Persia. Other
condiments and spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, coriander, dill, nutmeg,
pomegranates, saffron, sumac, turmeric, as well as orange-flower water and rose water were used
in Persian food. Lamb and goat were the primary meats eaten by Persians.

Language:
Old Persian evolved from Proto-Iranian as it evolved in the Iranian plateau's southwest. The
earliest dateable example of the language is the Behistun Inscription of the Achaemenid Darius I
(r. 522 BCca. 486 BC). Although purportedly older texts also exist; such as the inscription on
the tomb of Cyrus II at Pasargadae, these are actually younger examples of the language. Old
Persian was written in Old Persian cuneiform, a script unique to that language and is generally
assumed to be an invention of Darius I's reign. After Aramaic, or rather the Achaemenid form of
it known as Imperial Aramaic. Old Persian is the most commonly attested language of the
Achaemenid age. While examples of Old Persian have been found wherever the Achaemenids
held territories, the language is attested primarily in the inscriptions of Western Iran, in particular
in Parsa "Persia" in the southwest, the homeland of the tribes that the Achaemenids (and later the
Sassanids) came from. In contrast to later Persian, written Old Persian had an extensively
inflected grammar, with eight cases, each declension subject to both gender (masculine,
feminine, neuter) and number (singular, dual, plural).

Architecture:

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Architecture is one of the areas where Persians have made outstanding contributions. Persians
made very interesting buildings. The Ruins at Persepolis are an example of ancient Persian
buildings. Persians were among the first to use mathematics, geometry, and astronomy in their
building. Their buildings were grand and were created by skillful workers. Some Persian
buildings had huge barrel-vaulted chambers. The Persians created huge domes of rock and clay
and supported their roofs with tall columns. They also decorated the walls of their palaces with
lions, bulls and flowers. The Kharaghan twin towers and the Shah Mosque are two other old
buildings built in a Persian style. The most prominent ancient examples some of which are still
extant today are the work of the Achaemenids hailing from Persis. The quintessential feature of
Persian Achaemenid architecture was its eclectic nature with elements of Median, Assyrian, and
Asiatic Greek all incorporated. Achaemenid architectural heritage, beginning with the expansion
of the empire around 550 BCE, was a period of artistic growth that left an extraordinary
architectural legacy ranging from Cyrus the Great's solemn tomb in Pasargadae to the splendid
structures of the opulent city of Persepolis, and such historical sites as Naqsh-e Rustam.
Persians' artistic expression can be seen as far back as the Achaemenid period as numerous
statues depicting various important figures, usually of political significance as well as religious,
such as the Immortals (elite troops of the emperor) are indicative of the influence of
Mesopotamia and ancient Babylon. What is perhaps most representative of a more indigenous
artistic expression are Persian miniatures. Although the influence of Chinese art is apparent, local
Persian artists used the art form in various ways
including portraits that could be seen from the
Ottoman Empire to the courts of the Safavids and
Mughals.

The Influences of Persian

Civilization:
According to Professor Arthur A. Pope, Persian
civilization is the first great human civilization.
Another Orientalist, the French Professor Kalamar
of the Sorbonne University of Paris believes that: The Persian Civilization is the mother of all
civilizations.
The first empire in the world, the Persian Empire (from the Indus River down to the Danube
River in Europe and up to the Nile River in Africa; Central Asia, present day Iran, Iraq, Turkey,
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, Macedonia, Cyprus, Lydia and up to the
borders of Greece. It stretched from Ethiopia to India, with 127 provinces and 28 different
nationalities). The Greeks and Romans later copied the best features of the Persian Method of
Governing the Empire.
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The Industrial Revolution of the world started in Medeo-Persia, when the first time metals
were melted, the pottery, the bricks and glass were mass produced and knitting and weaving of
clothes were invented.
The first agriculture adventure by man, took place in Persia, around the Caspian Sea.
Insurance by Government was started during Cyrus the Great of Persia.
Weight, Money and Measurements were standardized in Persia, for the first time, some 2, 500
years ago.
The first brick invention took place in Iran. The world's greatest masonry work is Persepolis,
Iran. The architecture of castles originated in Persia thousands of years ago.
Private banking was started in Persia, some 2500 years ago, with special coins and other related
services (thats why the words Bank, Check, Bazaar and Caravan etc. are of Persian origin). So
banking system dis not
started in England in the 17th
century.
The first world leader, who
was called great, was Cyrus
the Great of Persia, some
200 years ahead of
Alexander the Great. Darius
the Great of Persia
established the First Tax
System, Customs Duties,
Official Records and The
Legal Code, in the world level.
Sanskrit, which is the mother of all modern languages in an Aryan language, meaning Iranian is
the origin. It was born in Iran, before it went to India.
According to the Persian Holy Books; Avesta and Gatha, the first anesthesia was administrated in
Persia.
King Darius of Persia wrote the first Human Rights Charter. It is still engraved in the Alvand
Mountain, near the ancient Persian Capital Hagmataneh (Present day City of Hamadan). It was
the concept of human rights, freedom of religion and the equality of all races that later on lead to
the freedom of the Jews, from the captivity of Babylon, by Cyrus the Great of Persia in 537 B.C.
Cyrus the Great of Persia ha his own Declaration of the Human Rights, when he conquered
Babylon, in 537 B.C. This charter, which is written on a baked-clay tablet, in the Cuneiform

13

Alphabet of Ancient Persia, was discovered by Mr. Hormuzd Rassam, in 1878 A.D., during the
excavations in Babylonia (modern Iraq).
The first World Super-Highway, that connected the East and the West, was the Silk Road. It
joined China to Europe; and its main part was Central Asia (Ancient Persia) with its many
Caravans, Caravanserais, Bazaars, etc. The first time the Navy was used in a just military
operation was by the Persian Army. In fact, the word Navy comes from the Persian word Nav
meaning a big ship. The first time that the ships were used as a bridge to cross the river was done
by King Darius, who crossed the Nile and conquered Egypt, in 480 B.C. The first ruler who
planned and constructed the Suez Canal in Egypt was King Darius of Persia (480 B.C.). The first
time that a canal was built to connect two seawaters, for military purposes, was by King Xerxes
of Persia, who built the Xerxes Canal, near Greece, and attacked Greece, during the Persian
wars, 500 B.C.
Cuneiform (wedge-shaped), the earliest form of writing in the world was invented in what is
known in History as the Medeo-Persia. The concept of pigeon-postman and the first
telegraphic messaging system was invented in Persia. Also the first road signals were used to
indicate the cities and their distance were on the Persian hi-ways. The worlds first public postal
system was invented in the Persian Empire and later on copied by the Egyptians and the Romans
and then the Arabs and later on the Moguls, until finally it became the Universal Postal System,
which it is today.
Persians are one of the only ancient civilizations that have made significant contributions to
humanity from prehistoric times by their Persian empire all the way through to the modern day in
their country Iran. Most Persians are now Muslims, although there are Jews, Christians, and
Zoroastrians still living and practicing their religion in Iran. There are also some Persians, called
Parsis, living in mainly the north and west of India.
The Persian Empire peaked around 500 BC, although the seeds of its decline were planted
earlier. A recurring problem was court intrigue and ill-defined rules for succession. The death of
a king often triggered a scramble for the throne that exhausted the treasury, eroded morale, and
loosened the governmental hold on the provinces. Wasteful spending led to inflation and
unpopular tax increases. Disputes in the provinces, usually over taxes, were often settled brutally,
further increasing dissatisfaction. Five of the six kings that followed Xerxes death in 464 BC
were weak leaders that held the empire together only by increasingly harsh measures. The
Greeks and Persians had been on a collision course for many years when conflict began between
the two cultures in 499 BC. Despite what appeared to be overwhelming strength and economic
resources, the Persians failed to defeat the Greeks in 50 years of war on land and sea. The
Greeks, though victorious, were not capable immediately of carrying the war into Persia.
Following the Greco-Persian Wars, the weak Persian kings concentrated on maintaining their
ever more tenuous hold on the empire. Recurring revolts in outlying provinces, especially
Parthia, Lydia, and Egypt, weakened the economy and military. Before the empire could dissolve
14

from within, it was dispatched by Alexander the Great in an amazingly short period of time.
Alexander invaded in 334 BC, captured Lydia by 333, took Egypt in 332, and became king of
Persia in 331.
The Persians are best remembered in the West as the antagonists in the dramatic Greco-Persian
Wars, from which so much history has been preserved. The most famous events from this period
are the bridging of the Hellespont, land battles at Marathon, Thermopylae, and Plataea, the great
sea battle at Salamis, and the sacking of Athens. Most of this history is biased, however, because
we have mainly the Greek accounts to study. The Persians are also remembered in several
Biblical accounts for the tolerance of their wise early kings and the decadence of their later
courts. Cyrus the Great is remembered especially for freeing the Hebrews held prisoner in
Babylon when he took that city and allowing them to return to Israel. The greatest legacy of the
Persians was the aggregation and mixture of Asia and African cultures. Most of the advances of
civilization to that point had come from these areas. This cultural gift was preserved by the
Persians and passed on first to the Greeks and then to Europe and the West.

References:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

History of the Persian Empire by A.T. Olmstead.

A History of Iran: Empire of the Mind by Michael Axworthy.
http://www.ancient.eu/Persia/
http://www.angelfire.com/empire2/unkemptgoose/Persian.html
http://www.softschools.com/timelines/persian_empire_timeline/160/
http://www.visualbiblealive.com/resources.php?
encyc_id=140&img_id=88689&action=encyclopedia&frame=divEncyc
7. http://classic.net.bible.org/dictionary.php?word=Persian%20Religion%20(Ancient)

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