Place of Persia. Ancient Persia

Persia (which country is now, you can find out from the article) existed more than two thousand years ago. It is known for its conquests and culture. In the territory ancient state ruled by many nations. But they could not eradicate the culture and traditions of the Aryans.

From the middle of the sixth century BC, the Persians appeared on the stage of world history. Until this time, residents of the Middle East had heard very little about this mysterious tribe. They became known only after they began to seize lands.

Cyrus the Second, king of the Persians from the Achaemenid dynasty, was able to quickly capture Media and other states. His well-armed army began preparations to march against Babylon.

At this time, Babylon and Egypt were at enmity with each other, but when a strong enemy appeared, they decided to forget about the conflict. Babylon's preparation for war did not save it from defeat. The Persians captured the cities of Opis and Sippar, and then took control of Babylon without a fight. Cyrus the Second decided to further advance to the East. In a war with nomadic tribes, he died in 530 BC.

The successors of the deceased king, Cambyses the Second and Darius the First, managed to capture Egypt. Darius was able not only to strengthen the eastern and western borders powers, but also to expand them from the Aegean Sea to India, as well as from the lands of Central Asia to the banks of the Nile. Persia absorbed the famous world civilizations of the ancient world and ruled them until the fourth century BC. Alexander the Great was able to conquer the empire.

Second Persian Empire

The Macedonian soldiers took revenge on the Persians for the destruction of Athens by burning Persepolis to ashes. At this point, the Achaemenid dynasty ceased to exist. Ancient Persia fell under the humiliating rule of the Greeks.

It was only in the second century BC that the Greeks were expelled. The Parthians did this. But they were not allowed to rule for long; Artaxerxes overthrew them. The history of the second Persian power began with him. In another way, it is usually called the power of the Sassanid dynasty. Under their rule, the Achaemenid Empire is revived, albeit in a different form. Greek culture is being replaced by Iranian culture.

In the seventh century, Persia lost its power and was incorporated into the Arab Caliphate.

Life in Ancient Persia through the eyes of other peoples

The life of the Persians is known from works that have survived to this day. These are mainly the works of the Greeks. It is known that Persia (what the country is now can be found out below) very quickly conquered the territories of ancient civilizations. What were the Persians like?

They were tall and physically strong. Life in the mountains and steppes made them hardened and resilient. They were famous for their courage and unity. In everyday life, the Persians ate moderately, did not drink wine, and were indifferent to precious metals. They wore clothes made from animal skins and covered their heads with felt caps (tiaras).

During the coronation, the ruler had to put on the clothes that he wore before becoming king. He was also supposed to eat dried figs and drink sour milk.

The Persians had the right to live with several wives, not counting concubines. Closely related ties were acceptable, for example, between an uncle and a niece. Women were not supposed to show themselves to strangers. This applied to both wives and concubines. Proof of this is the surviving reliefs of Persepolis, which do not contain images of the fair sex.

Persian achievements:

• good roads;
• minting your own coins;
• creation of gardens (paradises);
• The cylinder of Cyrus the Great is a prototype of the first charter of human rights.

Previously Persia, but now?

It is not always possible to say exactly which state is located ancient civilization. The world map has changed hundreds of times. Changes are happening even today. How to understand where Persia was? What is the country in its place now?

Modern states on whose territory there was an empire:

• Egypt.
• Lebanon.
• Iraq.
• Pakistan.
• Georgia.
• Bulgaria.
• Türkiye.
• Parts of Greece and Romania.

These are not all the countries that are related to Persia. However, Iran is most often associated with the ancient empire. What is this country and its people like?

Iran's mysterious past

The country name is modern form the word "Ariana", which translates as "country of the Aryans". Indeed, from the first millennium BC, Aryan tribes inhabited almost all the lands of modern Iran. Part of this tribe moved to Northern India, and some went to the northern steppes, calling themselves Scythians and Sarmatians.

Later, strong kingdoms emerged in Western Iran. One of these Iranian formations was Media. It was subsequently captured by the army of Cyrus the Second. It was he who united the Iranians in his empire and led them to conquer the world.

How does modern Persia live (what country is it now, it became clear)?

Life in modern Iran through the eyes of foreigners

For many ordinary people, Iran is associated with revolution and the nuclear program. However, the history of this country spans more than two thousand years. It has absorbed different cultures: Persian, Islamic, Western.

Iranians have elevated pretense to a true art of communication. They are very courteous and sincere, but this is only outer side. In fact, behind their obsequiousness lies the intention to find out all the plans of their interlocutor.

Former Persia (now Iran) was captured by the Greeks, Turks, and Mongols. At the same time, the Persians were able to preserve their traditions. They know how to get along with strangers, their culture is characterized by a certain flexibility - taking the best from the traditions of strangers without abandoning their own.

Iran (Persia) was under Arab rule for centuries. At the same time, its inhabitants were able to preserve their language. Poetry helped them with this. Most of all they honor the poet Ferdowsi, and Europeans remember Omar Khayyam. The preservation of culture was facilitated by the teachings of Zarathustra, which appeared long before the Arab invasion.

Although Islam now plays a leading role in the country, Iranians have not lost their national identity. They remember well their centuries-old history.

• OK. 1300 BC e. - Medes and Persians founded their settlements.
• OK. 700-600 BC e. - creation of the Median and Persian kingdoms.
• Achaemenid Empire (550-330 BC);
  • 559-530 BC e. - reign of Cyrus II in Persia.
  • 550 BC e. — Cyrus II defeats the Medes.
  • 522-486 BC e. - reign of Darius I in Persia. The rise of the Persian Empire.
  • 490-479 BC e. - Persians are at war with Greece
  • 486-465 BC e. - reign of Xerxes I in Persia.
  • 331-330 BC e. - conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great. Surrender of Persepolis to the fire.
• Parthian Kingdom or Arsacid Empire (250 BC - 227 AD).
• Sassanid State or Sassanid Empire (226-651 AD). Material from the site

Persia is the ancient name of the country that we now call Iran. Around 1300 BC e. two tribes invaded its territory: the Medes and the Persians. They founded two kingdoms: the Median - in the north, the Persian - in the south.

In 550 BC. e. The Persian king Cyrus II, having defeated the Medes, captured their lands and created a colossal power. Years later, during the reign of King Darius I, Persia becomes the largest state in the world.

For many years, Persia waged war with Greece. The Persians won several victories, but in the end their army was defeated. After the death of Darius' son, Xerxes I, the power lost its former strength. In 331 BC. e. Persia was conquered by Alexander the Great.

Darius I

Policy

King Darius I, collecting taxes from conquered peoples, became fabulously rich. He allowed the population to adhere to their beliefs and way of life, as long as they paid tribute regularly.

Darius divided the huge state into regions, which were to be governed by local rulers, satraps. The officials who looked after the satraps ensured that the latter remained loyal to the king.

Construction

Darius I built good roads throughout the empire. Now the messengers could move faster. The Royal Road stretched 2,700 km from Sardis in the west to the capital city of Susa.

Darius spent some of his wealth building a magnificent palace at Persepolis. During the New Year celebrations, officials from all over the empire came to the palace with gifts for the king. The main hall, where the king received his subjects, accommodated 10 thousand people. Inside, the front hall was decorated with gold, silver, ivory and ebony (black) wood. The tops of the columns were decorated with bull heads, and the staircase was decorated with carvings. During the gathering of guests for various holidays, people brought gifts to the king: vessels with golden sand, gold and silver cups, ivory, fabrics and gold bracelets, lion cubs, camels, etc. Those who arrived were waiting in the courtyard.

The Persians were followers of the prophet Zarathustra (or Zoroaster), who taught that there is only one god. The fire was sacred, and therefore the priests did not allow the sacred fire to go out.

Persia existed for more than two and a half thousand years. It was once a great and powerful state with rich cultural achievements. But today not everyone knows what happened to it and where it is located today.

Today, the modern country of Persia, as in former times, is a fairly developed state economically and culturally. But let's look into the past...

History of Persia

In the 6th century BC in the territory Middle East Persian tribes appeared. Behind short period under the leadership of King Cyrus II they managed to achieve significant military successes. The power of the Persian army became so great that Babylon surrendered to the Persians without a fight.

Cyrus II personally participated in battles and died in one of them in 530 BC. His successor Cambyses the second led the Persian army and it successfully conquered ancient Egypt. The territories of Persia began to extend from India to the Aegean Sea. Persia held a huge amount of land under its influence for more than two hundred years until the 4th century BC. The history of this ancient country is well described on Wikipedia.

Dark times came for Persia with the campaigns Alexander the Great. The desire to avenge the sack of Athens led to large-scale battles in which Persia suffered many defeats. The entire royal family of the Achaemenids ceased to exist, and Persia was subjected to humiliating oppression by the Greeks for two long centuries.

Parthians managed to overthrow the Greeks, after which Artaxerxes became ruler. He tried to return the former greatness to the lands of ancient Persia and revived the empire.

In fact, this is the beginning of the era of the second Persian Empire. Persia existed in this format until the seventh century AD, after which its influence greatly weakened and it was absorbed Arab Caliphate.

After the advent of the Islamic period, Persia was divided into several separate lands with their own rulers, who came to power through violent means, and were at war with each other. Fragmentation has allowed Mongol invasion easily raid and plunder Persian cities.

The country officially began to be called in 1935. For many, the name has become completely unknown and not everyone always understands what kind of state it is. But not for the Persians themselves. This decision was made in rather difficult times in order to free itself from the past trace of the Persian empire. The word Aryān itself appeared around the 6th century AD. This is what the Persians called themselves because they were Aryans or Aryans. Over time, the language changed and the name also changed to its current form.

Where is Persia

It is quite difficult to answer exactly where Persia is located on a modern map. After all, countries have constantly undergone territorial changes. At the height of its influence, Persia controlled large areas of the following modern countries:

This is an incomplete list of countries in which Persia once existed. But these days, when talking about Persia, there is most often a reference to Iran. That's what it's called now. It was on the soil of this country that the key events in the existence of the Persian state took place.

This is where the greatest cultural influence of the once great empire remains. More detailed map The locations of ancient Persian possessions can be studied on Wikipedia.

Country today

Modern is not a scary revolutionary country with nuclear developments as it is described in many media. The interweaving of several cultures at once is concentrated here: Western, Islamic and Persian proper.

The people of Iran are very courteous and friendly towards guests. Millennial Captures different peoples taught native Iranians to get along with almost everyone. But behind the external friendliness lies the intention to find out in detail for what purpose the interlocutor arrived.

This behavior allowed the Iranian people to preserve their rich cultural traditions, while taking the best of each of the cultures of the alien peoples.

While under the control of the Arab Caliphate for centuries, the Iranians managed to preserve their language. Nowadays, although Islamic culture dominates in the country, the Persians continue to preserve knowledge about their ancient identity.

Today Persia is a distinctive country with a large number of ancient sights and cultural monuments.

Often these days we can hear a story about a country in the southwestern part of Asia called Persia. What country now has replaced it with Since 1935, Persia began to be officially called Iran.

In ancient times, this state was the center of a huge empire, the territory of which extended from Egypt itself to the Indus River.

Geography

It is worth saying that at one time the state of Persia did not have clear boundaries. It is quite problematic to determine which country is located on these lands now. Even modern Iran is only approximately located on the territory of Ancient Persia. The fact is that in certain periods this empire was located over most of the world known at that time. But there were also worst years, when the territory of Persia was divided among themselves by local rulers who were hostile to each other.

The relief of most of the territory of present-day Persia is a high (1200 m) highland, which is crossed by a chain of stone ridges and individual peaks rising up to 5500 m. In the northern and western parts of this area there are the Elbrus and Zagros mountain ranges. They are arranged in a "V" shape, framing the highlands.

To the west of Persia was Mesopotamia. This is the homeland of the most ancient civilizations on Earth. At one time, the states of this empire significantly influenced the culture of the still nascent country of Persia.

Story

Persia (Iran) is a country with the greatest past. Its history includes wars of conquest and defense, uprisings and revolutions, as well as brutal suppression of all political uprisings. But at the same time, Ancient Iran is the homeland of the great people of that time, who led the country’s art and culture to flourish, and also built buildings of amazing beauty, the architecture of which still amazes us with its splendor. The history of Persia includes a large number of ruling dynasties. It is simply impossible to count them. Each of these dynasties put into effect its own laws and rules, which no one simply dared to break.

Historical periods

Persia experienced a lot on the path of its formation. But two periods are considered the main milestones of its development. One of them is pre-Muslim, and the second is Muslim. The Islamization of Ancient Iran was the cause fundamental changes its political, social and cultural sphere. However, this does not at all mean the disappearance of former spiritual values. Not only were they not lost, but they also significantly influenced the new culture that arose in the country at the turn of two historical periods. In addition, many pre-Muslim rituals and traditions have been preserved in Iran to this day.

Achaemenid rule

As a state, Ancient Iran began its existence with Cyrus II. This ruler became the founder of the Achaemenid dynasty, which was in power from 550 to 330 AD. BC e. Under Cyrus II, the two largest Indo-Asian tribes, the Persians and the Medes, were united for the first time. This was the period of greatest power of Persia. Its territory extended to the Central and Indus Valley and Egypt. The most important archaeological and historical monument of the Achaemenid era are the ruins of the capital of Persia - Persepolis.

Here is the tomb of Cyrus II, as well as the inscription carved by Darius I on the Behistun rock. At one time, Persepolis was burned by Alexander the Great during his campaign to conquer Iran. This conqueror put an end to the great Achaemenid Empire. Unfortunately, no written evidence of this era has survived. They were destroyed by order of Alexander the Great.

Hellenistic period

From 330 to 224 BC e. Persia was in a state of decline. Along with the country, its culture also deteriorated. During this period, Ancient Iran was under the rule of the then ruling Greek Seleucid dynasty, being part of the state of the same name. The culture and language of Persia changed. They were influenced by the Greeks. At the same time, Iranian culture did not die. She influenced the settlers from Hellas. But this happened only in those areas where there were no self-sufficient and large Greek communities.

Parthian Kingdom

Years passed, the power of the Greeks in Persia came to an end. The history of Ancient Iran has entered its new stage. The country became part of the Parthian kingdom. The Arsacid dynasty ruled here, considering themselves descendants of the Achaemenids. These rulers liberated Persia from Greek rule and also protected it from Roman invasion and nomadic raids.

During this period, the Iranian folk epic was created, and a large number of stories with heroic characters appeared. One of them was Rustema. This Iranian hero is in many ways similar to Hercules.

During the Parthian period, the feudal system was strengthened. This weakened Persia. As a result, it was conquered by the Sassanids. A new stage in the history of Ancient Iran began.

Sassanid State

Between 224 and 226 AD. e. The last Parthian king Artaban V was overthrown from the throne. The Sassanid dynasty seized power. During this period, the borders of Ancient Iran were not only restored, but also expanded to the western regions of China, including Punjab and Transcaucasia. The dynasty waged a constant struggle with the Romans, and one of its representatives, Shapur I, even managed to capture their emperor Valerian. The Sassanid dynasty waged constant wars with Byzantium.
During this period, cities developed in Persia, and the central government strengthened. At the same time, Zoroastrianism arose, which became the official religion of the country. During the Sassanid era, a four-stage system of existing administrative division and stratification of all layers of society into 4 estates.

During the Sassanid era, Christianity penetrated into Persia, which was negatively greeted by the Zoroastrian priests. At the same time, some other oppositional religious movements appeared. Among them are Mazdakism and Manichaeism.

The most famous representative of the Sassanid dynasty was Shah Khosrow I Anushirvan. The literal translation of his name means "with an immortal soul." His reign lasted from 531 to 579. Khosrow I was so famous that his fame continued for many centuries after the fall of the Sassanid dynasty. This ruler remained in the memory of posterity as a great reformer. Khosrow I showed great interest in philosophy and science. Some Iranian sources even compare him with Plato’s “philosopher king.”

The Sassanids were significantly weakened by constant wars with Rome. In 641 the country lost major battle Arabs. The Sasanian stage of Iranian history ended with the death of the last representative of this dynasty - Yazdegerd III. Persia entered the Islamic period of its development.

Rule by local dynasties

The Arab Caliphate gradually expanded to the east. At the same time, his central government in Baghdad and Damascus could no longer maintain strict control over all provinces. This led to the emergence of local dynasties in Iran. The first of them is the Tahirids. Its representatives ruled from 821 to 873. in Khorasan. This dynasty was replaced by the Saffarids. Their dominance over the territories of Khorasan, southern Iran and Herat lasted throughout the second half of the ninth century. Then the throne was captured by the Samanids. This dynasty proclaimed itself to be the descendants of the Parthian military commander Bahram Chubin. The Samanids held the throne for more than fifty years, extending their power over large territories. During their reign, the country of Iran ran from the eastern edges of the highlands to the Aral Sea and the Zagros ridge. The center of the state was Bukhara.

Somewhat later, two more families ruled in the territory of Persia. In the second half of the tenth century these were the Ziyarids. They controlled the territory of the Caspian Sea coast. The Ziyarids became famous for their patronage of art and literature. During the same period, the Bund dynasty was in power in central Iran. They conquered Baghdad and Fors, Khuzistan and Kerman, Ray and Hamadan.

Local Iranian dynasties achieved power in the same way. They seized the throne, raising an armed rebellion.

Ghaznavid and Seljuk dynasties

Beginning in the eighth century, Turkic nomadic tribes began to penetrate. Gradually, the lifestyle of these people became sedentary. New settlements arose. Alp-Tegin, one of the Turkic tribal leaders, began to serve the Sassanids. In 962, he came to power and ruled the newly created state, the capital of which was the city of Ghazni. Alp-Tegin founded a new dynasty. The Ghaznavites held power for a little over a hundred years. One of its representatives, Mahmud Ghaznavi, held vigilant control territory from Mesopotamia to India. The same ruler settled the Oghuz Turkic tribe in Kharasan. Subsequently, their leader Seljuk rebelled and overthrew the Ghaznavid dynasty. The city of Rey was declared the capital of Iran.

The Seljuk dynasty belonged to the devout Muslims. She subjugated all the local rulers, but fought constant wars for many years to maintain her dominance.
During the years of Seljuk rule, architecture flourished. During the reign of the dynasty, hundreds of madrassas, mosques, public buildings and palaces were built. But at the same time, the reign of the Seljuks was hampered by constant uprisings in the provinces, as well as invasions of other Turkic tribes that were moving towards the western lands. Constant wars weakened the state, and by the end of the first quarter of the twelfth century it began to disintegrate.

Mongol dominance

The invasion of Genghis Khan's troops did not escape Iran either. The history of the country tells us that in 1219 this commander managed to capture Khorezm, and then, moving west, plundered Bukhara, Balkh, Samarkand, Nashapur and Merv.

His grandson, Hulagu Khan, again plunged into Iran in 1256 and, taking Baghdad by storm, destroyed the Abbasi Caliphate. The conqueror took the title of Ilkhan, becoming the founder of the Hulaguid dynasty. He and his successors adopted the religion, culture and way of life of the Iranian people. Over the years, the Mongols' position in Persia began to weaken. They were forced to wage constant wars with feudal rulers and representatives of local dynasties.

Between 1380 and 1395 the territory of the Iranian plateau was captured by Amir Timur (Tamerlane). They also conquered all the lands adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea. Descendants maintained the Timurid state until 1506. Then it was subordinated to the Uzbek Sheybanid dynasty.

History of Iran from 15th to 18th centuries

Over the following centuries, wars for power continued to be waged in Persia. So, in the 15th century, the Ak-Koyundu and Kara-Aoyundu tribes fought among themselves. In 1502, Ismail I seized power. This monarch was the first representative of the Safavids, the Azerbaijani dynasty. During the reign of Ismail I and his successors, Iran revived its military power and became an economically prosperous country.

The Safavid state remained strong until the death of its last ruler, Abbas I, in 1629. In the east, the Uzbeks were expelled from Kharasan, and in the west, the Ottomans were defeated. Iran, whose map pointed to impressive territories belonging to it, subjugated Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. It existed within these boundaries until the nineteenth century.

On the territory of Persia, wars were fought against the Turks and Afghans, who sought to conquer the country. These were the times when the Afshar dynasty was in power. The southern lands of Iran from 1760 to 1779 were under the rule of the dynasty founded by Zendov Kerim Khan. She was then overthrown by the Turkic Qajar tribe. Under the leadership of its leader, it conquered the lands of the entire Iranian plateau.

Qajar Dynasty

At the very beginning of the nineteenth century, Iran lost provinces located on the territory of modern Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. This was the result of the fact that the Qajar dynasty was never able to create a strong state apparatus, a national army and unified system tax fees. The power of its representatives turned out to be too weak and could not resist the imperial desires of Russia and Great Britain. In the second half of the nineteenth century, the lands of Afghanistan and Turkestan came under the control of these great powers. At the same time, Iran unwittingly began to serve as an arena for Russian-British confrontation.

The last of the Qajar family was a constitutional monarch. The dynasty was forced to accept this main law under pressure from the strikes taking place in the country. Two powers opposed the constitutional regime of Iran - Russia and Great Britain. In 1907 they signed an agreement to divide Persia. Its northern part went to Russia. Great Britain exerted its influence in the southern lands. The central part of the country was left as a neutral zone.

Iran at the beginning of the 20th century

The Qajar dynasty was overthrown by a coup d'etat. It was headed by General Reza Khan. A new Pahlavi dynasty came to power. This name, which translated from Parthian means “noble, brave,” was intended to emphasize the Iranian origin of the family.

During the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi, Persia experienced its national revival. This was facilitated by numerous radical reforms carried out by the government. Industrialization had begun. Large investments were allocated for the development of industry. Highways were built and railways. Oil development and production was actively carried out. Sharia courts were replaced by legal proceedings. Thus, extensive modernization began in Persia at the beginning of the 20th century.

In 1935, the state of Persia changed its name. Which country is its legal successor now? Iran. This is the ancient self-name of Persia, which means “country of the Aryans” (the superior white race). After 1935, the pre-Islamic past began to be revived. Small and large cities in Iran began to rename. Pre-Islamic monuments were restored in them.

Overthrow of the Tsar's power

The last Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty ascended the throne in 1941. His reign lasted for 38 years. In carrying out its foreign policy The Shah was guided by the opinion of the United States. At the same time, he supported the pro-American regimes that existed in Oman, Somalia and Chad. One of the most prominent opponents of the Shah was the Islamic priest Kma Ruhollah Khomeini. He led revolutionary activities against the existing government.

In 1977, the US President forced the Shah to ease repression against the opposition. As a result of this, numerous parties criticizing the existing regime began to appear in Iran. The Islamic revolution was preparing. The activities carried out by the opposition aggravated the protest sentiments of Iranian society, which opposed the country's internal political course, oppression of the church and pro-American foreign policy.

The Islamic Revolution began after the events of January 1978. It was then that the police shot down a demonstration of students protesting against a slanderous article about Khomeini published in a state newspaper. The unrest continued throughout the year. The Shah was forced to introduce martial law in the country. However, it was no longer possible to keep the situation under control. In January 1979, the Shah left Iran.
After his escape, the country held a referendum. As a result, on April 1, 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran emerged. In December of the same year, the updated constitution of the country saw the light. This document established the supreme power of Imam Khomeini, which after his death was to be transferred to his successor. The President of Iran, according to the constitution, stood at the head of political and civil power. Together with him, the country was ruled by the Prime Minister and an advisory council - the Menjlis. The President of Iran was by law the guarantor of the adopted constitution.

Iran today

Persia, known since time immemorial, is a very colorful state. What country today can so accurately correspond to the saying “The East is a delicate matter”? This is confirmed by the entire existence and development of the state in question.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is, without any doubt, unique in its identity. And this sets it apart from others. The capital of the Republic is the city of Tehran. This is a huge metropolis, one of the largest in the world.

Iran is a unique country with a large number of attractions, cultural monuments and its own peculiarities of way of life. The republic has 10% of the world's reserves of black gold. It is thanks to its oil fields that it is among the top ten exporters of this natural resource.

Persia - what country is it now? Highly religious. Its printing houses produce more copies of the Holy Quran than in all other Muslim countries.

After the Islamic Revolution, the republic set a course for universal literacy. The development of education here is proceeding at an accelerated pace.

The Persian Empire had a huge impact on history Ancient world. The Achaemenid state, formed by a small tribal union, existed for about two hundred years. Mention of the splendor and power of the Persian country is in many ancient sources, including the Bible.

Start

The first mention of the Persians is found in Assyrian sources. In an inscription dated to the 9th century BC. e., contains the name of the land Parsua. Geographically, this area was located in the Central Zagros region, and during the mentioned period the population of this area paid tribute to the Assyrians. The unification of tribes did not yet exist. The Assyrians mention 27 kingdoms under their control. In the 7th century the Persians apparently entered into a tribal union, since references to kings from the Achaemenid tribe appeared in the sources. The history of the Persian state begins in 646 BC, when Cyrus I became the ruler of the Persians.

During the reign of Cyrus I, the Persians significantly expanded the territories under their control, including taking possession of most of the Iranian plateau. At the same time, the first capital of the Persian state, the city of Pasargadae, was founded. Some Persians were engaged in agriculture, some led

The emergence of the Persian Empire

At the end of the 6th century. BC e. The Persian people were ruled by Cambyses I, who was dependent on the kings of Media. Cambyses' son, Cyrus II, became ruler of the settled Persians. Information about the ancient Persian people is scanty and fragmentary. Apparently, the main unit of society was the patriarchal family, headed by a man who had the right to dispose of the lives and property of his loved ones. The community, first tribal and later rural, was a powerful force for several centuries. Several communities formed a tribe, several tribes could already be called a people.

The emergence of the Persian state occurred at a time when the entire Middle East was divided between four states: Egypt, Media, Lydia, Babylonia.

Even in its heyday, Media was actually a fragile tribal union. Thanks to the victories of King Cyaxares, Media conquered the state of Urartu and the ancient country of Elam. The descendants of Cyaxares were unable to retain the conquests of their great ancestor. The constant war with Babylon required the presence of troops on the border. It weakened domestic policy Mussels, which the vassals of the Median king took advantage of.

Reign of Cyrus II

In 553, Cyrus II rebelled against the Medes, to whom the Persians had been paying tribute for several centuries. The war lasted three years and ended with a crushing defeat for the Medes. The capital of Media (Ektabani) became one of the residences of the Persian ruler. Having conquered the ancient country, Cyrus II formally preserved the Median kingdom and assumed the titles of the Median rulers. Thus began the formation of the Persian state.

After the capture of Media, Persia declared itself as a new state in world history, and for two centuries played important role in events taking place in the Middle East. In 549-548. the newly formed state conquered Elam and subjugated a number of countries that were part of the former Median state. Parthia, Armenia, Hyrcania began to pay tribute to the new Persian rulers.

War with Lydia

Croesus, the ruler of powerful Lydia, realized what a dangerous enemy the Persian power was. A number of alliances were concluded with Egypt and Sparta. However, the Allies did not have the chance to begin full-scale military operations. Croesus did not want to wait for help and acted alone against the Persians. In the decisive battle near the capital of Lydia - the city of Sardis, Croesus brought his cavalry, which was considered invincible, onto the battlefield. Cyrus II sent soldiers riding camels. The horses, seeing unknown animals, refused to obey the riders; the Lydian horsemen were forced to fight on foot. The unequal battle ended with the retreat of the Lydians, after which the city of Sardis was besieged by the Persians. Of the former allies, only the Spartans decided to come to the aid of Croesus. But while the campaign was being prepared, the city of Sardis fell, and the Persians subjugated Lydia.

Expanding boundaries

Then it was the turn of the Greek city-states, which were located in the territory. After a series of major victories and suppression of rebellions, the Persians subjugated the city-states, thereby acquiring the opportunity to use them in battles.

At the end of the 6th century, the Persian power expanded its borders to the northwestern regions of India, to the cordons of the Hindu Kush and subjugated the tribes living in the river basin. Syrdarya. Only after strengthening the borders, suppressing rebellions and establishing royal power Cyrus II turned his attention to powerful Babylonia. On October 20, 539, the city fell, and Cyrus II became the official ruler of Babylon, and at the same time the ruler of one of the largest powers of the Ancient World - the Persian Kingdom.

Reign of Cambyses

Cyrus died in battle with the Massagetae in 530 BC. e. His policy was successfully carried out by his son Cambyses. After thorough preliminary diplomatic preparation, Egypt, another enemy of Persia, found itself completely alone and could not count on the support of its allies. Cambyses carried out his father's plan and conquered Egypt in 522 BC. e. Meanwhile, discontent was brewing in Persia itself and a rebellion broke out. Cambyses hurried to his homeland and died on the road under mysterious circumstances. After some time, the ancient Persian power provided the opportunity to gain power to the representative of the younger branch of the Achaemenids - Darius Hystaspes.

Beginning of the reign of Darius

The seizure of power by Darius I caused discontent and grumbling in enslaved Babylonia. The leader of the rebels declared himself the son of the last Babylonian ruler and began to be called Nebuchadnezzar III. In December 522 BC. e. Darius I won. The rebel leaders were publicly executed.

Punitive actions distracted Darius, and in the meantime revolts arose in Media, Elam, Parthia and other areas. It took the new ruler more than a year to pacify the country and restore the state of Cyrus II and Cambyses to its former borders.

Between 518 and 512, the Persian Empire conquered Macedonia, Thrace and part of India. This time is considered the heyday ancient kingdom Persians A state of global importance united dozens of countries and hundreds of tribes and peoples under its rule.

Social structure of Ancient Persia. Darius' reforms

The Achaemenid Persian state was distinguished by a wide variety of social structures and customs. Babylonia, Syria, Egypt, long before Persia, were considered highly developed states, and the recently conquered tribes of nomads of Scythian and Arab origin were still at the stage of a primitive way of life.

Chain of uprisings 522-520. showed the ineffectiveness of the previous government scheme. Therefore, Darius I carried out a number of administrative reforms and created a stable system state control over conquered peoples. The result of the reforms was the first effective administrative system, which served the Achaemenid rulers for more than one generation.

An effective management apparatus is a clear example how Darius ruled the Persian Empire. The country was divided into administrative-tax districts, which were called satrapies. The size of the satrapies was much larger than the territories of early states, and in some cases coincided with the ethnographic boundaries of ancient peoples. For example, the satrapy of Egypt territorially almost completely coincided with the borders of this state before its conquest by the Persians. The districts were led by government officials - satraps. Unlike his predecessors, who looked for their governors among the nobility of the conquered peoples, Darius I appointed exclusively nobles of Persian origin to these positions.

Functions of governors

Previously, the governor combined both administrative and civil functions. The satrap of the time of Darius had only civil powers; the military authorities were not subordinate to him. Satraps had the right to mint coins, were in charge economic activity countries, collecting taxes, administered justice. In peacetime, satraps were provided with a small personal guard. The army was subordinate exclusively to military leaders independent of the satraps.

The implementation of government reforms led to the creation of a large central administrative apparatus headed by the royal office. State administration was carried out by the capital of the Persian state - the city of Susa. Big cities At that time, Babylon, Ektabana, and Memphis also had their own offices.

Satraps and officials were under the constant control of the secret police. In ancient sources it was called “the ears and eye of the king.” Control and supervision of officials was entrusted to the Khazarapat - the commander of a thousand. State correspondence was conducted on which almost all the peoples of Persia owned.

Culture of the Persian Empire

Ancient Persia left its descendants a great architectural heritage. The magnificent palace complexes at Susa, Persepolis and Pasargadae made a stunning impression on their contemporaries. The royal estates were surrounded by gardens and parks. One of the monuments that has survived to this day is the tomb of Cyrus II. Many similar monuments that arose hundreds of years later took as their basis the architecture of the tomb of the Persian king. The culture of the Persian state contributed to the glorification of the king and the strengthening of royal power among the conquered peoples.

The art of ancient Persia combined the artistic traditions of Iranian tribes, intertwined with elements of Greek, Egyptian, and Assyrian cultures. Among the objects that have come down to descendants there are many decorations, bowls and vases, various cups, decorated with sophisticated paintings. A special place in the finds is occupied by numerous seals with images of kings and heroes, as well as various animals and fantastic creatures.

Economic development of Persia during the time of Darius

The nobility occupied a special position in the Persian kingdom. The nobles owned large land holdings in all conquered territories. Huge areas were placed at the disposal of the tsar’s “benefactors” for personal services to him. The owners of such lands had the right to manage, transfer the plots as an inheritance to their descendants, and they were also entrusted with the exercise of judicial power over their subjects. A land tenure system was widely used, in which plots were called allotments of a horse, bow, chariot, etc. The king distributed such lands to his soldiers, for which their owners had to serve in the active army as horsemen, archers, and charioteers.

But as before, huge tracts of land were in the direct possession of the king himself. They were usually rented out. The products of agriculture and livestock breeding were accepted as payment for them.

In addition to the lands, canals were under direct royal authority. The managers of the royal property rented them out and collected taxes for the use of water. For irrigation of fertile soils, a fee was charged, reaching 1/3 of the landowner's harvest.

Persian labor resources

Slave labor was used in all sectors of the economy. The bulk of them were usually prisoners of war. Bail slavery, when people sold themselves, did not become widespread. Slaves had a number of privileges, such as the right to have their own seals and participate in various transactions as full partners. A slave could redeem himself by paying a certain rent, and also be a plaintiff, witness or defendant in legal proceedings, of course, not against his masters. The practice of hiring hired workers for a certain amount of money was widespread. The work of such workers became especially widespread in Babylonia, where they dug canals, built roads and harvested crops from royal or temple fields.

Darius' financial policy

The main source of funds for the treasury was taxes. In 519, the king approved the basic system of state taxes. Taxes were calculated for each satrapy, taking into account its territory and land fertility. The Persians, as a conquering people, did not pay tax, but were not exempt from the tax in kind.

Various monetary units that continued to exist even after the unification of the country brought a lot of inconvenience, so in 517 BC. e. The king introduced a new gold coin, called the darik. The medium of exchange was a silver shekel, which was worth 1/20 of a darik and served in those days. The reverse of both coins featured the image of Darius I.

Transport routes of the Persian state

The spread of the road network facilitated the development of trade between the various satrapies. The royal road of the Persian state began in Lydia, crossed Asia Minor and passed through Babylon, and from there to Susa and Persepolis. The sea routes laid by the Greeks were successfully used by the Persians in trade and for the transfer of military force.

The sea expeditions of the ancient Persians are also known, for example, the journey of the sailor Skilak to the Indian shores in 518 BC. e.