Persian Empire

Historians believe human life existed in Persia around 6000 BC and there were many communities who had settled in the eastern side of the mountain range Zagros. Historical evidences reveal people who had lived in the prehistoric era in the Persian region had domesticated animals and cultivated barley and wheat. They had also used painted potteries to serve food and refreshments.

The term "Persian Empire" is used to refer to the various dynasties that have ruled Persia. One of the earliest known Persian Empire was "Proto-Elamite Empire" and it was followed by the dynasty known as the "Medes". Cyrus II also known as Cyrus the Great founded the Persian Empire that we are familiar with today. The dynasty of Cyrus was called the Achaemenid Empire. The glory of the Persian Empire lasted for 200 years. The golden period of this prominent empire was during the rule of Darius I.

The Persian Empire is the ancient name of Iran and was derived from the Greek word "Persis". Until 1935, the European historian called the entire states of Iran as Persian Empire.

Pre-dynastic Era of Persian Empire

The first migrants to Persia were the Persians and Medes. They were the nomadic Aryan tribes. They had migrated to Iran from Central Asia between 1500 BC and 800 BC. In 1000 BC, the Prophet Zoroaster had introduced the concept of good and evil and the notion of existence of almighty. An interesting point is the word "paradise" was derived from the old Persian language. The concepts of Zoroastrian were later adopted by other religions such as Islam, Christianity and Judaism. The people of ancient Persia practiced the religion called Zoroastrianism.

One of the first cities to be built in Persian Empire was Sialk. It was built in 3900 BC. Historical evidences show, Persians were pioneers in winemaking and agriculture was the basic profession of the ancient Persians. Cyrus founded Persian Empire. The glory of this great and powerful empire lasted for two centuries. Later it was invaded by the Greeks and eventually fell into the hands of the Arab rulers.

Persian Empire - Cyrus the Great

The credit of creating a vast and powerful empire goes to Cyrus the Great. The Persian Empire originated under the skillful leadership of Cyrus. He created a vast empire by conquering the neighboring and bordering land. Later he united them into one empire known as the Persian Empire. Cyrus was a powerful ruler who was known for his leadership skills and strong military tactics. He was a tolerant King and respected the culture and traditions of both the Persians and the Medians. His government officials were the educated and knowledgeable Persian and Median nobles.

With the help of a strong army he conquered the states of Asia Minor also known as Anatolia and regions on the east known as the Fertile Crescent. Cyrus the great was popular among the people he had conquered because he respected their language and allowed them to practice their religion. Historians have excavated a clay cylinder on which his goals and policies were chartered. Cyrus also declared the "Charter of Human rights".

Cyrus the Great continued the expansion of the Persian Empire by defeating the king Croesus of Lydia (modern Turkey) in the year 546 BC and by conquering Babylon Empire (modern Iraq) in 539 BC. Till his death in 530 BC, Cyrus invaded many kingdoms in Central Asia to expand the Persian Empire. He died during a war campaign in Central Asia and was buried in a stone tomb he had built in Pasargadae.

After the death of Cyrus the great, there were chaos is in the Persian Empire until Darius I came to power. Cyrus had laid a strong foundation for the Persian Empire. Therefore, it was easy for Darius I to take the strings from where Cyrus had left. Darius I divided the Persian kingdom into several provinces. He had appointed a governor to collect taxes and rule each province. The reign of Darius I was known as the Golden period in the history of the Persian Empire.