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Achaemenid Empire
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Hakhâmaneshiyân
Achaemenid Empire
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ca. 550 BC–330 BC
→ →.svg)
Standard of Cyrus the Great.
Capital Pasargadae, Ecbatana, Persepolis, Susa, Babylon
Language(s) Old Persian, Imperial Aramaic, Elamite, Akkadian
Religion Zoroastrianism
Government Monarchy
King
- 559 BCE–529 BC Cyrus II the Great
Darius I the Great
- 336 BCE–330 BC Darius III
Historical era Ancient history
- Established ca. 550 BC
- Construction starts at Persepolis 515 BC
- Conquest of Egypt by Cambyses II 525 BC
- Greco-Persian Wars 498–448 BC
- Conquered during Wars of Alexander the Great 330 BC
- Darius III is killed by Bessus 330 BC
Currency Daric and Siglos
History of Greater Iran
| until the rise of modern nation-states |
See also
Kings of Persia
Pre-modern
Prehistory
Proto-Elamite civilization 3200–2800
Elamite dynasties 2800–550
Bactria-Margiana Complex 2200–1700
Kingdom of Mannai 10th–7th cent.
Median Empire 728–550
Achaemenid Empire 550–330
Seleucid Empire 330–150
Greco-Bactrian Kingdom 250-125
Parthian Empire 248–CE 224
CE
Kushan Empire 30–275
Sassanid Empire 224–651
Hephthalite Empire 425–557
Kabul-Shahi dynasty 565–670
Umayyad Caliphate 661–750
Abbasid Caliphate 750–1258
Tahirid dynasty 821–873
Alavid dynasty 864–928
Saffarid dynasty 861–1003
Samanid dynasty 819–999
Ziyarid dynasty 928–1043
Buyid dynasty 934–1055
Ghaznavid Empire 975–1187
Ghori dynasty 1149–1212
Seljuk Empire 1037–1194
Khwarezmid dynasty 1077–1231
Kartids dynasty 1231-1389
Ilkhanate 1256–1353
Muzaffarid dynasty 1314–1393
Chupanid dynasty 1337–1357
Jalayerid dynasty 1339–1432
Timurid Empire 1370–1506
Qara Qoyunlu Turcomans 1407–1468
Aq Qoyunlu Turcomans 1378–1508
Safavid Empire 1501–1722*
Mughal Empire 1526–1857
Hotaki dynasty 1722–1729
Afsharid dynasty 1736–1750
* or 1736
The Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550–330 BC), also known as the Persian Empire, was the successor state of the Median Empire, ruling over significant portions of what would become Greater Iran. The Persian and the Median Empire taken together are also known as the Medo-Persian Empire, which encompassed the combined territories of several earlier empires.
At the height of its power, the empire encompassed approximately 8 million km2.[1][2] The empire was forged by Cyrus the Great, and spanned three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe. At its greatest extent, the empire included the territories of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace and Macedonia, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and all significant population centers of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya. It is noted in western history as the foe of the Greek city states during the Greco-Persian Wars, for emancipation of slaves including the Jews from their Babylonian captivity, and for instituting the usage of official languages throughout its territories. The Achaemenid Persian empire was invaded by Alexander III of Macedon, after which it collapsed and disintegrated in 330 BC into what later became the Ptolemaic Kingdom and Seleucid Empire, in addition to other minor territories which gained independence after its collapse.
In universal history the role of the Persian empire founded by Cyrus the Great lies in their very successful model for centralized administration and a government working to the advantage and profit of all.[3]
History
Origins
The Persian domination by the Achaemenid empire over the Iranian people started by an extension of the Achaemenid dynasty who expanded their earlier ruling clan over the Persians going, possibly, back to the 9th century BC. The eponym of this dynasty was Achaemenes (Old Persian: Haxāmaniš, a bahuvrihi compound translating to "having a friend's mind").[4] Achaemenes even if he was a historical personage, may have built the state Parsumash. Teispes (Cišpi) who was the first to take the title King of Anšān after seizing Anšān city from the Elamites and enlarging his kingdom to include Persis.[3] The early Teispid rulers of Achaemenids, consistently identified themselves with the indigenous name of Elamite highlands, Anshanite. Furthermore, there is no mention of Achaemenes in genealogy of Teispids, in Cyrus Cylender. [5] According to Cyrus Cylinder[6] and other inscriptions, Teispes had a son called Cyrus succeeding his father as "King of Anshan".
There are no arguments[7] in favor of the previously held view that the kingdom of Teispes may have been divided between Cyrus and his brother Ariaramnes (Ariyāramna, 'Having the Iranians at Peace'),[8] who were succeeded by their respective sons Cambyses I of Anshan (Kambūjiya, "the Elder"), and Arsames (Aršāma "Having a Hero's Might") of Persis, thus forming two branches of the Achaemenid royal house.
Formation and expansion of the empire
The empire took its unified virgin form with a central administration around Pasargadae erected by Cyrus the Great. The empire ended up conquering and enlarging the Median empire to include in addition Egypt and Asia Minor. During the reigns of Darius I and his son Xerxes I it engaged in military conflict with some of the major city-states of Ancient Greece, and although it came close to defeating the Greek army this war ultimately led to the empire's overthrow. However evidences of elements of continuity including restoration of the empire almost to the exact limits given to it by Darius the Great and the maintenance of system of satrapies has made some modern scholars to reconsider Alexander as the “last of the Achaemenids“.[9]