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Achaemenid Empire
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Hakhamaneshiyan
Achaemenid Empire
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550 BCE – 330 BCE
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Capital Ecbatana, Pasargadae, Persepolis, Susa
Language(s) Old Persian, Imperial Aramaic, Elamite, Akkadian
Government Monarchy
King
- 559 BC–529 BC Cyrus II the Great
- 336 BC–330 BC Darius III
Historical era Ancient history
- Established 550 BCE
- Construction starts at Persepolis 515 BC
- Conquest of Egypt by Cambyses II 525 BC
- Greco-Persian Wars 499–449 BC
- Successful Egyptian rebellion leading to Egyptian independence 404 BC
- Conquered during Wars of Alexander the Great 330 BCE
- Darius III is killed by Bessus 330 BC
History of Greater Iran
Empires of Persia · Kings of Persia
Pre-modern
Zayandeh River Civilization prehistoric–?
Sialk civilization 7500–1000
Jiroft civilization (Aratta) 4000–?
Proto-Elamite civilization 3200–2800
Bactria-Margiana Complex 2200–1700
Elamite dynasties 2800–550
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
British and Russian influence 1826–1919
Independence and civil war 1919–1929
Mohammedzai rule 1929–1973
Republic of Afghanistan 1973–1978
Communist rule 1978–1992
Recent history of Afghanistan since 1992
Timeline
Russian Rule 1828–1917
Democratic Republic 1918–1920
Azerbaijan SSR 1920–1991
Republic of Azerbaijan since 1991
Qajar dynasty 1781–1925
Pahlavi dynasty 1925–1979
Iranian Revolution 1979
Provisional Government 1979
Islamic Republic of Iran since 1979
Hashimite monarchy 1920–1958
Coup and Republic 1958–2003
Republic of Iraq since 2004
Bukharan / Uzbek SSR 1920–1929
Tajik Autonomous SSR 1929
Tajik SSR 1929–1991
Republic of Tajikistan since 1991
Uzbek SSR 1924–1991
Independence 1991
Republic of Uzbekistan since 1991
The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenid Persian Empire (Persian: هخامنشیان IPA: [haχɒmaneʃijɒn]) (550–330 BCE) was amongst the first Persian Empires that ruled over significant portions of Greater Iran, followed the Iranian Median Empire. At the height of its power, the Iranian Achaemenid Empire encompassed approximately 6.5 million square kilometers and became the Largest Empire of Ancient World.
The empire was forged by Cyrus the Great, and spanned three continents, including territories of Afghanistan and Pakistan, parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and all significant population centers of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya. (Cyrus the Great was killed in 539 BC during a battle in Kapisa, northern Afghanistan[1]) It is noted in western history as the foe of the Greek city states in the Greco-Persian Wars, for freeing the Israelites from their Babylonian captivity, and for instituting Aramaic as the empire's official language. It fell during the Wars of Alexander the Great in 330 BC. Because of the Empire's vast extent and long endurance, Persian influence upon the language, religion, architecture, philosophy, law and government of nations around the world lasts to this day.
History
The empire began as a tributary state of the Medes but ended up conquering and enlarging the Median empire to include Egypt and Asia Minor. Under Xerxes, it came very close to conquering Ancient Greece. The Achaemenids were overthrown by the conquest of Alexander the Great in 330 BCE.