Thomas Watkins
Professor Phillips
Humanities 124.009
19 April 2023
Civil Developments of the Persian Empire
The Persian empire started when Cyrus the Great began to defeat nearby kingdoms including Media, Lydia, and Babylon, and joined them under one rule. Cyrus founded the persian empire also known as the Achaemenid empire, in 550 B.C. The Persian empire under Cyrus the Great's rule became the world's first superpower (A&E Television Networks, n.d.).
The persian empire is seen as one of the most powerful empires throughout all of history. Many factors led to its success like effective military tactics and diplomacy, an abundance of natural resources, and a well maintained road system. I believe that the main reason the Persian empire had such great success was its new civil developments like satraps or governors, a
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Satraps were appointed by the king and were given significant autonomy in managing their respective regions (Achaemenid satraps and the Aegean Frontier ,n.d.). This decentralized administrative system allowed for efficient local governance, which created stability and loyalty within the empire. They were responsible for maintaining law and order, collecting taxes, and providing military support when necessary. However, they were also expected to remain loyal to the king and to enforce his policies and directives. (Lockett, 2023). “The satrapal system was designed to be decentralized, which meant that the satraps had a significant degree of freedom in managing their territories” (Lockett, 2023). This allowed for very efficient government, as the satraps were able to adapt to the unique needs and circumstances of their regions. The satraps were also able to develop close relationships with the local populations, which helped to create stability and loyalty within the