Download - HIS 105 Chapter 4
Iranian Achaemenids and Mauryan India In both areas there were:
Sophisticated bureaucracies Professional armies Strong communication systems New cultural, political, and religious
developments
Iran
Found in SW Asia in the middle of east-west trade routes
As a consequence, cities flourished Iranians were descendents of Aryan peoples
who settled there in 1100 B.C.E. 2 major groups of Aryans there:
The Medes The Persians
Achaemenids
Powerful Persian clan in 7th century B.C.E. Took over the Medes by 550 B.C.E. Cyrus the Great was the Persian or
Achaemenid ruler at the time Allowed for local rule and former practices in
the newly captured territory Little disruption for the people
Religion
Emphasis on “right” moral order Monotheistic ; god named Ahura Mazda Zarathustra (Zoroaster) was a trained priest
and religiuos reformer Wanted moral reform in an age of materialism,
power grabbing, and ethical indifference Asked followers to worship Ahura Mazda, do
good, and overcome evil Said there would be a final judgment
His religion was called Zoroastrianism It perhaps influenced Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam -- also monotheistic Zoroastrianism was wiped out when Islam
entered It is still practiced in western India
First Iranian Empire (550-330 B.C.E.)The Achaemenids & Cyrus the Great During the rise of this Persian power, Cyrus I
ruled Iran moved toward greatness under Cyrus
the Great (r.559-530 B.C.E.), grandson of CyrusI
Cyrus the Great expanded Persian territory: took Assyria, Cilesia, Lydia, and defeated the last Babylonian king
When he continued his battle for territory eastward, he was killed
Cambyses ( r. 529-522 B.C.E.), his successor took Egypt
Darius I succeeded Cambyses (r. 521-486 B.C.E.) Under his rule the Achaemenid Empire
reached its furthest extent Territory extended from Egypt to southern
Russia to the Indus Valley
After Darius, the Achaemenids lost power and control
Achaemenid Government
It was a stable government until the 3rd century B.C.E.
The king was called Shahanshah or “King of Kings”
Ahura Mazda would bless the king (divine rule)
Achaemenids showed tolerance of other cultures and religions
They established Pax Achaemenica
Governors in the provinces were called Satraps
Taxes were collected Emphasis on rule of law Had a good highway system
Helped trade Helped army Helped couriers
Economy
Coin system Standard wages Basic occupation was agriculture Serfs and slaves made up most of the labor
force
India
First true Indian Empire was established by Chandragupta Maurya (r. 321-297 B.C.E.)
After Alexander the Great’s victories in NW India and the defeat of small kingdoms, there was a need for new Indian leadership
Chandragupta Maurya provided that leadership
He re-conquered NW India taking it from the Greeks left by Alexander
Chandragupta began conquering territory along the Ganges plain
Chandraguta was succeeded by his son, Bindusara (r. 297-272 B.C.E.) who extended the boundaries further south
Bindusara was succeeded by his son, Ashoka (r. 272-232) who completed the conquests His reign was one of political unity, prosperity,
and rich culture
He became a Buddhist He stopped his conquests after seeing te
suffering he caused Ashoka then worked to promote the welfare of
his people He built roads and hospitals Promoted vegetarianism Would not sanction war or animal slaughter
Brahmans were no longer his political advisors, and they did not like losing their power
Local warrior elite were also losing their power However, many people benefited:
Merchants Artisans Buddhist monks and nuns Women
Ashoka’s reign was followed by weaker rulers The empire divided chaos followed Brahmans pushed to take back power Brahmans persecuted Buddhists and pushed
them to the fringes of society and brought back Hinduism
Brahman Recovery
Brahmans and kings with Brahman advisors began to take power in northern India as other weak leaders fell
Practices of the Buddhists made them vulnerable to the Brahman push Buddhists isolated themselves in monasteries They were supported by the wealthy and lived
in luxury They lost touch with ordinary people
Brahmans tried to make Hinduism more appealing to the Indian people by incorporating some Buddhist gods and by stressing a more personal relationship with their gods
Brahmans also opened temples to people of all castes
Women could act as singers and poets They created more ceremonies Hindus adopted Buddhists’ idea of salvation