The Cradle of Human Civilization

HISTORY OF IRAN
• Iran is home to one of the world's oldest major civilizations, with
urban settlements dating back to 4000 BC.

THE MEDES
• The Medes unified Iran as a nation and empire in 625 BC. Median
Dynasty (728-550 BC) created first Iranian Empire.

THE ACHAEMENID EMPIRE
• The Achaemenid Empire (550-330 BC) was the first of the Persian
empires to rule from the Balkans to North Africa and also Central
Asia from their capital in Persis (Persepolis).

• The Achaemenid Empire (550-330 BC) or First Persian Empire was
an empire based in Western Asia, founded in the 6th century BC
by Cyrus the Great. The dynasty draws its name from king
Achaemenes, who ruled Persis between 705 BC and 675 BC.

• The empire expanded to eventually rule over significant portions
of the ancient world, which at around 500 BC stretched from parts
of the Balkans (Bulgaria-Pannonia) and Thrace-Macedonia in the
west, to the Indus Valley in the east, making it the largest empire
the world had yet seen.

• At the height of its power after the conquest of Egypt, the empire
encompassed approximately 8 million square kilometers spanning
three continents: Asia, Europe and Africa. At its greatest extent,
the empire included the modern territories of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait,
Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, all significant population
centers of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya, Turkey, Thrace and
Macedonia, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Armenia,
Georgia, Azerbaijan, much of Central Asia, India, Afghanistan,
northern Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and parts of Oman and the UAE.

• According to Guinness World Records, the empire at its peak
ruled over 44% of the world's population, the highest such figure
for any empire in history.

• For liberation of slaves including the
Jewish people from their Babylonian
captivity, and for instituting
infrastructures such as a postal
system, road systems, and the usage
of an official language, Aramaic,
throughout its territories, the
Achaemenids are considered as the
pioneers of “Human Rights”. The
empire had a centralized,
bureaucratic administration under
the King and a large professional
army and civil services, inspiring
similar developments in later
empires.

CYRUS THE GREAT (576-530 BC)
• As a tolerant ruler Cyrus allowed
different cultures within his
empire to keep their own
institutions.
• The Greeks called him a
“Law-Giver.”
• The Jews called him “the
anointed of the Lord.” (In 537,
he allowed over 40,000 to
return to Palestine).
• Cyrus created an organized army
including the Immortals unit,
consisting of 10,000 highly trained soldiers

TOMB OF CYRUS THE GREAT Iranian Artists Rendition
of Cyrus the Great

THE CYRUS CYLINDER, SOMETIMES DESCRIBED AS THE "FIRST
CHARTER OF HUMAN RIGHTS"

DARIUS THE GREAT (526-485 BC)
• Built Persepolis.
• He extended the Persian Empire to
the Indus River in northern India.
• Established a tax-collecting system.
• He created a social security system
for workers in the
building of the
Persepolis palace.
• Built a canal in
Egypt.

• Divided the empire into districts called SATRAPIES, giving shape to
a multi-state empire, governed by four capital states; Pasargadae,
Babylon, Susa and Ekbatana. The Achaemenids allowed a certain
amount of regional autonomy in the form of the satrapy system.
• Darius moved the capital from Pasargadae to Persepolis. He
revolutionized the economy by placing it on a silver and gold
coinage and introducing a regulated and sustainable tax system
that was precisely tailored to each
satrapy, based on their supposed
productivity and their economy.
• Established a complex
postal system.

• Under the Achaemenids, the
trade was extensive and there
was an efficient infrastructure
that facilitated the exchange of
commodities in the far reaches
of the empire. Tariffs on trade
were one of the empire's main
sources of revenue, along with
agriculture and tribute.

• Draius built the great Royal Road system. The satrapies were
linked by a 2,500-kilometer highway, the most impressive stretch
being the Royal Road from Susa to Sardis, built by command of
Darius I. The relays of mounted couriers could reach the remotest
of areas in fifteen days.
Royal Road

• Herodotus, in his mid-5th century BC
account of Persian residents of the
Pontus, reports that Persian youths,
from their fifth year to their twentieth
year, were instructed in three things –
to ride a horse, to draw a bow, and to
speak the Truth.
• He further notes that: the most
disgraceful thing in the world [the
Persians] think, is to tell a lie; the next
worst, to owe a debt: because, among
other reasons, the debtor is obliged to
tell lies.

QANAT SYSTEM
Wind tower and
qanat used for
cooling.
By 400 BCE Persian engineers had already mastered the technique of
storing ice in the middle of summer in the desert in naturally cooled
refrigerators called yakhchal (meaning ice pits) which were connected to
qanats..

PERSEPOLIS
Gate of Xerxes at Persepolis

IRAN, THE CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION

The Cradle of Human Civilization

The Cradle of Human Civilization

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