Persians became one of the greatest nations in the history of mankind thanks to engineering achievements and advanced military science. They managed to create an empire superior in power to all others. The contribution of the Persian people to world culture cannot be overestimated, because it was he who created palaces, engineering structures and was one of the first to master shipbuilding.

History

The history of Persia is divided into several stages, the most important of which was the formation of the capital of Persepolis. However, history teaches that prosperity cannot be achieved by war alone. That is why the Persian kings sought to build cities and water canals. And in this they have achieved tremendous success.

Having learned about the achievements of the Persians, the neighboring tribes decided to swear allegiance to Achaemen, who then ruled a great nation. In the 6th century BC. Cyrus the Great began to rule over the Persians, under whom the Persian Empire reached its highest prosperity. The power of this ruler was not only in the knowledge of military affairs, but also in politics. His influence was recognized by the Jewish people, and the Greeks and Ionians considered Cyrus a true benefactor.
Historians agree that the empire created by Cyrus the Great was the largest in the ancient world. The ruler's plans were to conquer the whole world. Before that, he decided to build the capital of Pasargadae (also Pasargadae), in which all the most daring projects were realized.

A feature of Cyrus was an attitude, unthinkable by the standards of that time, towards the conquered peoples. Conquering new lands, the ruler did not order to drive people into slavery. People had the right to preserve their own faith and observe rituals. Such political regulation is explained by foresight - while maintaining comfortable living conditions and the absence of restrictions in religion, people did not need to resist. On the contrary, they only helped to strengthen the power of the Persian king. In the future, Cyrus managed to conquer Babylon, although its inhabitants themselves recognized the king as a liberator. Babylon was required by the Persian king as a buffer state to get closer to Egypt. Interestingly, the Jewish people considered Cyrus the messiah. However, as a commander, he had to constantly participate in hostilities, which ultimately led to his death.

With the death of Cyrus the Great, a dark time begins in the history of Persia. The throne could not be empty for a long time, so a fierce struggle begins for it. Not only Persia was frightened, but also everyone who had any relationship with the empire. Once again, the place of the ruler is taken by the commander, who is a distant relative of Cyrus. We are talking about Daria, who became famous throughout Persia not only as a great warrior, but also as a brilliant king. Without exaggeration, he was a worthy successor to the cause of Cyrus.

First of all, Darius orders to rebuild Susa, which turns into one of the most beautiful cities of the Persian kingdom, as even the Bible mentions. Darius decides to build a new capital - Persepolis, which became a unique city at that time, embodying amazing engineering ideas. Once again, the Persian kings show themselves complacent by paying workers compensation for their work. When paying, gender, qualifications and physical abilities were taken into account. As a result, under Darius, the Persian Empire becomes huge and stretches from Egypt to India. To tie the country together, a road is created from rubble and gravel. The Persians took into account the need to lay the embankment in order to exclude negative impact groundwater.

During his reign, Darius faced uprisings. So, he was resisted by Athens and Corinth, who joined forces. Oddly enough, the Persian army is losing, and Darius himself decides to return to his native land. As a result, he suffers the same fate as a relative - 486 BC. becomes last year reign of Darius, who dies during the campaign. However, the king is wise enough to name a successor in advance. The famous Xerxes becomes him.

He continues to fight the Athenians, but suffers a crushing defeat, and his successor Artaxerxes decides not to go military campaigns, but to prove himself as a king-builder. However, the enemies of Persia did not waste time, and an uprising had already begun in Egypt. 4th century BC marked the end of the Persian Empire. After the death of Artaxerxes, a period of anarchy began. Finally, Darius the Third comes to power, meanwhile a new great ruler is born - Alexander. It was he who conquered Persia and glorified it in every possible way, taking the daughter of Darius III as his wife. The influence of Persia on Alexander is so strong that he proclaims himself part of the Achaemenid dynasty. In total, the Persian Empire lasted for about 2,700 years.

Culture


The Persians were known as great conquerors and engineers, but they had to take culture from other peoples. For example, the Persian people borrowed writing from the Assyrians, and the language was used by Aramaic. The modern versions of the Persian language, called Farsi and Farsi-Kabuli (Dari), were formed thanks to the Arabic script. Religion and the book "Avesta", which has the same great importance as the Koran or the Bible for modern peoples, played a significant role in their lives.

The Persians understood that it was impossible to survive without water, so the found sources had to be thrown over. It was impossible to get it from rivers and lakes, so they came up with unique structures with which they pumped water from the mountains. Having built underground channels, they used the elementary laws of physics, understanding the peculiarities of the action of gravity. Water came from the foothills of Elbrus. With a natural slope, it allowed water to flow through the canals and reach the Persian Gulf. Vertical shafts were used to build canals, then tunnels were built. Total length tunnels could be from 20 to 40 kilometers. These are incredibly complex structures, which even now are difficult to implement without knowledge of the material and technical base. The Persians had to take into account that water can erode the base, so the angle of inclination of the canals should not exceed a certain mark. If the angle was too small, then the water would stagnate. A competent approach allowed them to create a system in which water was abundant in an arid climate.

Architecture

The most significant achievements of the Persians are palaces and all kinds of architectural structures... A vivid proof of this is Persepolis, in which stone tents and huge columns were erected. It was the Persians who first began to use glazed tiles, they decorated palaces with gold and silver, and used reliefs for decoration. Persian engineers independently invented the sewerage system, built a canal connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas. For the invasion of Greece, a pontoon bridge was used, capable of supporting 70 thousand soldiers. Thus, in the construction business they still have no equal.

The conquests of the Persians allowed them to gain a lot of experience - they studied construction technology and developed engineering. That is why in the cities of Persia you can see signs of the influence of Assyria, the countries of Asia Minor and the Egyptian Empire. For the construction of Pasargadae, craftsmen from all over the empire came to the service of the king. Thanks to them, the capital became a city in which one could enjoy magnificent paradise parks. Many gardens and canals, luxurious cladding, numerous swimming pools - all this splendor adorned the capital. Persians were considered geniuses of landscape design, using hedges as decorations.
According to the description of contemporaries, beautiful sculptures could be seen in the palace of King Xerxes, and the palace itself was a huge structure. Only its ceremonial hall had an area of ​​3600 square meters and was called the hall of a hundred columns. The stairs had elaborate bas-reliefs showing the processions of the people and the settlement of states.

Religion

The ancient Persians worshiped the great god Ahuramazda, who personified light and good. He was often depicted as a solar disk with large wings. Ahuramazd's irreconcilable enemy was Ahriman, the embodiment of evil. Interestingly, Ahriman also personified nomads.
The prophet Zarathustra played an important role in the formation of the religion, from whom the teaching of Zoroastrianism originated. In the Persian society, priests were revered, following the instructions of which, at the time of the heyday of the Persian kingdom, our planet was 12 thousand years old. According to the belief of the Persians, the world was originally ruled by Ahuramazda. His reign lasted almost 3 thousand years and became the "golden age" in history. Then Ahriman came, bringing hunger, sickness and death. A number of historians believe that in the eyes of the Persians, their kings brought good to the world, seeking to save it from eternal suffering and give light.
The Persians also had pagan gods who ruled over the sky, water and earth. The most significant of them was Mithra, the personification of the sun.

Life

The life of the ancient Persians was subject to a strict treasure of life. Political regulation in the empire was well established. Society was divided into a number of classes. It was based on peasants, artisans and merchants.

Education played an important role in the Persian kingdom. There were many schools in which future masters were taught engineering. To this day, details have not survived about how exactly the training system was built, but it is known that people from the upper class became the rulers of the provinces. In Persia, they studied not only construction, but also comprehended medicine. The main role was played by the army, which recruited young men for regular training and preparation for military campaigns.

Men often devoted their lives to the army, spending whole days in training. The striking force of the troops consisted in the use of horse archers, who rode in chariots. In total, the army under Xerxes numbered 360,000 warriors and a special formation of elite soldiers, who were called "immortals."

The most important thing in the life of every Persian was to adhere to customs. Noble people were very proud of their origin and tried in every possible way to emphasize it. Among the Achaemenid dynasty, the Behistun inscription began to appear for the first time, which indicated the greatness of the kings. For example, Darius I indicated that he was the king of countries inhabited by all peoples. Moreover, the king was proud of his achievements and constantly pointed out that it was during his time that this or that object was built. For example, Darius Channel.

An interesting fact for historians it is that the Persians and their kings called themselves Aryans. Therefore, later the region where Persia was originally formed was called Iran.

Appearance

clothing


The Persians' clothes were comfortable and warm enough. It was supposed to cover the whole body, since Persia was originally located in a mountainous area.
Men wore leather and fur pants, caftans tied with a belt. During the reign of Cyrus the Great, the Median costume became official. It was sewn from wool using fine threads. The Persians also used silk, with dark red and purple as the main colors for a long time. The wide caftan had long floors, which needed to be belted. A characteristic feature of such a caftan was very wide sleeves, sometimes differing in color from the main part. The Median costume was available only to the highest ranks and courtiers. To receive a suit as a reward was considered honorable - it was perceived as a royal award.
According to the records of Herodotus, the Persians sought to create unique outfits, admiring the costumes of the Lydians, Babylonians and Assyrians. A sign of closeness to the king was a blue and white bandage, which was worn on a headdress.
The assumption about women's outfits is based on images painted on vases found in the territory of Ancient Greece. It is believed that women wore colorful clothes, characteristic feature which had a border. Women who were close to the king adorned their clothes with gold and wore royal tiaras.
Noble Persians allowed themselves caftans adorned with pearls, pointed caps with beautiful patterns. The girls wore transparent capes over their outfits. Shoes or boots made of leather were chosen as footwear. Men's shoes were characterized by simplicity, while women's shoes were skillfully decorated with embroidery.
The main headdress of the courtiers was a hood. It was believed that he must necessarily close his mouth, otherwise the breath would reach the king, which was extremely undesirable. The tiaras depicted multi-petal flowers symbolizing the sun. Tiaras with such a sign could only be worn by the king, an alternative was the kidaris, which is a pointed hat. A blue-white ribbon was wrapped around it. The Persians inherited the custom of wearing beards and wigs from the Egyptians. Special attention should be paid to the costume of the warriors. It underwent significant changes under Cyrus the Great. It was Cyrus who commanded to dress the warriors in armor, which served as a kind of hybrid of the uniforms of neighboring peoples.
The Persian warrior wore a shell, a helmet, and the commanders covered it with the thinnest layer of gold and decorated it with feathers.

Traditions

The ancient Persians had many customs and traditions. Here are the most important ones:

  • The king's servants could commit isolated crimes. No one had the right to punish them for this, not even the king himself;
  • The father did not have the right to see his child until the age of 5;
  • The masters had no right to be angry with the servants if they were courteous, so the bad mood of the master could not be considered a reason for bad behavior towards the servant;
  • Noble men could have concubines and several wives;
  • The customs and instructions for the conduct of funeral rites were to be kept in the strictest confidence;
  • In Persia there were sacrifices, but for fun or out of anger, people did not have the right to kill a living creature;
  • In Persia, there were magicians who identified themselves with the priests. They were not held in high esteem by the population and even by the courtiers, but many were afraid of them, therefore they did not touch them;
  • In Persia, it was forbidden to lend money;
  • The Persians believed that human sins can cause illnesses and badly affect fate.

The Persians had good neighborly relations. They were interested in neighboring peoples, sought to establish trade and even create families. On the other hand, strangers, about whom “had not been heard in the world,” were treated with suspicion. So, the existence of Indian tribes was news to many, although they were in no hurry to get to know the Indians. Those whom the Persians respected were greeted with a kiss. This is how they confirmed their status to each other by meeting on the street.

Food


Persian cuisine has absorbed the recipes of many peoples. It even contains a number of recipes from the Macedonians who conquered Persia thanks to Alexander. Persian cuisine is divided into categories, the first of which is represented by Iranians. They call Persian cuisine courtly, and its main feature is sauces.

  1. The most common Persian dish is goulash with cinnamon, mint, and pomegranate fruits.
  2. Thanks to a large number orchards, the Persians could afford to eat the freshest fruits. They were served to the table along with meat and other dishes.
  3. Fruits and vegetables could be stuffed with cinnamon, saffron, or cardamom.
  4. Among the side dishes, the Persians preferred rice cooked in baked milk. This allowed to obtain a golden crust, and saffron gave a unique aroma. Persian rice is now served in many Iranian restaurants.
  5. Desserts are prepared using rose water. They were sure to add pistachios, assorted fruits and nuts.
  6. For the preparation of sherbet, fruit juice and rose water were used.
  7. The influence of Persian cuisine can hardly be overestimated. She has shaped the face of Moroccan, Indian and Iranian cuisines. As for sauces and spices, they are used everywhere. For example, for making soups, falafels, kebabs, fish, dolma.
  8. Some of the ancient recipes have been preserved, which is why eminent chefs around the world use the recommended portions of spices to add exquisite flavor to their dishes.
  9. Iranians often prepare Persian sweets, including glazed nuts, baklava, nougat gas, saffron ice cream.

The power of the Persian Empire was immense. Its people are recognized as perhaps the greatest of all that has ever existed in the history of mankind. Unfortunately, the wars with the Athenians completely destroyed the once powerful civilization. Only a small part of the achievements of the Persians has survived to this day. Their empire clearly shows that even the most powerful warriors and brilliant politicians can be destroyed by evil fate. However, the greatness of Persia will inspire the whole world for a long time to come.

A lot of secrets remained unsolved. The history of Ancient Persia remains very mysterious, so we suggest watching the video below, which tells about the most significant moments in the life of the ancient Persians.

who are the persians?

  1. Persians made children of iron
  2. The people are like that. Once there was a great Persian empire, and now a small state of Iran.
  3. Persians are Persians!
  4. Persians are the people of Iran (Persia), they are mistakenly called Iranians because of the name of the country, Iran is Persia, the authorities just asked to officially call their country Iran. It is a mistake to call them Iranians, because in the Iranian language group besides the Persians, there are many other Iranian peoples (akin to the Persians, of course). Therefore, they must be called Persians.
  5. Is it lazy to type on Wikipedia?
  6. modern Tajiks, Iranians and Afghans
  7. Residents of present-day Iran
  8. Persians are different ancient peoples of Tats, Talysh, Kurds ...
  9. It was an ancient people who inhabited the territory of modern Iran. In 538 BC. NS. it was ruled by the king Cyrus. He conquered the land of Babylon and plundered its capital. In battles, Cyrus never showed cruelty, respected the customs of the vanquished and honored the local gods.

    During the reign of Cyrus, the Persian state reached its zenith. All peoples who agreed to recognize his power (Jews, Greeks, Babylonians) were allowed to maintain their national dress, religion and even government.

    In response to the constant concern of this unusual king for his people, the Persians called him the father of nations. In 530, Cyrus died in a battle with the Massagets on the eastern bank of the Amu Darya River.

    Later, the Persians were ruled by King Darius. He expanded the boundaries of the kingdom to the Balkans in the east and India in the west. However, the conquered lands were ruled fairly.

    The whole kingdom was divided into 20 provinces, each province was headed by a governor who ruled on behalf of the king. He was called a satrap, and the province was called a satrapy. Various parts of the state were connected by a network of caravan trade routes.

    The development of trade was also facilitated by the system of a single currency circulation. Darius introduced a strict order in the collection of taxes. In most satrapies, taxes were taken in silver, and every year over two hundred tons of silver came to Darius' storerooms. That is why Darius received the nickname "huckster" from his contemporaries.
    2) Persian - abbreviated character
    3) breed of cats

  10. Inhabitants of ancient Iran. And there is the slang "Persian" character in the game)))))
  11. NS? ERSY (Farsi, self-name Irani), a people in the Middle East, the main population of Central (south of the Elburs ridge) and Eastern Iran. The number in Iran is 35.199 million (2004). They speak Persian, anthropologically belong to the southern branch of the great Caucasoid race. Shiite Muslim believers. The penetration of Iranian tribes from the north into the territory of modern Iran supposedly dates back to the second millennium BC. Persian tribes occupied a dominant position in the Achaemenid state. In the future, the Persians were also influenced by the Arab, Turkic and Mongol peoples. The process of assimilation by the Persians of other peoples of Iran (especially those who speak the language of the Iranian group) continues. Islam spread among the Persians in the 7th century, after the Arab conquest. Prior to this, the Persians professed Zoroastrianism, which was preserved in a modified form among the Gebras. Most of the Persians are rural residents, whose main occupations are agriculture (largely based on artificial irrigation), gardening and vegetable growing, cattle breeding. Carpet weaving and hand weaving are well developed. The traditions of Muslim law are strong in family relations. The Persians have rich traditions of oral folk art and poetry.
  12. modern Iranians Tajiks Afghans - so they are Persians
  13. now Iran, or as the people said above)
  14. Pe # 769; rs, Persian # 769; chnyi ira # 769; nts is an ethnolinguistic community of numerous regional groups of the population of Iran and some adjacent countries, for which the native language is Persian, represented by various dialects. The largest and leading component of the Iranian nation, united by a common sedentary agricultural and urban culture.

The Persian Power had a huge impact on history Of the ancient world... Formed by a small tribal union, the Achaemenid state existed for about two hundred years. The mention of the splendor and power of the country of the Persians is in many ancient sources, including the Bible.

Start

For the first time, mention of the Persians is found in Assyrian sources. In an inscription dated to the 9th century BC. e., contains the name of the land of Parsua. Geographically, this area was located in the Central Zagros region, and during the mentioned period the population of this area paid tribute to the Assyrians. The unification of the tribes did not yet exist. Assyrians mention 27 kingdoms under their control. In the VII century. The Persians, apparently, entered into a tribal union, since references to kings from the Achaemenid tribe appeared in the sources. The history of the Persian state begins in 646 BC, when Cyrus I. became the ruler of the Persians.

During the reign of Cyrus I, the Persians significantly expanded the territories under their control, including taking possession of most of the Iranian plateau. At the same time, the first capital of the Persian state, the city of Pasargadae, was founded. Some of the Persians were engaged in agriculture, some led

The emergence of the Persian state

At the end of the VI century. BC NS. the Persian people were ruled by Cambyses I, who was dependent on the kings of Media. The son of Cambyses, Cyrus II, became the ruler of the settled Persians. Information about the ancient Persian people is scarce and fragmentary. Apparently, the main unit of society was the patriarchal family, headed by a man who had the right to dispose of the life and property of his loved ones. The community, first tribal and later rural, was a powerful force for several centuries. Several communities formed a tribe, several tribes could already be called a people.

The emergence of the Persian state came at a time when the entire Middle East was divided between four states: Egypt, Media, Lydia, Babylonia.

Even in the era of its heyday, Media was actually a fragile tribal union. Thanks to the victories of the king Kiaksar of Media, the state of Urartu and the ancient country of Elam were subdued. The descendants of Kiaxar could not keep the conquests of their great ancestor. The constant war with Babylon required the presence of troops on the border. It weakened domestic policy The Medes, than the vassals of the Medes king and took advantage of.

The reign of Cyrus II

In 553, Cyrus II raised a revolt against the Medes, whom the Persians paid tribute to for several centuries. The war lasted three years and ended with a crushing defeat for the Medes. The capital of Media (Ektabana) became one of the residences of the Persian ruler. Having conquered the ancient country, Cyrus II formally preserved the Median kingdom and assumed the titles of the Median rulers. This is how the formation of the Persian state began.

After the capture of Media, Persia declared itself as a new state in world history, and for two centuries played an important role in the events taking place in the Middle East. In 549-548. the newly formed state conquered Elam and subjugated a number of countries that were part of the former Median state. Parthia, Armenia, Hyrcania began to pay tribute to the new Persian rulers.

War with Lydia

Croesus, the ruler of the powerful Lydia, realized what a dangerous enemy the Persian state was. A number of alliances were concluded with Egypt and Sparta. However, the allies did not manage to start full-scale hostilities. Croesus did not want to wait for help and marched alone against the Persians. In the decisive battle near the capital of Lydia - the city of Sardis, Croesus brought his cavalry, which was considered invincible, to the battlefield. Cyrus II set up the warriors astride camels. The horses, seeing unknown animals, refused to obey the riders, the Lydian horsemen were forced to fight on foot. The unequal battle ended with the retreat of the Lydians, after which the city of Sardis was besieged by the Persians. Of the former allies, only the Spartans decided to come to Croesus to help. But while the campaign was being prepared, the city of Sardis fell, and the Persians subjugated Lydia.

Expanding boundaries

Then came the turn of the Greek policies, which were on the territory.After a number of major victories and the suppression of rebellions, the Persians subjugated the policies, thereby acquiring the opportunity to use them in battles

At the end of the 6th century, the Persian state expanded its borders to the northwestern regions of India, to the cordons of the Hindu Kush and subdued the tribes living in the basin of the river. Syrdarya. Only after strengthening the borders, suppressing riots and establishing royal power Cyrus II drew attention to the mighty Babylonia. On October 20, 539, the city fell, and Cyrus II became the official ruler of Babylon, and at the same time the ruler of one of the largest powers of the ancient world - the Persian kingdom.

Board of Kambiz

Cyrus died in battle with the Massagetae in 530 BC. NS. His son Kambiz successfully pursued his policy. After thorough preliminary diplomatic preparation, Egypt, the next enemy of Persia, found itself completely alone and could not count on the support of the allies. Cambyses fulfilled his father's plan and conquered Egypt in 522 BC. NS. Meanwhile, in Persia itself, discontent was ripening and a rebellion broke out. Kambiz hurried home and died on the road under mysterious circumstances. After some time, the ancient Persian state provided an opportunity to gain power to the representative of the younger branch of the Achaemenids - Darius Gistaspus.

The beginning of the reign of Darius

The seizure of power by Darius I caused discontent and murmur in enslaved Babylonia. The leader of the rebels declared himself the son of the last Babylonian ruler and began to be called Nebuchadnezzar III. In December 522 BC. NS. Darius I won. The leaders of the rebels were put to death in public.

Punitive actions distracted Darius, and in the meantime, revolts arose in Media, Elam, Parthia and other areas. It took the new ruler more than a year to pacify the country and restore the state of Cyrus II and Cambyses within its former borders.

Between 518 and 512, the Persian Empire conquered Macedonia, Thrace and parts of India. This time is considered the heyday of the ancient kingdom of the Persians. The state of world importance united dozens of countries and hundreds of tribes and peoples under its rule.

The social structure of Ancient Persia. Darius' reforms

The Persian state of the Achaemenids was distinguished great variety social patterns and customs. Babylonia, Syria, Egypt long before Persia were considered highly developed states, and the recently conquered tribes of nomads of Scythian and Arab origin were still at the stage of a primitive way of life.

Chain of uprisings 522-520 showed the ineffectiveness of the previous government scheme. Therefore, Darius I carried out a number of administrative reforms and created a stable system of state control over the conquered peoples. The result of the reforms was the first ever effective administrative system, which served the Achaemenid rulers for more than one generation.

An effective administrative apparatus is a clear example of how Darius ruled the Persian state. The country was divided into administrative-tax districts, which were called satrapies. The sizes of the satrapies were much larger than the territories of the early states, and in some cases coincided with the ethnographic boundaries of the ancient peoples. For example, the satrapy Egypt geographically almost completely coincided with the borders of this state before the conquest of it by the Persians. The districts were run by state officials- satraps. Unlike his predecessors, who were looking for their governors among the nobility of the conquered peoples, Darius I put in these positions exclusively nobles of Persian origin.

Functions of governors

Previously, the governor combined both administrative and civil functions. The satrap of the time of Darius had only civilian powers, the military authorities did not obey him. Satraps had the right to mint coins, were in charge economic activities countries, collecting taxes, ruled the court. In peacetime, the satraps were provided with a small personal guard. The army was subject exclusively to military leaders, independent of the satraps.

The implementation of state reforms led to the creation of a large central administrative apparatus headed by the tsarist chancellery. Public administration led by the capital of the Persian state - the city of Susa. Big cities that time Babylon, Ektabana, Memphis also had their own offices.

Satraps and officials were under the vigilant control of the secret police. In ancient sources, it was called "the ears and eye of the king." The control and supervision of officials was entrusted to the Hazarapat, the leader of the thousand. State correspondence was carried on which was owned by almost all the peoples of Persia.

Culture of the Persian state

Ancient persia left to descendants a great architectural heritage. The magnificent palace complexes in Susa, Persepolis and Pasargadae made a stunning impression on contemporaries. The royal estates were surrounded by gardens and parks. One of the monuments that have survived to this day is the tomb of Cyrus II. Many similar monuments, which appeared hundreds of years later, took as a basis the architecture of the tomb of the Persian king. The culture of the Persian state contributed to the glorification of the king and the strengthening of the royal power among the conquered peoples.

The art of ancient Persia combined the artistic traditions of the Iranian tribes, intertwined with elements of the Greek, Egyptian, Assyrian cultures. Among the objects that have come down to descendants, there are many ornaments, bowls and vases, various cups decorated with exquisite paintings. A special place in the finds is occupied by numerous seals with images of kings and heroes, as well as various animals and fantastic creatures.

Economic development of Persia during the time of Darius

The nobility occupied a special position in the Persian kingdom. The nobles owned large land holdings in all the conquered territories. Huge plots were placed at the disposal of the "benefactors" of the tsar for personal services to him. The owners of such lands had the right to manage, transfer allotments to their descendants, and they were also entrusted with the exercise of judicial power over their subjects. A land-use system was widely used, in which the plots were called allotments for a horse, bow, chariot, etc. The king distributed such lands to his soldiers, for which their owners had to serve in the army as horsemen, archers, charioteers.

But still huge tracts of land were in the direct possession of the king himself. They were usually rented out. The products of agriculture and cattle breeding were accepted as payment for them.

In addition to the lands, the canals were in the immediate tsarist power. The managers of the royal property rented them out and collected taxes for the use of water. For irrigation of fertile soils, a fee was charged, reaching 1/3 of the landowner's harvest.

Manpower of Persia

Slave labor was used in all sectors of the economy. The bulk of them were usually prisoners of war. Collateral slavery, when people sold themselves, did not spread. Slaves had a number of privileges, for example, the right to have their own seals and participate in various transactions as full partners. A slave could redeem himself by paying a certain quota, and also be a plaintiff, witness or defendant in legal proceedings, of course, not against his masters. The practice of hiring hired workers for a certain amount of money was widespread. The labor of such workers was especially widespread in Babylonia, where they dug canals, arranged roads, and reaped crops from royal or temple fields.

Darius's financial policy

The main source of income for the treasury was taxes. In 519, the king approved the main system of state taxes. Taxes were calculated for each satrapy, taking into account its territory and land fertility. The Persians, as a nation-conqueror, did not pay monetary tax, but were not exempt from tax in kind.

Various monetary units that continued to exist even after the unification of the country brought a lot of inconvenience, therefore in 517 BC. NS. the king introduced a new gold coin called the darik. The medium of exchange was a silver shekle, which cost 1/20 of a gift and served at that time. On the reverse of both coins there was an image of Darius I.

Transport highways of the Persian state

The spread of the road network facilitated the development of trade between the various satrapies. The royal road of the Persian state began in Lydia, crossed Asia Minor and passed through Babylon, and from there - to Susa and Persepolis. Paved by the Greeks sea ​​routes successfully used by the Persians in trade and for the transfer of military power.

The sea expeditions of the ancient Persians are also known, for example, the journey of the sailor Skilaka to the Indian shores in 518 BC. NS.

You don't have to go very far to find out who the ancient Persians considered themselves to be. "I, Darius, a Persian, the son of a Persian, an Aryan with Aryan roots ..." says their famous leader, who ruled 521 - 486 BC ( see on the left - the image of a Persian warrior from the time of Darius I on glazed brick, which is kept in the Louvre, Paris. Pay attention to eye color; click on the picture to enlarge the image).
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Descendants of the Persians - modern Iranians, despite their Islam, also remember well who their ancestors were. For example, an article about the history of this country, posted on the websites of Iranian embassies abroad, usually begins with the words: " Iran is the oldest Aryan civilization ...“And perhaps everyone agrees with this - even the most ill-wisher of Iran.
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However, among us, the Slavs, who, unlike the overwhelming majority of other peoples, before this civilization, according to genetic science, are most directly related, such a statement can only cause, at best, distrust - they say, well, which of them, these dark-skinned Muslims, Aryans. And in our own involvement in the omnipotent ancient Persians is somehow hard to believe. For a thousand years, we were so intensely burned out with religious napalm and zombified that today not everyone can believe that we are something else.
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However, one should not react so categorically to information just because it seems incredible to us. It needs to be checked.

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Even the most cursory glance at the results genetic research will convince us that the average inhabitant of today's Iran by 20 percent is still really an Aryan - a Slav. In addition, it turns out that the Iranians, albeit in a smaller size, also have another Slavic haplogroup - the haplogroup of the Vikings-Russians! That is, the average static Iranian is still more than 20 percent Slav. And this is in the 21st century, after almost a thousand years of existence in an isolated state among a not very friendly environment, thanks to which the Persians could not but undergo intense assimilation!
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When, in addition to everything, we turn to ancient sources that shed light on what the appearance of the ancient Persians was, we will finally make sure that the Persians were tall, fair-haired people with blue eyes, and not a people whose appearance is characteristic of the inhabitants of the Middle East. In addition to meaningful texts, many images have survived, which adequately reflect the appearance of an ordinary citizen of the ancient Persian state ( Look to the left:"Head of the Dead Persian", 230 - 220 BC, Therme Museum, Rome; click on the picture to enlarge the image).
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When familiarizing with historical sources, one also cannot fail to notice the fact that the territory of modern Iran began to be populated by migrants from the North somewhere in the 9th millennium BC, and, as it becomes clear, this settlement took place in several stages. It is also striking that at different stages of history, THE SAME PEOPLE of migrants from the North had different names.
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I will not list them so as not to drive the dear reader crazy. The situation is very similar to that of the so-called " Slavs"when a consanguineous people were artificially insolently divided into a multitude of certain" Radimichi", "Vlachs", "Etruscans", "glade", "antov", "Germans"etc., gave them in the teeth different religions instead of their Universal Cosmic Worldview based on KNOWLEDGE and not on FAITH, smashed them, in addition, on" western", "eastern", "southern" or even, " white and piebald"in order to present them as separate tribes or even hostile races towards each other, so that we are modern descendants of those allegedly" tribes"never found ends.
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So, for example, it is very painful to see on the pages of history textbooks something like: " Scythians(or Slavs) The Black Sea region was not lucky, since from the south they were constantly threatened by the raids of the Persians... "It is evident that the author of such lines is so zombified with traditional clichés that no matter what scientific degree he has, there will be zero benefit from such a scientist-historian. how " Scythians" (Slavs) and " Persians"from the point of view of genetic science, they are integral parts of the same people ( look on the left - this is how many of the"Persians" even today, despite the past millennia. These are ordinary Iranian citizens from different strata of modern Iranian society; click on the picture to enlarge the image and develop your doubts about the questions of who the ancient Persians were and what they looked like).
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In fact, everything was much simpler. Climatic conditions of the latter " small"cold snaps pushed the carrier of the haplogroup R1a Slav-Aria from his arctic ancestral home to the south. He got to Iran mainly using the basin of the Ra river ( Volga) and the water area of ​​the Caspian Sea, which, by the way, in those distant times was much larger and occupied the space up to the confluence with the Aral Sea.
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On the way to Iran, Slav-Aryan at one of the stages of his journey to the south - ATTENTION, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! - genetically " touched"the carrier of the Ruso-Varangian haplogroup I - his brother Slav-Rus, who, as we already know, was a primordial inhabitant of the European continent, and partially assimilated with him, adding to his markers of the Slav-Aryan also the genetics of the Slav-Rus.
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In turn, the Slav-Rus at the same time completely scooped up the Slavic-Aryan genes of refugees from the north. This happened no less than 10,000 years ago in the geographical region where today's Belarus and the adjacent territories lie. This is how the genetic composition of Belarusians, northern Ukrainians and Russians of the Smolensk region of Russia was formed, which, in contrast to the overwhelming majority of other peoples, has retained its primary characteristics to our time and which, by its properties, personifies an elite sample of the genetic core of a white Caucasian.
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It simply could not be otherwise, since the territory of today's Belarus, Ukraine and the west of Russia was at the time of the Slavic-Aryan exodus from the North, the eastern border of the settlement of the Slavs-Rus. Elementary logic suggests that the Slavs-Aryans could not penetrate in large numbers into the possessions of the Rus, already well established in Europe, who were at approximately the same level of technological progress as the Aryans. The Aryans needed a living space and they found it, going further south.
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Nevertheless, since the migration of the Slavs-Aryans had to be quite long, in the zone of their direct contact with the Slavs-Rus, which passed exactly through the land where Belarus, northern Ukraine and Smolensk region Russia, a kind of permanent relationship was formed between these two great peoples. These relations ultimately led to the formation of a powerful Russian-Aryan community, which later, spreading throughout North-Central Europe and also forming its outposts on the Apennine Peninsula, the Balkans and the Middle East, was finally embodied in a number of famous states of antiquity and the Middle Ages.
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This circumstance is responsible for the presence of haplogroup I in the inhabitants of today's Iran, which, as you know, is located far from Europe - the area of ​​traditional settlement of the carrier of haplogroup I Slavyanin-Rus. As we already know, artifacts on the territory of the settlement of genetic Slavs are necessarily characterized by the presence of swastika motives, and Iran is no exception here ( see above left - jewelry chain dating from the 1st millennium BC, found in Iran, Kularaz in the Gilan region).
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It should be noted that Iran is the most eastern point on the geographical map, where the presence of the Ruso-Varangian genetics of the Slavs-Rus has generally reached. The fact that the ancient Persian was with the current Slavs and, in particular, with the Belarusians, in consanguinity, is confirmed not only by genetics.
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In conclusion, I repeat: if we take a look at the inhabitants of today's Iran, we cannot fail to notice that among them there are many representatives with the most Caucasian appearance. Take another look and you will once again be convinced that, for example, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, Mr. A. Larijani, appearance rather resembles a Belarusian teacher than a person from the Middle East ( see left above Mr. Larijani).
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Seen among modern Iranian citizens white man from among the indigenous people - the matter is not very difficult. In Iran, there are still many not only light-skinned completely European-looking people, but also very real blondes ( right: children from a village in northwestern Iran).

Around the 6th century BC. in the arena of world history, the Persians emerged. With phenomenal speed, they managed to turn from an unknown tribe into a formidable empire that existed for several hundred years.

Portrait of the ancient Persians

What the ancient Iranians were like can be judged by the ideas of the peoples who lived next to them. For example, Herodotus wrote that initially the Persians wore clothing made of skins, as well as felt caps, which were called tiaras. They did not drink wine. They ate as much as they had. They were indifferent to gold and silver. They were distinguished from neighboring peoples by their tall stature, strength, courage and incredible cohesion.

It is interesting that the Persians, even having become a great power, tried to follow the precepts of their ancestors.

For example, during the coronation ceremony, the newly-made king had to wear simple clothes, eat some dried figs and wash them down with sour milk.

At the same time, the Persians could marry as many women as they saw fit. And this is without taking into account the concubines and slaves. It is also interesting that the laws did not prohibit marrying even close relatives, be they sisters or nieces. In addition, there was a custom according to which a man did not show his women to strangers. Plutarch wrote about this, pointing out that the Persians hid from prying eyes not only wives, but even concubines and slaves. And if they needed to be transported somewhere, then closed carriages were used. This custom is reflected in art. For example, in the ruins of Persepolis, archaeologists have not been able to find a single relief with a female image.

Achaemenid dynasty

The era of the omnipotence of the Persians began with King Cyrus II, who belonged to the Achaemenid family. He managed to quickly subdue the once mighty Media and several smaller states. After that, the king's gaze fell on Babylon.

The war with Babylon was just as quick. In 539 BC. Cyrus set out with his army and fought with the army of the enemy near the city of Opis. The battle ended with the complete defeat of the Babylonians. Then the large Sippar was captured, and soon Babylon itself.

After this triumph, Cyrus decided to curb the wild tribes in the east, who, with their raids, could disturb the borders of his power. The king fought with nomads for several years, until he died in 530 BC.

The next kings - Cambyses and Darius - continued the work of their predecessor and further expanded the territory of the state.

So, Cambyses managed to capture Egypt and make it one of the satrapies.

By the time of the death of Darius (485 BC), the Persian Empire occupied a vast territory. In the west, its borders rested against the Aegean Sea, in the east - in India. In the north, the power of the Achaemenids extended to the uninhabited deserts of Central Asia, and in the south - to the rapids of the Nile. It is safe to say that Persia at that time subjugated almost the entire civilized world.

But like any empire that possessed such a vast territory, it was constantly tormented by internal turmoil and uprisings of the conquered peoples. The Achaemenid dynasty collapsed in the 4th century BC, unable to withstand the test of the army of Alexander the Great.

Sassanian state

The Persian Empire was destroyed, and its capital, Persepolis, was plundered and burned. The last of the kings of the Achaemenid dynasty, Darius III, with his retinue went to Bactria, hoping to gather a new army there. But Alexander managed to catch up with the fugitive. In order not to be captured, Darius ordered his satraps to kill him, and themselves - to flee further.

After the death of the king in the conquered Persia, the era of Hellenism began. For the common Persians, it was like death.

After all, it was not just a change of lord that took place, they were captured by the hated Greeks, who quickly and harshly began to replace the original Persian customs with their own, which means they were completely alien.

Even the arrival of the Parthian tribe, which took place in the 2nd century BC. changed nothing. The nomadic Iranian tribe managed to expel the Greeks from the territory of ancient Persia, however, they themselves fell under the influence of their culture. Therefore, even under the rule of the Parthians on coins and in official documents exclusively Greek was used.

But the worst thing was that the temples were erected in the Greek image and likeness. And most of the Persians considered it blasphemy and sacrilege.

After all, Zarathushtra bequeathed to their ancestors that it is forbidden to worship idols. Only the inextinguishable flame should be considered as a symbol of God, and sacrifices should have been made to it. But the Persians were not able to change anything.

Therefore, out of impotent rage, they called all the buildings of the Hellenic period "the structures of the Dragon."

The Persians endured Greek culture until 226 AD. But in the end, the cup overflowed. The rebellion was raised by the ruler of Parsa Ardashir, and he managed to overthrow the Parthian dynasty. This moment is considered to be the birth of the second Persian power, headed by representatives of the Sassanid dynasty.

Unlike the Parthians, they tried in every possible way to revive the very ancient culture Persia, the beginning of which was laid by Cyrus. But it turned out to be difficult to do this, since the Greek dominance almost completely erased the legacy of the Achaemenids from the memory. Therefore, the society, which the Zoroastrian priests told about, was chosen as a "guiding star" for the revived state. And it so happened that the Sassanids tried to revive such a culture, which in reality never existed. And at the forefront was religion.

But the people of Persia embraced the ideas of the new rulers with enthusiasm. Therefore, under the Sassanids, the entire Hellenic culture began to quickly dissolve: the temples were destroyed, and the Greek language ceased to be official. Instead of statues of Zeus, the Persians began to erect altars of fire.

Under the Sassanids (3rd century AD), there was another clash with the hostile Western world - the Roman Empire. But this time this confrontation ended in victory for the Persians. In honor of significant event King Shapur I ordered to carve a bas-relief on the rocks, which depicted his triumph over the Roman emperor Valerian.

The capital of Persia was the city of Ctesiphon, once erected by the Parthians. But the Persians essentially "combed" it to match their newfound culture.

Persia began to develop rapidly thanks to the competent use of the irrigation system. Under the Sassanids, the territory of ancient Persia, as well as Mesopotamia, becomes literally riddled with underground water pipes made of clay pipes (cariza). Their cleaning was carried out using wells dug at intervals of ten kilometers. This modernization allowed Persia to successfully grow cotton, sugarcane and develop winemaking. At the same time, Persia has become almost the world's main supplier of a wide variety of fabrics: from woolen to silk.

The fall of the empire

The history of the Sassanian dynasty ended after a fierce and bloody war with the Arabs, which lasted almost twenty years (633-651). It is difficult to reproach the last king of Yezdeget III for anything. He fought the invaders to the very end, and was not going to surrender. But Yezdeget died ingloriously - near Merv, a miller stabbed him in a dream, encroaching on the king's jewels.

But even after the official victory, the Persians, every now and then raised uprisings, however, unsuccessful. Even the internal turmoil in the caliphate did not allow the ancient people to gain freedom. Only Gugan and Tabaristan, the last fragments of a once great power, held out the longest. But they were also captured by the Arabs in 717 and 760, respectively.

And although the Islamization of Iran was successful, the Arabs were never able to assimilate the Persians, who managed to maintain their self-identity. Closer to the 900s, under the new Samanid dynasty, they managed to gain independence. True, Persia could no longer become a great power again.