Ancient_Questions

Administration and governance of the Empire Have you ever wondered how the Archaemenid Empire, which covered over 6 million square miles, was managed' Russel Granger describes the size and nature of the Persian Empire by stating, ‘It was multi-national, multi-legal and multi-cultural’ empire which required ‘great political acumen’ to keep the empire ‘together’. The different parts of the empire were administrated through appointed officials, from the royal family and nobles. They were all loyal subjects to the king, Darius, who ruled by ‘the grace of Ahuramazda’. Change slides - The bureaucracy in Persia was an ancient form of governance involving a central administration. The high officials were drawn from the royal family and other Persian and Median nobles. Reliefs from Persepolis and glazed bricks from Susa show nobles in combination of Persian and Median dress. The court consisted of major groups of efficacious officials including, royal princes appointed to key administrative and military positions including satraps, commander of the army, admirals of the navy. The hazarapat, commander of the Immortals was the king’s body guard as well as a confidential servant and chamberlain, a person who ushered the voice of the local citizens to the king. Change slides-Darius also had key supporters, a bow-bearer and spear bearer, which followed the king around and would act as the king’s bodyguard. A treasury relief at Persepolis depicts an image of these officials behind the king, where Ahuramazda was also present. The Great King used Babylonian and Elamite scribes, indicated through the tablets in Persepolis to write. Scribes were people who wrote books and documents as a profession for the king to keep track of the City’s records. This includes records of the government, literature, religion and war and exploits. The king used scribes of different linguistic groups; the trilingual inscription on the Gateway of All lands is an example of three principal languages of declarations: Elamite, Babylonian and Old Persian cuneiform texts. Change the slides- The administrative Basis for the Empire started by Cyrus the Great, when he initially expanded the Persian heartland. It was then stabilised and revised by Darius I, ‘the Great King…King of Persia, King of Lands’, where his system of administration, which operated through satrap, satrapies and an efficient communication network that allowed him to maintain control and good order of the Persian bureaucracy. Change slides- Darius divided the empire into provincial governorships, called ‘Satrapies’ also known today as, ‘provinces’. Ancient historian, Herodotus, states that there were ‘twenty-three provinces’ which allowed the Persian administrative system to be ‘more efficient’. This organised approach where the satrapies were also a form of tax district, allowed Darius to control all the Archaemenid territory. Each vassal state, was managed and controlled by a Satrap, the kings appointed provincial governors who controlled civil matters such as raising and forwarding taxes, recruiting military forces and controlling local bureaucracies. A controversy was shown in the period of 323-319BC show the struggle for unity between the satrapies, where a revolt began after Alexander the great left no successor to rule after him. This caused a dispute amongst the generals as to who the new ruler should be. Perdiccus, himself became ruler after having other infantry leaders murdered, as well as Meleager. Other cavalry leaders that supported him were rewarded the partition of Babylon by becoming satraps in various parts of the empire. Olmstead mentions that when the King’s ‘office became hereditary, the threat of the central authority could not be ignored’, where the rebellions of the satraps ostensibly evolve revolutions as a result of opposing the Great King’s power. In response to this, the king appointed secretary and military officials, where their responsibilities were to implement and report on how his orders were being enforced within their provinces. Change Slides- Special inspectors known as the ‘eyes and ears of the king’ would travel annually throughout the realm to provide another source of information to the king on the developments within the empire. This effective form of communication allowed the King’s power to be maintained, where the power was divided to restrain excessive power within a satrapy, in hope that no revolutions could be created. Change slides- Roads and couriers were another of Darius’s methods utilised for effective communication in administering the vast Empire. A courier service was introduced and improved routes between the Persian administrative centres and satrapial capitals were developed. One major road known as the ‘Royal Road’ stretching from Susa to the Lydian city of Sardis according to Herodotus, had a hundred and eleven stations. Fresh horses were provided for the Persian couriers, this ‘horse posting system’ would take the couriers eleven days to travel from Susa to Sardis whereas, ‘ninety days’ would be ‘spent on the journey’ for normal travellers on foot, to cover the distance. The relay system allowed the Persian couriers to deliver the messages to the kings in a fast, efficient way where ‘neither snow or rain nor heat…stopped them from completing their appointed course’. Change Slides- When Darius seized the empire, he split it into seven divisions, allowing a combination of local law and his own law to intertwine; the new law introduced a degree of equality for all citizens, freedom and tolerance. The model Darius used was from the Code of Hammurabi. Hammurabi was one of the conquerors of Babylon, where his laws were based on his god because he was considered the ‘favourite of his gods’. Darius’s royal concept of law was justified through religious dominance where Darius says in his tomb, ‘Ahuramazda helped me…I walked accordingly to right and justice’. Characteristics of the law included laws of evidence, bribery, honesty and assault. As an outcome, if laws are not followed, brutal consequences evidently shown in the Behistan Rock were preceded such as mutilation, impalements. Thus, Law was introduced so the great king can maintain the natural order of citizens through the religious order of Ahuramazda. http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/achaemenid-satrapies http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/persianempirearticles/a/120112-Persian-Achaemenid-Satrapies.htm http://www.livius.org/da-dd/darius/darius_i_t08.html http://history-world.org/persians.htm http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/persianempirearticles/a/120112-Persian-Achaemenid-Satrapies.htm http://www.historyofinformation.com/expanded.php'id=162 http://www.dipity.com/tickr/Flickr_persian_art/ http://www.iranchamber.com/literature/articles/persian_parsi_language_history.php