Name: Persia: Society

The Persian Empire: Society

1 Nomadic tribes settled the arid plain near the Caspian Sea close to 3,000 BCE. They called themselves Irani, and their new land Irania. Over time, these groups spread out and some traveled to present-day India. The group that remained, the Persians, slowly grew and became part of a larger kingdom of the Medes tribes. The Medes had molded this kingdom into one of strength around 700 BCE. Under the rule of the first Median kings, they conquered the Assyrian Empire.

2 Within the larger Median kingdom was the small Persian realm. The Persians served the kings of Medes. In 559 BCE, Persia crowned a new king, Cyrus II. The Persians taught their children to ride horses and use bow and arrows at a very early age. These skills of war served Cyrus well when he plotted a rebellion. He united the Persian tribes and attacked the Medes, crushing them. Cyrus the Great then established the Persian Empire in 550 BCE. Instead of purging the Median elite, he gave them positions of power and treated the people justly. This move encouraged loyalty and acceptance from the conquered people.

3 The Persian way of life was unique in regards to other ancient cultures. The people wore robes and spoke a language called Old Persian, similar to that spoken today in Iran. For business purposes, people spoke a language close to Hebrew called Aramaic. Since the vast empire had many tribes and cultures, many other languages were used as well. The empire employed cuneiform, or a way of writing using wedge-shaped symbols. This writing allowed Persia to build a strong, massive economy.

4 Much of Persia is desert, so growing crops was very complex without water. Farmers pioneered a form of irrigation where water was brought to farms through underground channels. This process was referred to as ganat. It transformed dry and dusty earth into land capable of growing food. They also built a canal that linked the Mediterranean with the Red Sea. King Darius I standardized measurements and based their system of money on gold and silver. They also built a network of stone roads across the empire. A mail delivery system began that used these routes to reach distant ends of the kingdom. These acts greatly simplified and increased trade across the region. The longest section, the Royal Road, spanned 1,600 miles to the Mediterranean Sea. All of these roads linked Persia to Asia, mainly China, and spurred on the silk trade. Exotic goods flowed to people across Europe.

5 Around 600 BCE, a man named Zoroaster changed Persia’s belief in the gods. He was a prophet who preached the worship of one god, Ahura Mazda. Persians up to that point believed there was a god for most things in nature. He taught that Mazda was the god of good and to praise him through benevolent actions, words, and thoughts. There was also an evil force that balanced out the good, and each person had to choose which path they wished to follow. These teachings of Zoroastrianism were written down in a holy book named the Avesta. Over many years Zoroaster preached and fought to convert his fellow Persians to this new faith in god. In time, this faith spread throughout Persia and became the official religion.

6 Most Persian kings proved to be benevolent rulers as their empire grew to immense size. They honored the local customs and religions of the people. They often rebuilt their destroyed temples. They even sheltered some religious groups from harassment by others. Although, the Persians taxed their satrapies, or provinces, greatly which was a huge burden. This income was used to build splendid cities of stone and assemble one of the largest armies of the ancient world.

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Persia: Society

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3. Who first founded the Persian Empire?

A. Darius I B. Zoroaster C. the Medes tribes

4. How did Persian farmers overcome the dry, scorching climate of the desert?

A. they irrigated desert land with above ground canals

B. they used their road network to trade for water

C. they dug a canal to the Mediterranean

5. What were Persian provinces called?

A. ganat B. satrapies C. states

6. According to the article, what purpose did the Royal Road serve in trade?

A. it allowed a delivery of mail

B. it linked China to Persia for the trade of silk

7. What were the accomplishments of Darius I?

A. founding the Persian Empire and the road network

B. the use of underground irrigation and standard measurements

C. it allowed the army to protect trade

D. standard money system and measurements

C. construction of the road network and a standard money system

D. it allowed rapid trade of goods

D. kingdoms

D. they irrigated fields with underground water channels

D. Cyrus the Great

Directions: Read each question and circle the best answer.

A. standard measurements and money system

B. newly conquered land and massive army

C. irrigation of land and a standard money system

2. What element of Zoroastrianism could you infer had an impact on Persian kings?

A. belief in many gods B. the belief in one god C. act, think, and speak kindly to others

D. kind treatment of Persia’s subjects and the roads

D. two balanced forces: good and evil

1. What two accomplishments allowed Persia to increase and simplify trade?

Persia: Society

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11. Which could be another title for paragraph 5?

A. Religion of Persia B. Strange Beliefs C. Forgetting God D. Many Gods

12. Which would be the best resource for more information about the Royal Road?

C. an atlas of ancient Persia’s road network

D. a website on ancient Persia’s army

A. an ancient Persian poem

Cyrus the Great is to creating as Darius I is to

A. failing B. destroying C. improving D. weakening

14. What is the correct definition for the word destroyed as it is used in paragraph 6?

A. killed; eliminated B. extinguished C. defeated completely D. reduced to useless fragments, a useless form

15. Which paragraph is mainly about trade and business?

A. paragraph 5 B. paragraph 6 C. paragraph 4 D. paragraph 3

13. Which word best completes the analogy?

B. a novel on Cyrus the Great

10. Which question would best be answered by this article?

A. How long did it take for Zoroastrianism to become the state religion?

B. How large was the Persian army?

C. How did Persia win battles?

D. How did Persia contribute to ancient trade?

9. The phrase “…splendid cities of stone…” from paragraph 6 is an example of—

A. hyperbole B. alliteration C. metaphor D. rhyme

8. What does the word pioneered mean in paragraph 4?

A. revealed B. discovered D. concealedC. created

Name: Persia: Society

The Persian Empire: Society *

1 Nomadic tribes settled the arid plain near the Caspian Sea close to 3,000 BCE. They called themselves Irani, and their new land Irania. Over time, these groups spread out and some traveled to present-day India. The group that remained, the Persians, slowly grew and became part of a larger kingdom of the Medes tribes. The Medes had molded this kingdom into one of strength around 700 BCE. Under the rule of the first Median kings, they conquered the Assyrian Empire.

2 Within the larger Median kingdom was the small Persian realm. The Persians served the kings of Medes. In 559 BCE, Persia crowned a new king, Cyrus II. The Persians taught their children to ride horses and use bow and arrows at a very early age. These skills of war served Cyrus well when he plotted a rebellion. He united the Persian tribes and attacked the Medes, crushing them. Cyrus the Great then established the Persian Empire in 550 BCE. Instead of purging the Median elite, he gave them positions of power and treated the people justly. This move encouraged loyalty and acceptance from the conquered people.

3 The Persian way of life was unique in regards to other ancient cultures. The people wore robes and spoke a language called Old Persian, similar to that spoken today in Iran. For business purposes, people spoke a language close to Hebrew called Aramaic. Since the vast empire had many tribes and cultures, many other languages were used as well. The empire employed cuneiform, or a way of writing using wedge-shaped symbols. This writing allowed Persia to build a strong, massive economy.

4 Much of Persia is desert, so growing crops was very complex without water. Farmers pioneered a form of irrigation where water was brought to farms through underground channels. This process was referred to as ganat. It transformed dry and dusty earth into land capable of growing food. They also built a canal that linked the Mediterranean with the Red Sea. King Darius I standardized measurements and based their system of money on gold and silver. They also built a network of stone roads across the empire. A mail delivery system began that used these routes to reach distant ends of the kingdom. These acts greatly simplified and increased trade across the region. The longest section, the Royal Road, spanned 1,600 miles to the Mediterranean Sea. All of these roads linked Persia to Asia, mainly China, and spurred on the silk trade. Exotic goods flowed to people across Europe.

5 Around 600 BCE, a man named Zoroaster changed Persia’s belief in the gods. He was a prophet who preached the worship of one god, Ahura Mazda. Persians up to that point believed there was a god for most things in nature. He taught that Mazda was the god of good and to praise him through benevolent actions, words, and thoughts. There was also an evil force that balanced out the good, and each person had to choose which path they wished to follow. These teachings of Zoroastrianism were written down in a holy book named the Avesta. Over many years Zoroaster preached and fought to convert his fellow Persians to this new faith in god. In time, this faith spread throughout Persia and became the official religion.

6 Most Persian kings proved to be benevolent rulers as their empire grew to immense size. They honored the local customs and religions of the people. They often rebuilt their destroyed temples. They even sheltered some religious groups from harassment by others. Although, the Persians taxed their satrapies, or provinces, greatly which was a huge burden. This income was used to build splendid cities of stone and assemble one of the largest armies of the ancient world.

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Persia: Society

Directions: Read each question and circle the best answer.

A. standard measurements and money system *

B. newly conquered land and massive army

C. irrigation of land and a standard money system

2. What element of Zoroastrianism could you infer had an impact on Persian kings?

A. belief in many gods B. the belief in one god C. act, think, and speak kindly to others *

3. Who first founded the Persian Empire?

A. Darius I B. Zoroaster C. the Medes tribes

4. How did Persian farmers overcome the dry, scorching climate of the desert?

A. they irrigated desert land with above ground canals

B. they used their road network to trade for water

C. they dug a canal to the Mediterranean

5. What were Persian provinces called?

A. ganat B. satrapies * C. states

6. According to the article, what purpose did the Royal Road serve in trade?

A. it allowed a delivery of mail

B. it linked China to Persia for the trade of silk *

7. What were the accomplishments of Darius I?

A. founding the Persian Empire and the road network

B. the use of underground irrigation and standard measurements

C. it allowed the army to protect trade

D. kind treatment of Persia’s subjects and the roads

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D. standard money system and measurements *

C. construction of the road network and a standard money system

D. it allowed rapid trade of goods

D. kingdoms

D. they irrigated fields with underground water channels *

D. Cyrus the Great *

D. two balanced forces: good and evil

1. What two accomplishments allowed Persia to increase and simplify trade?

Persia: Society

10. Which question would best be answered by this article?

A. How long did it take for Zoroastrianism to become the state religion?

B. How large was the Persian army?

C. How did Persia win battles?

D. How did Persia contribute to ancient trade? *

11. Which could be another title for paragraph 5?

A. Religion of Persia * B. Strange Beliefs C. Forgetting God D. Many Gods

12. Which would be the best resource for more information about the Royal Road?

C. an atlas of ancient Persia’s road network *

D. a website on ancient Persia’s army

A. an ancient Persian poem

Cyrus the Great is to creating as Darius I is to

A. failing B. destroying C. improving * D. weakening

14. What is the correct definition for the word destroyed as it is used in paragraph 6?

A. killed; eliminated B. extinguished C. defeated completely D. reduced to useless fragments, a useless form *

15. Which paragraph is mainly about trade and business?

A. paragraph 5 B. paragraph 6 C. paragraph 4 * D. paragraph 3

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13. Which word best completes the analogy?

B. a novel on Cyrus the Great

9. The phrase “…splendid cities of stone…” from paragraph 6 is an example of—

A. hyperbole B. alliteration * C. metaphor D. rhyme

8. What does the word pioneered mean in paragraph 4?

A. revealed B. discovered D. concealedC. created *