Darius I The Great Reign Essay Sample

During the reign of Darius I, the governing style centered around the use of satrapies helped run a stable and efficient empire, which sponsored its growth. To establish structure in his vast empire, Darius I divided the empire into 20 satrapies, or provinces, each of which paid Persia a set amount of tribute. Each satrapy was led by a centrally appointed satrap, or governor, who was often related to Darius. To prevent the satrap from establishing a stronghold, Darius appointed a separate military commander who was exclusively responsible to him. Imperial spies known as the 'king's ears' kept an eye on both and reported back to Darius via the postal service – the empire was connected by a network of routes along which couriers could change horses at stations separated by a day's travel. (Davidson). With such a vast empire, it was difficult for an individual ruler to rule without encountering rebellions or conflicts at some point during their reign. However, sectioning the empire into sustainable parts and selecting additional rulers promoted and guaranteed unity. Civilians benefited because their distinct cultures could be preserved. Similarly, the ‘king’s ears’ benefited as they could concentrate on improving society rather than worrying about regional concerns. In the satrapies, Darius also imposed a new taxation system. Prior to his reforms, the provinces were supposed to provide the ruler "gifts" of gold and other jewels on a regular basis; however, there were no set amounts, and the satraps typically offered whatever they believed they could afford. Darius handed each province set annual tax rates and commanded the richest provinces, Egypt and Babylonia, to pay more than the rest, which allowed for a consistent flow of revenue into his central treasury (Nardo 44). Paying taxes was analogous to paying rent in the modern world for the people of each satrapy. By letting these people live their lives as they pleased, the King of Kings maintained his legitimacy. People would accept and respect the king more in this manner, which would prevent rebellions. Taxes were not just a form of payment, but also a contribution to society as a whole. Money or precious objects received by the government as a result of taxes were used to help fund wars, further conquering events, and the day-to-day operations.

The Persian empire prospered and appealed to it’s citizens as a result of their ruler’s respect and tolerance for diversity among the vast empire. What set Cyrus the Great apart from the rulers of most other ancient dynasties was his attitude toward the different ethnic and religious groups that existed within his empire. He had conquered many lands, and the people within those lands spoke different languages, prayed to different gods, and lived according to different customs. Cyrus permitted Jews exiled to Babylon to return to Jerusalem with instructions on how to rebuild their temple when he conquered Babylon. An excerpt from the Cyrus Cylinder, the first human rights charter, states "I returned to the sacred cities... the sanctuaries of which have been in ruins for a long time, the images which used to live therein and established for them permanent sanctuaries. I gathered all their former inhabitants and returned to them their habitations (Bramwell 12-15). Cyrus the Great distinguished himself from past rulers by assisting the Jews. He cared about the people who lived in his empire and wanted them to feel free rather than enslaved by the rulers. This heartfelt act from a man who was busy building an empire bolstered his legitimacy. People now viewed him as a leader who will look out for their best interests. Trust resulted in peace between the government and the people, as well as the Persian Empire's continuing expansion. Civilians throughout the lands captured by Cyrus the Great spoke different languages, had different cultures, and worshipped different gods. Despite this, Zoroastrianism became the ancient Persian Empire's most popular and representational religion. Many different major languages were also utilized. Old Persian was spoken by the ancient Persians, whereas Aramaic (a Hebrew-like language) was used for inter-empire correspondence and Elamite was employed for administrative purposes. Local languages were spoken by people in different locations of Persia as well. (Harrison 117). In order for the people of the Persian Empire to obey their ruler's demands, they had to be happy as well. As a result, when Cyrus the Great tolerated varied ways of living, what appeared to be a simple act of selflessness was actually a method of maintaining peace. Although a diversity of languages hampered communication across vast distances, it demonstrated to conquered peoples that the Persian Empire had one distinguishing feature: respect. As a result, the Persian rulers' obvious esteem allowed them flourish and conquer more regions without difficulty.

The innovative communication systems utilized by the Persian Empire resulted in smooth transactions and untroubled interactions. The court's proclivity for travelling between capitals and, above all, the Persian domains' vast terrain necessitated a quick and reliable communication system. One of Darius' top concerns was to meet this need, which led to a notable innovation: the establishment of an empire-wide pony-express service for royal mail. Relay riders on specially bred speed horses relayed messages between Darius and his outlying governors, such as Tattenai. "There is nothing in the world that travels faster than these Persian couriers," He declared Rodotus. He said that each day of the journey had one horse and rider, and that a message could be carried in seven days from Lydia's Sardis to Susa, a distance of 1,677 miles that would take a caravan three months to travel (Hicks 56). Due to the obvious size of the empire, a system specifically intended to deal with communications was a great breakthrough. High-ranking rulers were finally able to receive mail swiftly and respond quickly, allowing for efficient problem-solving across the empire. This quick response time also aided the military by sending in backup support to defend the empire's borders. This way, king of kings would have a solid empire to improve, adjust, and grow upon in this fashion. While Darius' wide-ranging road projects were politically and commercially sound, his exploration of new waterways was truly daring. Never before had the Near Eastern waterways seen so many riverboats and seaworthy ships, which Darius actually augmented. The construction of an early version of the Suez Canal, a route that stretched northward from the Gulf of Suez to a point where it intersected the Pelusiac branch of the Nile and connected with the Mediterranean, was one of his most remarkable triumphs in extending marine activity. (Hicks 75). The purpose of spending money on constructing a high-quality canal for Darius I was to attract a large number of merchants by sea. While the Royal Road enticed merchants who traded smaller products on foot, this waterway facilitated the trade of much larger goods in greater quantities. The items obtained by the Persian Empire through water trade contributed to the enrichment of the overall culture. People's daily life increasingly included products from all across the world. As a result, the improved quality of life enticed even more people to relocate to this increasingly prosperous empire.