The Process of Establishment and Nature of the Achaemenid Empire

The Process of Establishment and Nature of the Achaemenid Empire

The Achaemenid Empire, founded by Cyrus the Great (the great and ideal king of Persia), was the largest government the world had seen up to that time. It was a kingdom composed of various ethnic groups and nations, to the extent that some historical accounts estimate the number of nations under this rule to be around forty million, while simultaneously consisting of dozens of different tribes and peoples, some of which had civilizations spanning several millennia. 

Despite the fact that the very establishment of the empire by Cyrus and his son Cambyses is considered a monumental and significant achievement, what is even more important is how such a vast geographical and civilizational expanse was maintained and preserved. It appears that particularly during the time of Cyrus the Great and to some extent during the reign of Cambyses, this was achieved through the fundamental principle of respecting the rights of the subject nations.

Shideh / Z. Rezaei