Achaemenid Empire (648 BCE–330 BCE)

I don't know why but suddenly I got the urge to share this information on the Achaemenid Empire, an ancient empire which flourished around 2,500 years ago and centred inside present-day Iran but with such huge borders covering parts of Europe, Africa and Asia including Greece and of course the whole expanse of land used to be known as Persia up to major parts of India. It was so huge that some believed the Achaemenid king Cyrus the Great is the real Iskandar Zulkarnain, a great king and conqueror mentioned in the Muslim holy book, the Al-Quran as the wise ruler of the East and West.

Now, plenty of scholars believe that Iskandar Zulkarnain in the Quran and the well-known Alexander the Great of Macedonia, the pride of antiquated Europe and a hero of early Western exploits are the same person. So which one is the true Iskandar? Cyrus who built his empire around 550 BC or Alexander who flaunted his greatness at around 330 BC?

The funny thing is, when Alexander beat the last Achaemenid king Darius III and annexed the Persian empire, the scope of land within his conquest looked almost the same as those ruled by Cyrus... Is this a mere conincidence or is there a deeper meaning behind this? Take note, there are those who believe that Alexander the Great is actually a descendant of Cyrus the Great... From a branch of the Achaemenid royal family who were denied the Persian throne and forced into exile until they reappeared in Macedonia... Perhaps that explains why Alexander's family wanted so much to beat and conquer the Persians? Perhaps...

Anyway have a look at this information on the Achaemenid Empire copied from the Wikipedia on-line encyclopaedia -

The Achaemenid dynasty (Old Persian:Hakamanishiya, Persian: هخامنشیان) - was a dynasty in the ancient Persian Empire. At the height of their power, around 500 BC, the Achaemenid rulers of Persia ruled over territories roughly encompassing parts of today's Iran, Iraq, Armenia, Afghanistan, Turkey, Bulgaria, small part of Greece, Egypt, Syria, much of what is now Pakistan, Jordan, Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, Caucasia, Central Asia, Arabia, Libya and north western Indian subcontinent.

Darius the Great (Darius I) was the first to speak of Achaemenes, who he claimed was an ancestor of Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II), ca. 576 - 529 BC), and therefore the progenitor of the entire line of Achaemenid rulers. However, some scholars hold that Achaemenes was a fictional character used to legitimize Darius' rule, and that Darius I usurped the Persian throne. In any case, the name Achaemenid has been commonly accepted for the line of Persian kings beginning at least with Darius I. When the name refers to the entire line of early Persian rulers, including Cyrus II and his son Cambyses, the Achaemenid era stretches from about 650 to 330 BC.

At different times, the Achaemenids also ruled Egypt, although the Egyptians twice regained their independence from Persia. After the practice of Manetho, Egyptian historians refer to the period in Egypt when the Achaemenid dynasty ruled as the Twenty-Seventh (525 BC - 404 BC) and Thirty-First Dynasties (343- 332 BC).

The last Achaemenid king was Darius III (336 BC - 330 BC), who was defeated by Alexander III of Macedon. After the Macedonian conquest, the Persian Empire was annexed by Alexander.

The founder of this dynasty was supposedly Achaemenes (Old Persian Haxāmaniڑ "Of Friendly Mind"). He was succeeded by his son Teispes (Ciڑpi), who first took the title King of Anڑān after seizing that city from the Elamites. Inscriptions indicate that when Teispes died, two of his sons shared the throne as Cyrus I (Kyrush), king of Anڑān, and Ariaramnes (Ariyāramna "Having the Iranians at Peace"), king of Parsua (later called Pārsa "Persia", hence Fārsi, the native name for modern Persian). They were succeeded by their respective sons Cambyses I of Anshan (Kambūjiya, "the Elder"), and Arsames (Arڑāma "Having a Hero's Might") of Persia.

In 559 BC, Cambyses I the Elder was succeeded as king of Anڑān by his son Cyrus II the Great, who also succeeded the still-living Arsames as King of Persia, thus reuniting the two realms. Cyrus II is considered to be the first king of the Achaemenid dynasty to be properly called so, as his predecessors were subservient to Media. Cyrus II conquered Media, Lydia and Babylon.

His successors were less successful. Cyrus' unstable son Cambyses II conquered Egypt, but died in July 522 BC as the result of either accident or suicide, during a revolt led by a priest, Gaumata. Gaumata usurped the throne by pretending to be Smerdis (Pers. Bardiya; Cambyses' brother whom he had secretly had assassinated in 525, before starting out for his Egyptian campaign) until he was overthrown in 522 BC by a member of a lateral branch of the Achaemenid family, Darius I (Old Persian Dārayawuڑ "Who Holds Firm the Good", also known as Darayarahush or Darius the Great).

According to Herodotus, the native leadership then debated the best form of government for the Empire. He reports that it was decided that oligarchy would divide them against one another, and democracy would bring about mob rule resulting in a charismatic leader resuming the monarchy. Therefore, they decided a new monarch was in order, particularly since they were in a position to choose him. Darius I was chosen monarch from amongst the leaders. He was cousin to Cambyses II and Smerdis, claiming Ariaramnes as his ancestor.

Darius attacked the Greek mainland, which had supported rebellious Greek colonies under his aegis; but as a result of his defeat at the Battle of Marathon in 490, he was forced to retract the limits of the empire to Asia Minor.

The Achaemenids thereafter consolidated areas firmly under their control. It was Cyrus and Darius who, by sound and farsighted administrative planning, brilliant military maneuvering, and a humanistic worldview, established the greatness of the Achaemenids and in less than thirty years raised them from an obscure tribe to a world power.

Achaemenid rulers

Achaemenes of Persia †

Teispes of Anshan, son of Achaemenes †

Cyrus I of Anshan, son of Teispes †

Ariaramnes of Persia, son of Teispes and co-ruler with Cyrus I †

Cambyses I of Anshan, son of Cyrus I †

Arsames of Persia, son of Ariaramnes and co-ruler with Cambyses I †

Cyrus II, the Great, son of Cambyses I, ruled from c.550–530 BC (ruler of Anshan c. 559 BC – conquered Media 550 BC)

Cambyses II, son of Cyrus the Great, ruled 529–522 BC

Smerdis (Bardiya), alleged son of Cyrus the Great, ruled 522 BC (Possibly a usurper)

Darius I, the Great, brother-in-law of Smerdis and grandson of Arsames, ruled 521–486 BC

Xerxes I, son of Darius I, ruled 485–465 BC

Artaxerxes I Longimanus, son of Xerxes I, ruled 465–424 BC

Xerxes II, son of Artaxerxes I, ruled 424 BC

Sogdianus, half-brother and rival of Xerxes II, ruled 424–423 BC

Darius II Nothus, half-brother and rival of Xerxes II, ruled 423–405 BC

Artaxerxes II Mnemon, son of Darius II, ruled 404–359 BC (see also Xenophon)

Artaxerxes III Ochus, son of Artaxerxes II, ruled 358–338 BC

Artaxerxes IV Arses, son of Artaxerxes III, ruled 338–336 BC

Darius III Codomannus, great-grandson of Darius II, ruled 336–330 BC

Macedonian conquest of the Achamenid Empire in 330 BC