The House of the Satrap : The Making of the Ancient Persian Empire / Rhyne King.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

King, Rhyne, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Achaemenid dynasty, 559-330 B.C.

Achaemenid dynasty.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (340 pages) : illustrations.

Edition:

First edition.

Other Title:

Making of the Ancient Persian Empire.

Place of Publication:

Berkeley : University of California Press, 2025.

Summary:

Starting in the sixth century BCE, the conquests of the Persian kings Cyrus, Cambyses, and Darius transformed the lives of humans on a continental scale, as their empire reached from the Iranian plateau to eastern Europe, Central Asia, and North Africa. Beyond the imperial center, the kings' vast territory was ruled by royal representatives known as satraps, who managed the practicalities of running the empire. In this book, Rhyne King explores how the empire was governed by investigating how the satraps and the structures supporting them--their "houses"--operated across great distances. Examining satrapal houses in Egypt, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Central Asia, King demonstrates how these systems encouraged local self-interest and advancement even as they benefited the imperial whole. Ultimately, he argues, it was these Persian forms of transregional governance that were key in enabling the vast polity to endure for more than two centuries.

Contents:

Introduction

Satrapal wealth in Anatolia, 412-386

Satrapal networks in Western Anatolia

Aršāma : controlling and cultivating labor

Bēlšunu : becoming an Achaemenid satrap

Bakabaduš in Arachosia : traversing the Iranian plateau

Axvamazdā and the control over movement in Bactria

Conclusions and contributions.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9780520416130

0520416139

OCLC:

1514629622