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Persis

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For other uses, seePersis (disambiguation).
Persis
Περσίς
Persís
Region
The Persian Empire, about 500 BC; Persis is the central southern province with the red outline. Its main cities are Persepolis and Pasargadae.
The Persian Empire, about 500 BC;Persisis the central southern province with the red outline. Its main cities arePersepolisandPasargadae.

Persis(Greek:Περσίς,romanized:Persís;Old Persian:𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿,romanized:Parsa;Persian:پارس,romanized:Pârs),[1]also calledPersia proper,is theFarsregion, located in southwestIran,now a province. The Persians are thought to have initially migrated either fromCentral Asiaor, more probably, from the north through theCaucasus.[2]They would then have migrated to the current region of Persis in the early 1st millennium BC.[2]The country name Persia was derived directly from the Old PersianParsa.

Achaemenid Empire[edit]

Main article:Achaemenid Empire
Seal ofDarius the Greathunting in a chariot, reading "I am Darius, the Great King" in Old Persian (𐎠𐎭𐎶𐏐𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁𐎴𐏋,"adam Dārayavaʰuš xšāyaθiya"), as well as inElamiteandBabylonian.British Museum.[3][4]

The ancientPersianswere present in the region of Persis from about the 10th century BC. They became the rulers of the largest empire the world had yet seen under theAchaemenid dynastywhich was established in the late 6th century BC, at its peak stretching fromThrace-Macedonia,Bulgaria-PaeoniaandEastern Europeproper in the west, to theIndus Valleyin its far east.[5]The ruins ofPersepolisandPasargadae,two of the four capitals of theAchaemenid Empire,are located in Fars.

Macedonian Empire[edit]

The Achaemenid Empire was defeated byAlexander the Greatin 330 BC, incorporating most of their vast empire.

Several Hellenisticsatrapsof Persis are known (following the conquests of Alexander the Great) from circa 330 BC, especiallyPhrasaortes,who ruled from 330 to 324 BC;Orxines,who usurped his position and was then executed by Alexander; and the Macedonian generalPeucestas,who learned the Persian language and followed local customs, implementing apersophilepolicy.[6][7][8]Peucestas retained the satrapy of Persis until theBattle of Gabiene(316 BC), after which he was removed from his position byAntigonus.[8]A short period of Antigonid rule followed, untilSeleucustook possession of the region in 312 BC.[7]

Seleucid Empire[edit]

Fratarakadynasty rulerVadfradad I(Autophradates I). 3rd century BC. Istakhr (Persepolis) mint.[9]

When theSeleucid Empirewas established, it possibly never extended its power beyond the main trade routes in Fars, and by the reign ofAntiochus Ior possibly later, Persis emerged as a state with a level of independence that minted its own coins.[10]

"Frataraka" Governors of the Seleucid Empire
Main article:Frataraka

Several later Persian rulers, forming theFratarakadynasty, are known to have acted as representatives of theSeleucidsin the region ofFārs.[11]They ruled from the end of the 3rd century BC to the beginning of the 2nd century BC, andVahbarzorVādfradād Iobtained independence circa 150 BC, when Seleucid power waned in the areas of southwestern Persia and the Persian Gulf region.[8]

Kings of Persis, under the Parthian Empire[edit]

Dārēv I(Darios I) used for the first time the title ofmlk(King). 2nd century BC.
Main article:Kings of Persis

During an apparent transitional period, corresponding to the reigns of Vādfradād II and another uncertain king, no titles of authority appeared on the reverse of their coins. The earlier titleprtrk' zy alhaya(Frataraka) had disappeared. UnderDārēv Ihowever, the new title ofmlk,or king, appeared, sometimes with the mention ofprs(Persis), suggesting that the kings of Persis had become independent rulers.[12]

When theParthianArsacidkingMithridates I(ca. 171-138 BC) took control of Persis, he left the Persian dynasts in office, known as theKings of Persis,and they were allowed to continue minting coins with the title ofmlk( "King" ).[11][13]

Sasanian Empire[edit]

Main article:Pars (Sasanian province)
A Sassanid relief showing the investiture ofArdashir I

Babak was the ruler of a small town called Kheir. Babak's efforts in gaining local power at the time escaped the attention ofArtabanus IV,theArsacidEmperor of the time. Babak and his eldest son Shapur managed to expand their power over all of Persis.

The subsequent events are unclear, due to the sketchy nature of the sources. It is however certain that following the death of Babak around 220,Ardashirwho at the time was the governor of Darabgird, got involved in a power struggle of his own with his elder brotherShapur.The sources tell us that in 222, Shapur was killed when the roof of a building collapsed on him.

Ardaxšir (Artaxerxes) V, defeated the last legitimate Parthian king,Artabanos Vin AD 224, and was crowned atCtesiphonasArdaxšir I(Ardashir I),šāhanšāh ī Ērān,becoming the first king of the newSasanian Empire.[12]

At this point, Ardashir moved his capital further to the south of Persis and founded a capital at Ardashir-Khwarrah (formerly Gur, modern dayFirouzabad).[14] After establishing his rule over Persis,Ardashir Irapidly extended the territory of hisSassanid PersianEmpire, demanding fealty from the local princes of Fars, and gaining control over the neighboring provinces of Kerman, Isfahan, Susiana, and Mesene.

Sarvestan PalaceinSarvestan

Artabanus marched a second time against Ardashir I in 224. Their armies clashed atHormizdegan,whereArtabanus IVwas killed. Ardashir was crowned in 226 atCtesiphonas the sole ruler of Persia, bringing the 400-year-oldParthian Empireto an end, and starting the virtually equally long rule of theSassanian Empire,over an even larger territory, once again making Persia a leading power in the known world, only this time along with its arch-rival and successor to Persia's earlier opponents (theRoman Republicand theRoman Empire); theByzantine Empire.

The Sassanids ruled for 425 years, until the Muslim armies conquered the empire. Afterward, the Persians started to convert toIslam,this making it much easier for the new Muslim empire to continue the expansion of Islam.

Persis then passed hand to hand through numerous dynasties, leaving behind numerous historical and ancient monuments; each of which has its own values as a world heritage, reflecting the history of the province,Iran,andWest Asia.The ruins ofBishapur,Persepolis,andFirouzabadare all reminders of this. Arab invaders brought about a decline of Zoroastrian rule and made Islam ascendant from the 7th century.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Wikisourcehas the text of the1911Encyclopædia Britannicaarticle "Persis".
  1. ^Richard Nelson Frye (1984).The History of Ancient Iran, Part 3, Volume 7.C.H.Beck. pp. 9–15.ISBN9783406093975.
  2. ^abDandamaev, Muhammad A.; Lukonin, Vladimir G. (2004).The Culture and Social Institutions of Ancient Iran.Cambridge University Press. pp. 1–5.ISBN9780521611916.
  3. ^"cylinder seal | British Museum".The British Museum.
  4. ^"Darius' seal, photo - Livius".livius.org.
  5. ^David Sacks, Oswyn Murray, Lisa R. Brody; Oswyn Murray; Lisa R. Brody (2005).Encyclopedia of the ancient Greek world.Infobase Publishing. pp. 256 (at the right portion of the page).ISBN978-0-8160-5722-1.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^Roisman, Joseph (2002).Brill's Companion to Alexander the Great.BRILL. p. 189.ISBN9789004217553.
  7. ^abCurtis, Vesta Sarkhosh; Stewart, Sarah (2010).The Age of the Parthians.I.B.Tauris. p. 38.ISBN9780857710185.
  8. ^abcFoundation, Encyclopaedia Iranica."Welcome to Encyclopaedia Iranica".iranicaonline.org.
  9. ^"CNG: Feature Auction CNG 96. KINGS of PERSIS. Vādfradād (Autophradates) I. 3rd century BC. AR Tetradrachm (28mm, 15.89 g, 9h). Istakhr (Persepolis) mint".cngcoins.
  10. ^The Cambridge History of Iran,Vol. 3 (1), p. 299
  11. ^abFRATARAKA – Encyclopaedia Iranica.
  12. ^ab"CNG: Feature Auction CNG 90. KINGS of PERSIS. Vahbarz (Oborzos). 3rd century BC. AR Obol (10mm, 0.50 g, 11h)".cngcoins.
  13. ^The Cambridge History of Iran,Vol. 3 (1), p. 302
  14. ^Kaveh Farrokh (2007).Shadows in the Desert: Ancient Persia at War.Osprey Publishing. pp. 176–9.ISBN9781846031083.
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