Essay on Assyria and Persia

      Assyrians emerged from Norther Mesopotamia and they established a large empire by 900 BCE which incorporated a majority of East. They were the first military power and by 1000 BCE, they were a state with quite a long history. However, Assyria had only a little influence beyond its region in the north of Iraq. Around 860 BCE, several wars had been started by Assyrians which led to 250 years of victory and dominance in the southwest of Asia.

            As Assyria expanded, the reason for their growth changed. First of all, it was a simple defensive action against the external threats, especially the ones which were posed by Syria. However, with time, Assyrians became used to the fame and wealth which came with victory. Thus, their expansion became not only acquisitive but also aggressive. Rather than defending themselves, their reasons for dominance were driven by the desire of seizing resources and wealth of their neighboring nations, including the Egyptians and Babylonians.

 The militarism of the empire influenced almost every Assyrian society level. The organization of state was similar to a military hierarchy and the king was capable of controlling every sector. All officers of state, regardless of their duties, had a specific military rank. The material demands of the Assyrians had grown significantly. They fulfilled their requirement of manpower by deporting conquered individuals. Although they were not the first ones to use this strategy, they were the most systematic ones in using it. After defeating a region, the people were deported to other regions and they were forced to work. The culture of Assyrians was violent.

The army used to terrorize opponents into submission and once they were conquered, they were beheaded, raped, and tortured. The houses of conquered people were also torched by Assyrians. In order to make them depend on Assyrians, the army salted the fields they owned and destroyed their orchards. For instance, since the king was considered the most important and dominant person in the army, he was portrayed as an intimidating person. He normally wore a long grown which was armed heavily with knives and daggers which were tucked into his belt.

Persia

            In the sixth security, all of the existing empires from Indus Valley to the Mediterranean were united by the Persians. In a remarkable manner, they were capable of integrating a diversity of cultures and people into an individual empire. Even though the king demanded obedience from them, local identities and cultures were respected by them. And this was the most important key to their victory and success. Resistance was encountered by Persian from their people, however, their effectively tolerated with the resistance.

            As the network of empire eased the movement of resources and people, it helped in disseminating the culture of Persia. Persian artistic styles and customs were adopted by some local elites. However, the Empire of Persia had a unique attitude towards local beliefs and traditions. Some other elites such as Assyrians and New Kingdom Egyptians believed that their culture was not inferior, and their behavior and appearance reflected this belief. In contrast with Assyrians, Persians adopted the ideologies and lifestyles of territories which were annexed by them and integrated them into the already present structures. The king served as a local ruler and participated in different traditional rituals.

            By respecting the cultures and religions which existed in their region, the Persians gained trust from their people. By adapting to the local customs and respecting all the local identities, resistance was reduced by the Persians to their rule. This way, they also claimed political legitimacy. The people they conquered were not forced to accept their cultures and identities. Rather, they were allowed to live how they wanted and this earned them trust of these people.

            In contrast with Assyrians, Persians were against slavery and they were tolerant of cultural and religious differences. For example, it can be observed in the Cyrus cylinder. It is often referred to as the first human right declaration in history. Other than just respecting and considering the differences, Persians were also against the brutality which was generally practiced by Assyrians. For instance, they were against torturing or harming the people who were conquered by the Persians. Assyrians used to rape women who were conquered by them and they also forced them into slavery. These practices were not adopted by the Persians and rather than torturing the conquered people, they respected their individual differences and their cultures. This way, they earned the trust of people they conquered (Smith, Mieroop, Glahn, & Lane, 2012).