How did Cyrus the Great create the Persian Empire and conquer Babylon?
Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian Empire, established his empire through a series of conquests and diplomatic strategies. Here is a general overview of how he created the Persian Empire and conquered Babylon:
1. Rise to power: Cyrus belonged to the Achaemenid dynasty, a Persian noble family, and initially served as the king of Anshan, a small kingdom in southwestern Iran. He gradually expanded his control over neighboring regions, uniting several Iranian tribes under his rule.
2. Conquest of Media: Cyrus first focused on defeating the Medes, who were the dominant power in Iran at the time. In 550 BCE, he led a successful revolt against King Astyages of Media, seizing the Median capital, Ecbatana.
3. Alliance with the Medes: Instead of ruling Media as a conqueror, Cyrus forged an alliance with the Medes. He married Astyages' daughter, thus legitimizing his rule and gaining support from the Median nobility.
4. Conquest of Lydia: Cyrus then turned his attention to the west and launched a campaign against Lydia, a wealthy kingdom in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). In 546 BCE, he defeated King Croesus, incorporating Lydia and its resources into his expanding empire.
5. Subjugation of Anatolia and the Levant: After conquering Lydia, Cyrus continued his conquests in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) and the Levant (region comprising present-day Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine). He gradually subdued various local kingdoms, including Phrygia, Cilicia, and the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
6. Siege and Fall of Babylon: The final and most significant conquest by Cyrus was Babylon, one of the ancient world's major superpowers. In 539 BCE, he marched towards Babylon, where the Babylonian king, Nabonidus, was unpopular among the people. The city was well-fortified, but Cyrus devised a clever strategy. He diverted the Euphrates River, which flowed through Babylon, allowing his troops to march into the city through the riverbed under the city walls during a festival. This surprise attack caught Babylon off guard, and the city fell without significant resistance.
7. Policies of Cyrus: After capturing Babylon, Cyrus implemented a policy of religious tolerance and promoted the idea of national identities within his empire. He allowed conquered peoples to retain their own customs, languages, and religions, even going as far as repatriating long-exiled people to their homelands. This approach helped him gain the loyalty and support of the diverse populations within his empire.
Cyrus the Great's conquest of Babylon marked the culmination of his efforts to form the Persian Empire, which eventually became the largest empire in history up to that point.