Darius I of Persia facts for kids
Darius the Great was a very important king of Persia. He was born around 549 BC and ruled from 522 BC until his death in 486 or 485 BC. Darius was the son of Hystaspes. He became the powerful ruler, or Shah, of the vast Persian Empire.
Darius made many big changes to his empire. He split the huge Persian Empire into twenty smaller areas, which were called provinces. For each province, he chose a special leader, known as a governor. These governors helped him manage his large kingdom.
He also made trade much easier by introducing new golden coins. This helped people buy and sell things more easily, which made the empire richer. Trade grew both inside and outside his lands.
Darius was known for his building projects. He allowed the Jewish people to rebuild their important Temple in Jerusalem. He also built many temples in Egypt. His most famous building project was the new capital city of Persepolis. This grand city was built near Pasargadae.
Darius the Great died in Persepolis. His tomb was carved right into a rock face close to the city. After he passed away, his son Xerxes became the next Shah of Iran.
Contents
Ruling a Huge Empire
Darius ruled one of the largest empires the world had ever seen. To keep it organized, he divided it into many parts. Each part was like a smaller kingdom, but it was still under his control. He made sure each area had a trusted leader. This system helped him manage everything, from collecting taxes to keeping the peace.
Money and Trade
One of Darius's smart ideas was to create a standard system for money. He introduced new golden coins called "darics." These coins were used all over his empire. Having the same money everywhere made it much simpler for people to trade goods. This helped the economy grow and made his empire very wealthy.
Building Great Cities
Darius loved to build. His biggest and most famous project was the city of Persepolis. It was designed to be a grand capital, showing off the power and wealth of the Persian Empire. He also built new roads and canals. These helped his armies move quickly and made trade even easier across his vast lands.
His Legacy
Darius the Great was a strong and wise ruler. He brought many improvements to his empire, from how it was governed to how people traded. His rule helped the Persian Empire become even more powerful and famous. His legacy, including the magnificent city of Persepolis, is still studied and admired today.
Images for kids
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The name of Darius I in Old Persian cuneiform on the DNa inscription of his tomb: Dārayavauš (Lua error in Module:Wikt-lang at line 197: Name for the language code "peo" could not be retrieved with mw.language.fetchLanguageName, so it should be added to Module:Wikt-lang/data.) -
Lineage of Darius the Great according to the Behistun Inscription.
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Eastern border of the Achaemenid Empire
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Ethnicities of the Achaemenid Army, on the tomb of Darius I. The nationalities mentioned in the DNa inscription are also depicted on the upper registers of all the tombs at Naqsh-e Rustam, starting with the tomb of Darius I. The ethnicities on the tomb of Darius further have trilingual labels on the lintel directly over them for identification, collectively known as the DNe inscription. One of the best preserved friezes, identical in content, is that of Xerxes I.
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Tomb of Darius at Naqsh-e Rostam
See also
In Spanish: Darío I para niños
