SAT II World History : Persian Empire
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Persian Empire
Cyrus the Great is an important figure in the identity of which modern nation?
China
Iran
Romania
Macedonia
Korea
Iran
Cyrus the Great is the founder of the great Achaemenid Empire of the ancient and classical Near East (later called the Persian Empire). Cyrus originated from Persis (the modern-day Iranian province of Fars) and as such has played an instrumental role in the development of contemporary Iranian national identity.
Example Question #2 : Persian Empire
Which of these answer choices best explains what a satrap was in the Persian Empire?
an agricultural community forced to provide half of its grain to the Persian Empire
a governor of a political district
a regiment of the army made up of kidnapped Greeks
a road built for military purposes and troop movement
a naval vessel used to blockade enemy ports
a governor of a political district
The ancient Persian Empire was vast, and administering the wide territory and diverse population required a unique administrative system. The Persian Emperors created satraps, or governors, to rule a political district on behalf of the emperor.
Example Question #3 : Persian Empire
Cyrus the Great, Darius I, and Xerxes were all rulers of which ancient empire?
The Persian Empire
The Hittite Empire
The Egyptian Empire
The Sumerian Empire
The Babylonian Empire
The Persian Empire
The Persian Empire was founded by Cyrus the Great when he conquered the rival Medes and established the Achaemenid Dynasty. Darius I dramatically expanded Persian territory and invaded mainland Europe. Xerxes was repelled by Greek forces at the Battle of Salamis.
Example Question #4 : Persian Empire
The Ancient Persian Empire was centered in which modern-day country?
Iran
Egypt
Morocco
Turkey
Afghanistan
Iran
The Persian Empire was the most powerful in the known world for several generations in the centuries before the rise of Rome. It was based out of modern day Iran and indeed Iran is still called Persia in some languages and by some people. The Persian Empire is sometimes called the Achaemenid Empire.
Example Question #4 : Persian Empire
Which of these empires could not reasonably be described as a "Persian Empire?"
Sasanid
Achaemenid
Seleucid
Ayyubid
Parthian
Ayyubid
The term "Persian Empire" is a fairly broad term that refers to many different empires, most of which directly followed on from one another, that were centered in Persia (modern-day Iran). The first "Persian Empire" was probably the Achaemenid Empire that began in the year 550 C.E. with the conquests of Cyrus the Great. The Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanid Empires are all other examples of "Persian Empires." The Ayyubid's however were a Kurdish dynasty formed by Saladin and centered in modern-day Egypt.
Example Question #5 : Persian Empire
The fall of the Sasanid Empire was a direct result of _____________.
the influence of Mongolian hordes
the rise of Christianity
the growing power of the Byzantine Empire
the rise of Islam
the subversive efforts of the Mughal rulers
the rise of Islam
The Sasanid Empire, also called the Sassanian Empire, was the last dynasty of the Persian Empire. It collapsed in an incredibly brief period, less than a decade, in the seventh century as it was overtaken by the rise of Islam and invading Caliphates.
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