History of Iran, Turkey, and Cyprus
Rulers of Turkey
- In the 330s Alexander the Great conquered the Persian empire.
- After Alexanders sudden death, his empire broke up into smaller kingdoms ruled by Greek kings.
- Much of modern-day Turkey became Greek-speaking.
- Eventually these Greek kingdoms fell too.
- The Sassanian empire took their place,a nd ruled for four hundred years.
- They made Zoroastrianism their offical religion.
Romans, Arabs, and Turks
Revolution in Iran
- The Roman empire conquered Turkey and Cyprus.
- The eastern part of the empire survived as the western part fell.
- It ruled parts of the region until the A.D 1400s.
- Its capital was called Constantinople, called Istanbul today.
- It was a Christian empire.
- The shah's repressive policies created opposition.
- One leading critic named Khomenini opposed the shah's efforts to make Iran more like western countries.
- The shah forced Khomenini to leave Iran but the Ayatollah's attacks continued.
- in 1978, Iranians took to the streets to protest shah rule.
- In February 1979, Khomenini returned and took power.
Government and Trade
& Life in the Persian empire
A New Iran
The Arab Conquest of Iran
- In the early 1900s the dynasty that ruled Iran ran out of money.
- Russian and Britain controlled Iran's oil resources and influenced the government which a lot of Iranians resented,
- After 1941, his son, Mohammad Pahlavi, continued his work, he became a close ally of the United States.
- He created a powerful secret police force that arrested or killed crities of his rule.
- In the 600s Muhammad and his followers defeated the Sassanian empire and conquered Iran.
- Over time, most Iranians conquered Iran.
- Iran became a vital part Muslim economic and cultural life.
- The first Islamic religious schools were founded there in the 900s.
- However, ethnic pride remain strong in Iran and its native language and culture survived.
- A governor, called a satrap, ran each province in the Persian empire.
- The Persians made efficient roads and created a system of weights and measures, they also produced coins that could be used across the empire.
- The Persians respected local traditions, though they were willing to crush revolts brutally.
- Art flourished under the Persian rule. Kings brought artists and craftspeople to their capital.
- They built large palaces decorated with jewels
and sculptures.
The Ottoman Empire
Turkey Forms
- In the 100s, Muslim Turks began to gain power of Iran and Turkey, they gave the country of Turkey its name.
- The Turks established kingdoms in the region. The Ottoman famillys kingdom soon became the most powerful.
- They ended the Byzantine empire in 1453.
- The Ottomans ruled over man Jews and Christians.
- Perhaps the greatest Ottoman ruler was Suleiman the Magnificent.
- After the Ottoman empire lost World War I, European powers took control odf its land.
- European powers also wanted to control Turkey itself but a Turkish rmy officers named Mustafa Kemal led forces to Turkey's independence.
- Under Kemals rule Turkey became a republic and he tried to make it more European.
- People had to dress in Europan clothes.
- Most Turks today today consider consider him as a national hero.
Last Days of the Ottoman Empire
- In the early 1900s Young Turks took [power of the Ottoman empire.
- They sided with Germany in World War I.
- Armenian Christian faced persecution before World War I.
- The soldiers killed 600,000 to 1,500,500 Armenians.
- The killing of Armenians by Turkish leaders from 1915 to 1918 is called the Armenian genocide.