Day of Empire Chap 1-4 Anaylsis

Summer Reading Essay In the research/analysis novel Day of Empire, the author, Amy Chua, discusses her thesis of how hyperpowers (empires or nations that had a command that stretched to all corners of the known world in the known world of their respective times) all rose to dominance through tolerance and fell in power through intolerance. Through the introduction and Part One, Chua effectively communicates how the various hyperpowers of history all rose in might through their effective and strategic use of tolerance and acceptance of the different people that came to exist under their control. She also explains how the mighty empires fell through intolerance and lack of an overlying figurehead to which the people could become loyal to. From her research, she is able to support her thesis with the history of the great empires described in Part One.
Chapter 1 focused on the first hyperpower in history: the Achaemenids, rulers of one of the greatest empires to exist. Founded by Cyrus the Great and ending with Darius III (about 559 to 330 B.C.) it is regarded as being one of the most culturally diverse and successful empires to exist. The Empire came to this strength mainly through the effects of their emperors Cyrus and Darius, both being regarded as tactical, effective, and efficient rulers. A major component that was instrumental to the rise of the Achaemenids was the diversity and acceptance of other languages and religions, not just the Persian language and religion. Due to this, the subjects were able to live their lives as before, with the exception of paying taxes and being subject to the terms of the Empire. For example, Cyrus is noted for his style of “decapitation” of leadership, in which he replaces the local head of an area with one of the Persian aristocracy (a satrap), and otherwise kept himself out of the daily lives of the subjects. Rising in power through tolerance and expansion, it fell through the intolerance and violence that Chua included in