Who Is Cyrus The Great

Cyrus II was known as Cyrus the Great. He was the founder of the Persian Empire. His reign was from 559 BCE to 530 BCE. He was also the first ruler and founder of the Achaemenian Empire. This empire was centered on Persia and compromising the Near East from the Aegean Sea eastward to the Indus River (Frye). The ancient Persians called Cyrus “The father of his people” and he was talented and an ideal monarch. After the Persian tribes were united by Cyrus his armies conquered the Lydian and they annexed their gold mines, land, and trading routes. He then overpowered the Greek city states of Anatolia. In Babylon the Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II exiled the Jews. Cyrus freed the Jews from their captivity and they were able to return to
Jerusalem to rebuild their temple. Cyrus the great was a model ruler. He was honest and didn’t have any fear. Cyrus does simply bestow an empire upon Persian; he also transformed Persia itself (Ambler).
Alexander III of Macedon was also known as Alexander the Great. Alexander became king after his father Phillip II of Macedon was assassinated. He was called the great because he was a genius with his military and his diplomatic skills. He came from the frontier state of Macedonia to the North of Greece. He was King from 336 BCE until his death in 323 BCE. Alexander conquered the Persian Empire. Alexander owed much of his success to a readiness to take risks (Pollard, Rosenberg, Tignor). Alex founded many cities that he named after himself. The most famous is Alexandria in Egypt. Alexander wanted to make is own mark in the world instead of following in his father’s footsteps. His father was said to be a man without precedent in Europe (O’Brien). Phillip exhibited an irresponsible exuberance and a unique personality (O’Brien). Unfortunately Alexander died before he could expand his Empire. His military campaigns continued a plan that the Persians already had to tear down barriers that were separating people on the Eastern and Western ends of Afro-Eurasia. The conqueror saw himself as a new universal figure, a bridge connecting distant cultures (Pollard, Rosenberg, Tignor).
Shi Huangdi was the emperor of the Qin Dynasty. His reign was from 221 BCE to 207 BCE. He was originally King Zhang but he later declared himself Shi Huangdi or “First August Emperor”. The Qin Dynasty only lasted for fourteen years but, it had a big impact on China. The Qin Dynasty integrated much of China and maser important administrative and economic innovations (Pollard, Rosenberg, Tignor). The Qin Dynasty was located in China. Shi Huangdi’s greatest achievements are The Great Wall, The Terracotta Warriors and Horses and he unified China. When he unified China he figured this achievement was better than any of the other rulers before him. This is why he changed his name which means the first emperor of China. He commanded all Chinese to use the same language, calendar, and money system. He also tore down many state walls (Henzel). Qin Shi Huangdi was a visionary leader and he unified all of China’s warring kingdoms.
Muhammad is the founder of the religion of Islam.
This religion is accepted by Muslims around the world as the last of the prophets of God. Muhammad was born in Mecca around 570 CE in a tribal family, he was a trader. In 610 CE Muhammad decided to go on a month long spiritual retreat in the hills near Mecca because he had a revelation that converted him into a proselytizers of a new faith. On this retreat he believed that God came to him in a vision and commanded him to recite revelations. Revelations in the beginning where short and powerful, there was only one God. Muhammad wanted his fellow Meccans to carry to message on to people who didn’t believe. He had a small group of followers and he wanted them to only horn one true God, leave false deities behind and care for the less fortunate. Muhammad most insistent message was the oneness of God. The five pillars of Islam are 1. Proclaim the phrase “There is no God but God and Muhammad is His Prophet”. 2. Pray five days daily facing Mecca. 3. Fast from sunup until sundown during the month of Ramadan. 4. Travel on a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime if their personal resources permitted. 5. Pay alms in the form of taxation that could alleviate the hardships of the poor (Pollard, Rosenberg,
Tignor).