Satrap
A satrap was a governor of the provinces of the ancient Median and Persian Empires and in several of their successors, such as in the Sasanian Empire and the Hellenistic empires. A satrapy is the territory governed by a satrap.
A satrap served as a viceroy to the king, though with considerable autonomy. The word came to suggest tyranny or ostentatious splendour, and its modern usage is a pejorative and refers to any subordinate or local ruler, usually with unfavourable connotations of corruption.
Etymology
The word wikt:satrap is derived via Latin satrapes from Greek , itself borrowed from an Old Iranian. In Old Persian, which was the native language of the Achaemenids, it is recorded as . The Median form is reconstructed as. Its Sanskrit cognate is . The Biblical Hebrew form is אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפָּן, as found in Esther 3:12.In the Parthian and Middle Persian, it is recorded in the forms and, respectively.
In modern Persian the descendant of is , but the components have undergone semantic shift so the word now means "town keeper".
History
Medo-Persian
Although the first large-scale use of satrapies, or provinces, originates from the inception of the Achaemenid Empire under Cyrus the Great, beginning at around 530BCE, provincial organization actually originated during the Median era from at least 648BCE.Up to the time of the conquest of Media by Cyrus the Great, emperors ruled the lands they conquered through client kings and governors. The main difference was that in Persian culture the concept of kingship was indivisible from divinity: divine authority validated the divine right of kings. The twenty-six satraps established by Cyrus were never kings, but viceroys ruling in the king's name. However, in political reality many took advantage of any opportunity to carve out an independent power base for themselves. Darius the Great gave the satrapies a definitive organization, increased their number to thirty-six, and fixed their annual tribute.
File:IONIA, Magnesia ad Maeandrum. Themistokles. Circa 465-459 BC.jpg|thumb|left|Coin of Themistocles, a former Athenian general, as Achaemenid Empire Satrap of Magnesia,
The satrap was in charge of the land that he owned as an administrator, and found himself surrounded by an all-but-royal court; he collected the taxes, controlled the local officials and the subject tribes and cities, and was the supreme judge of the province before whose "chair" every civil and criminal case could be brought. He was responsible for the safety of the roads, and had to put down brigands and rebels.
He was assisted by a council of Persians, to which also provincials were admitted and which was controlled by a royal secretary and emissaries of the king, especially the "eye of the king", who made an annual inspection and exercised permanent control.
File:CILICIA, Mallos. Tiribazos. Satrap of Lydia, 388-380 BC.jpg|thumb|Coinage of Tiribazos, Satrap of Achaemenid Lydia, 388–380 BC
There were further checks on the power of each satrap: besides his secretarial scribe, his chief financial official and the general in charge of the regular army of his province and of the fortresses were independent of him and periodically reported directly to the shah, in person. The satrap was allowed to have troops in his own service.
The great satrapies were often divided into smaller districts, the governors of which were also called satraps and also called hyparchs. The distribution of the great satrapies was changed repeatedly, and often two of them were given to the same man.
File:Achaemenid Satrap Autophradates with visitors Payava tomb.jpg|thumb|Achaemenid Satrap Autophradates receiving visitors, on the Tomb of Payava,
As the provinces were the result of consecutive conquests, both primary and sub-satrapies were often defined by former states and/or ethno-religious identity. One of the keys to the Achaemenid success was their open attitude to the culture and religion of the conquered people, so the Persian culture was the one most affected as the Great King endeavoured to meld elements from all his subjects into a new imperial style, especially at his capital, Persepolis.
Whenever central authority in the empire weakened, the satrap often enjoyed practical independence, especially as it became customary to appoint him also as general-in-chief of the army district, contrary to the original rule. "When his office became hereditary, the threat to the central authority could not be ignored". Rebellions of satraps became frequent from the middle of the 5thcentury BCE. Darius I struggled with widespread rebellions in the satrapies, and under Artaxerxes II occasionally the greater parts of Asia Minor and Syria were in open rebellion.
The last great rebellions were put down by Artaxerxes III.