Median state information

Median kingdom
𐎶𐎠𐎭
*Māda*
Median kingdom 𐎶𐎠𐎭; Māda
c. 678 BCE–c. 550 BCE
	Hypothetical map of the Median Empire at its maximum extent
Capital	Ecbatana
Common languages	Median
Religion	Ancient Iranian religion
Government	Monarchy
Kings
• 700–678 BCE	Deioces
• 678–625 BCE	Phraortes
• 625–585 BCE	Cyaxares
• 585–550 BCE	Astyages
Historical era	Iron Age
• Accession of Phraortes	c. 678 BCE
• Median revolt against Assyria	672 BCE
• Accession of Cyaxares	625 BCE
• Medes and Babylonians conquer Nineveh	612 BCE
• Battle of the Eclipse	585 BCE
• Conquered by Cyrus the Great	c. 550 BCE
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Neo-Assyrian Empire
	Urartu
Achaemenid Empire

Media (in Old Persian: Māda; in Greek: Mēdía; in Akkadian: Mādāya)^[1] was a political entity centered in Ecbatana that existed from the 7th century BCE until the mid-6th century BCE and is believed to have dominated a significant portion of the Iranian plateau, preceding the powerful Achaemenid Empire. The frequent interference of the Assyrians in the Zagros region led to the process of unifying the Median tribes. By 612 BCE, the Medes became strong enough to overthrow the declining Assyrian Empire in alliance with the Babylonians. However, contemporary scholarship tends to be skeptical about the existence of a united Median "kingdom" or "state", at least for most of the 7th century BCE.^[2]

According to classical historiography, Media emerged as one major power of the ancient Near East after the collapse of Assyria. Under Cyaxares (r. 625–585 BCE), the kingdom's borders were expanded to the east and west through the subjugation of neighboring peoples, such as the Persians and Armenians. Media's territorial expansion led to the formation of the first Iranian empire, which at its height would have exercised authority over more than two million square kilometers, stretching from the eastern banks of the Halys River in Anatolia to Central Asia. In this period, the Median Empire was one of the great powers in the ancient Near East alongside Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt. During his reign, Astyages (r. 585–550 BCE) worked to strengthen and centralize the Median state, going against the will of tribal nobility, which may have contributed to the kingdom's downfall. In 550 BCE, the Median capital, Ecbatana, was conquered by the Persian king Cyrus II, marking the beginning of the Achaemenid Empire.^[3]

While it is generally accepted that the Medes played a significant role in the ancient Near East after the fall of Assyria, historians debate the existence of a Median empire or even a kingdom. Some scholars accept the existence of a powerful and organized empire that would have influenced the political structures of the later Achaemenid Empire. Others argue that the Medes formed a loose confederation of tribes rather than a centralized state.

^ ^a ^b Dandamayev & Medvedskaya 2006.
^ Curtis, Vesta Sarkhosh; Stewart, Sarah (2010-01-08). Birth of the Persian Empire. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85771-092-5.
^ Dandamaev 1989.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

[FOOTNOTEDandamayevMedvedskaya2006-1] Dandamayev & Medvedskaya 2006.

[:31-3] Curtis, Vesta Sarkhosh; Stewart, Sarah (2010-01-08). Birth of the Persian Empire. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85771-092-5.

[FOOTNOTEDandamaev1989-4] Dandamaev 1989.

Median state information

and 20 Related for: Median state information

Median state

Median

Median of medians

Medes

List of countries by median age

Median strip

Household income in the United States

Median voter theorem

Median dynasty

Cyaxares

Median household income in Australia and New Zealand

Median multiple

List of sovereign states by Internet connection speeds

New Hampshire communities by household income

Median lethal dose

Median nerve palsy

Michigan left

Murder in California law

Lists of United States state symbols

Garden State Parkway