Who was Confucius?
Confucius was an ancient Chinese philosopher who taught the need for moral responsibility and virtue. His teachings did not make much impact during his life, but they later became the central part of Chinese moral and religious thinking. Confucius probably lived from 551 to 479BC, in the time of the Zhou dynasty. The Zhou was the longest-lasting group of Chinese rulers, who governed the country from 1122 to 256BC. Confucianism was probably the most important feature in Chinese life until the appearance of Communism in the 20th century. Confucianism resembles a religion, but instead of worshipping gods it is a guide to morality and good government.
Who were the Persians?
Persia was a great empire that was ruled from the region we now call Iran. The Medes and the Persians were descended from Aryan invaders who occupied the territory almost 3,000 years ago. The Persians, however, soon seized power. The modern name of Iran comes from an Aryan word meaning ‘land of the Aryans’.
The Persian emperor Cyrus built a huge empire by conquering all the neighbouring states, extending into Pakistan, Turkey, Libya and Egypt and northwards into parts of modern Russia. Cyrus and his successor, Darius I, set up a highly organized form of government, with local rulers, formal taxation and road building. The Persian Empire reached its greatest size in 500BC. It was eventually conquered by the Macedonian general Alexander the Great in 331BC.
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