A Glance at the Particular Political-Economic Status of the Persian Gulf in Ancient Periods

The Persian Gulf has enjoyed particular importance as a commercial and military waterway since centuries ago in Mesopotamian civilization. The existence of ancient monuments and artifacts of the Elamite period in the coastal regions of the Persian Gulf in ancient Bushehr (Lian) indicates that this region was the business center of the Elamites, the most powerful ancient government prior to the arrival of Aryans there. The Achaemenid Empire, particularly Darius I, ruled a vast region of Asia and Africa and navigated their waters through the same waterway. Alexander and the Seleucids were aware of the significance of the Persian Gulf and had developed a massive naval force in order to connect with India in the East and the Red Sea in the West. During the Parthian Era, systematic commercial activities were conducted in the Persian Gulf, and it was always tried to protect the security of trade exchanges in this realm. In the Sassanid period, Iranian traders and navigators succeeded in taking control of sea trade with China through the Persian Gulf and, on the threshold of the rise of Islam, sea commerce became greatly profitable and thriving in this waterway. The present paper aims to reveal the particular political and economic status of the Persian Gulf in ancient periods.