The history of the Middle East over the past 500 years or so has been one of imperial powers following one another in succession: first the Assyrians, then the Babylonians and Medians, and now the Persian empire, the largest state in the history of the Ancient World. This now covers the entire region and beyond.
This succession of great empires – and the policy that the Assyrians and Babylonians pursued of re-settling conquered peoples in scattered groups throughout their territories - has resulted in the upheaval of populations on a vast scale. As a result, old languages have vanished and Aramaean has become the lingua-franca of the region. With its simple-to-learn alphabet, this has greatly stimulated international trade and inter-regional communications. Middle Eastern civilization, by now three millennia old in its Mesopotamian heartland, has reached new heights.
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Timeline of World History
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