The Achaemenid Empire ruled Persia from 539-330 BCE and was founded by Cyrus the Great. It originated from the Medes and Persians peoples and expanded greatly under Darius I and Xerxes I. The empire fell to the Greeks and Macedonians. The Achaemenids established a centralized administration system with satraps and standardized laws, currency, and taxes. Zoroastrianism became the dominant religion, promoted by rulers like Darius I. The empire engaged in extensive trade networks that reached across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Mediterranean and imported goods from lands like India, Central Asia, Mesopotamia, and Egypt.