Satrap
Ruler of a province in ancient Persia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A satrap (/ˈsætrəp/) was a governor of the provinces of the ancient Median and Persian (Achaemenid) Empires and in several of their successors, such as in the Sasanian Empire and the Hellenistic empires.[2] A satrapy is the territory governed by a satrap.[3]
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Achaemenid_Satrap_Asia_Minor_end_of_6th_century_BCE.jpg)
A satrap served as a viceroy to the king, though with considerable autonomy. The word came to suggest tyranny or ostentatious splendour,[4][5] and its modern usage is a pejorative and refers to any subordinate or local ruler, usually with unfavourable connotations of corruption.[6]