A Persian provincial governor in the Achaemenid Empire was called a satrap.
The word satrap comes through Greek from an Old Persian term meaning a governor or protector of a province. Achaemenid rulers divided their large empire into administrative territories, commonly called satrapies, and appointed satraps to govern them.
Satraps collected taxes, supervised local administration, maintained order, and often commanded military forces. Their authority was substantial, but the king monitored them through royal inspectors, military officials, and representatives who reported directly to the court. This arrangement helped the empire rule populations spread from Anatolia and Egypt to Central Asia.
Satraps were not always Persian. Local elites could hold the position, especially when cooperation strengthened imperial control. The later Greek world also used “satrap” for governors of Persian provinces, making the term familiar in accounts of the Persian Wars and Alexander’s conquest.