Those are some good tips. I will have to try some of them.

But I think that you can get away with taxing people higher. You need to in this build because the mines don't mean so much anymore. Taxing everyone at their highest and moving your capital can make almost 7000 in your first turn. Which is good to start building your empire.

Zadrakata, Asaak and Hekatompylos are the towns I use to make armies to send to Pahlava and Baktria.