10:1 King Ahasuerus then imposed forced labor on the land and on the coastlands of the sea.
Xerxes collected tribute all over the Persian Empire, perhaps to go to war with Greece again.
10:2 Now all the actions carried out under his authority and his great achievements, along with an exact statement concerning the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king promoted, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia?
These books no longer exist.
10:3 Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus. He was the highest-ranking Jew, and he was admired by his numerous relatives. He worked enthusiastically for the good of his people and was an advocate for the welfare of all his descendants.
Notice that Daniel had influence over both the Babylonian and Persian kings. Nehemiah, Ezra, Esther, and Mordecai had influence over Persian kings. God was never mentioned by name even one time in this entire book, but His divine sovereignty was found on every page. What Mordecai did for Israel in less than eight years, Jesus Christ will do for a thousand years as the Prince of Peace. However, Jesus will do these things at a supernatural level.