History - Iran - page 539

Darius had won an empire in disarray and
had to fight hard to re-establish it, dividing his
sprawling inheritance into 23 satrapies to make
it easier to govern. The magnificent complex at
Persepolis was created to serve as the ceremo-
nial and religious hub of an empire whose
primary god was Ahura Mazda, also the sub-
ject of Zoroastrian worship. The Median cities
of Ecbatana and Shush became administrative centres, but Persepolis was the imperial
showcase, extravagantly decorated to intimidate visitors and impress with its beauty. Dari-
us eventually expanded the empire to India and pushed as far north as the Danube River in
Europe.

Persian Fire, by Tom Holland, is a page-turning
history of the Persian Wars, the first battles between
East and West, and the Achaemenid empire at its
most powerful. Recommended reading before visit-
ing Shush or Persepolis.

THE FIRST CHARTER OF HUMAN RIGHTS…OR
NOT

In 1879 Assyro-British archaeologist Hormuzd Rassam unearthed a clay cylinder during a dig in the ancient Marduk
temple of Babylon. What became known as the 'Cyrus Cylinder' bears a cuneiform inscription recording, among
other things, that Cyrus 'strove for peace in Babylon and in all his [the god Marduk's] sacred sites' and 'abolished
forced labour' for those (Jews) who had been enslaved in Babylon.
These passages have been widely interpreted as a reflection of Cyrus's respect for human rights, and many con-
sider it the world's first charter of human rights. Indeed, a replica remains on permanent display at UN headquarters
in New York (the original is in the British Museum), and in 1971 the cylinder became the symbol of the 2500th an-
niversary of Iranian royalty. However, not everyone agrees. Some scholars argue that Mesopotamian kings had a tra-
dition dating back to the 3rd millennium BC of making grand and popular statements espousing social reform when
they came to the throne, meaning Cyrus's declaration was neither new nor unique.

Whether the cylinder was the world's first declaration of human rights or not, it seems fair to say that Cyrus was
an unusually benevolent ruler for his time, and he's well remembered across the faiths. In the Bible both Ezra and
Isaiah speak of Cyrus as a benign ruler responsible for the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem. And he is the only
Gentile (non-Jew) designated as a divinely appointed king, or messiah, in the Tanakh.

It was the greatest of the early civilisations. Paved roads stretched from one end of the
empire to the other, with caravanserais at regular intervals to provide food and shelter to
travellers. The Achaemenids introduced the world's first postal service, and it was said the
network of relay horses could deliver mail to the furthest corner of the empire within 15
days.