THE FOUNDER , THE CONQUEROR ,THE WARRIOR.

Hi, guys last time we discussed about the Achaemenid empire. Today, we will talk about the man 

who laid the first stone in the foundation of this empire. We will discuss about the founder and the

first Shahanshah [ King of Kings] of the mighty Achaemenid empire, we will discuss about Cyrus

the Great. So let's begin.

CYRUS THE GREAT : He was born around c.600 BC in Anshan, Persis. His father was Cambyses I, King of Anshan and mother was Mandane of Media, daughter of Astyages, King of Media. He is the founder of the Achaemenid empire, the first Persian empire. During his rule, the empire embraced all of the pervious civilized states of the Ancient Near East. He expanded the empire vastly and eventually conquered most of the Western Asia and much of Central Asia. The reign of Cyrus lasted about thirty years. He conquered the Median empire, Lydian empire and eventually the Neo-Babylonian empire. He also lead various expedition into Central Asia, which resulted in major campaigns that were described as having brought " into subjection every nation without exception ". It is alleged that he died in battle while fighting the Massagetae, an ancient Eastern Iranian nomadic tribal confederation, along the Syr Darya in December 530 BC.

However, Xenophon ( a Greek military leader, philosopher and 

historian, born in Athens.) stated that Cyrus survived the battle and returned to the Achaemenid ceremonial capital of Persepolis. He died at the age of 70 on 4 December 530 BC. He was succeeded by his son Cambyses II. 

Known as Cyrus the Elder to the Greeks, he was well-known for having respected the customs and 

religions of the lands that he conquered. He was important in developing the system of a central 

administration at Pasargadae governing satraps in the empire's border regions. This system that he 

established worked very effectively and profitably for both rulers and subjects. The Edict of Restoration

a proclamation attested by a cylinder seal in which Cyrus authorized and encouraged the return of the 

Israelites to the Land of Israel following his conquest of the long time rival the Neo-Babylonian empire,

is described in the Bible itself, and likewise left a lasting legacy on the Jewish religion due to his role 

in ending the Babylonian captivity and facilitating the Jewish return to Zion. Cyrus is also recognized 

for his contribution in human rights, politics and military strategy as well as his influence on both Eastern and Western civilizations. The Achaemenid influence in the ancient world would eventually 

extent as far as Athens, where the upper class of the city of Athens adopted aspects of the culture of the ruling class of Achaemenid Persia as their own. Cyrus also played a crucial role in defining the national

identity of modern Iran due to modern province of Fars, Iran roughly corresponding with the ancient 

land of Persis. He remains a cult figure amongst modern Iranians, with his tomb serving as a spot of 

reverence for millions of people. 

So, that all from my side for today. I hope you enjoyed this. Stay tuned for more interesting things.

 

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