Cyrus The Great, Founder Of The Persian Empire

He was - Cyrus the Great - founder of the Persian Empire. Began his career as a junior officer in the southwestern part of Iran, he block - through battle victories of brilliance - the three major kingdoms (Medes, lydian, and Babylon), and together almost the entire Middle East region long been a country that stretches from India to the Mediterranean Sea.
Cyrus (or Kurush name Persinya) was born around 590 BC in the province of Persis (now Fars), in southwestern Iran. This area was a province of the Kingdom of Medes. A descendant of Cyrus the local authorities which are subordinate to the King of Medes.
Tradition that emerged later to make stories interesting Cyrus is concerned, as if to remind people of the Greek myth of King Oedipus. According to this tale, Cyrus was the grandson Astyages King Medes. Before Cyrus was born, her granddaughter Astyages dream that one day will menghalaunya from the throne. King issued orders that all newborn babies be killed out. However, officials believed the murder was not the heart to commit murder is evil, but to continue the order was to shepherd and his wife to carry it out. But this they did not have the heart. They are not killing a baby boy but keep it as their own children. Finally, when the boy grew up, did he really brought down the king from his throne.

Medes and Persians nation close to each other, either due to the origin and language similarities. Because Cyrus continued most laws most of the Medes and the administrative procedures of government, his victory over the Medes is merely a change instead of a dynasty and conquest by a foreign nation.

However, Cyrus appeared immediately wants out of conquests. His first target is the lydian kingdom in Asia Minor, ruled by King Croesus, a man of wealth like a fairy tale. Iron Cyrus is nothing compared Croesus gold. By the year 546 BC Cyrus conquered the kingdom of Croesus lydian and thrown into jail.

Cyrus then turned his attention to the directions east, and in a series of battle, he conquered all the eastern part of Iran and the inclusion into the kingdom's territory. In the year 540 BC, Persian Empire stretched to the east as far as the Indus River and Jaxartes (now the Syr Darya in Central Asia).

With rear terlindungnya. Cyrus can focus on the most valuable of all. Prosperous Babylon Empire loh jinawi, located in the center of Mesopotamia, but it can oversee the whole region "fertile crescent" (Fertile Crescent) Middle East. Not like Cyrus, ruler of Babylon, Nabonidus was not popular among the people. When the army moved forward Cyrus, Babylon troops swept in the knee Cyrus without a fight. Because Empire Babylon also includes Syria and Palestine, the area was incorporated into the territory Cyrus.

Cyrus spent a few years to consolidate his command and return to organize such a huge empire that has been captured. Then he led the Army to conquer the northeast Massagetae, nomadic tribes who lived in Central Asia east of the Caspian Sea. People Persian victory at the first gunfire. But in the second battle, a battle in 529 BC, they were undefeated and Cyrus - the ruler of the empire in the world that never existed at the time - were killed.

Cyrus was succeeded by his son Cambyses II. Cambyses defeated Massagate in the next battle, found the body of his father and buried him back in Pasargadae, the capital of ancient Persia. Then Cambyses sent troops to the invasion of Egypt, and thus he unites the entire Middle East region in a empire long.

Cyrus is definitely a leader with the permissibility of military field. But that's just one side of a human being. Even more striking, perhaps, is the way of ordering policies. He's very famous tolerant of local religions and their customs. And he always distanced himself from his cruel and vicious as typically the conquerors. People Babylon, for example, even more obvious again Assyrians, had killed thousands of people and drove all the residents who feared going to rebel. For example, when the Babylonians conquered Judah in 586 BC, they brought people of Judea to Babylon. But fifty years later, when Cyrus conquered Babylon, he gave permission to the Jews returned to his hometown. Were it not for Cyrus, it was the Jews would be annihilated as an isolated group in the 5th century BC. Cyrus decision in this case may have a political motivation: however little doubt that he is a ruler who in his time berprikemanusiaan. Even the Greeks, who long ago considered the Persian Empire is the greatest threat to its independence, never ceased to regard Cyrus a ruler who truly amazing.

Cyrus has been so good that even carry out their duties even after the demise of the Persian Empire continued expansion of his territory. This lasted for about 200 years, until conquered by Alexander the Great. For most of two centuries, the Persian-controlled area to enjoy peace and prosperity.

Conquest by Alexander absolutely not bode tamatnya Persian Empire. After Alexander died, one of his generals, Seleucus I Nicator, managed to control Syria, Mesopotamia, and Iran, so he founded the Seleucid Empire. However, the Iranian foreign power does not last long. In the mid-3rd century BC to the rebellion broke out against Seleucid rule, under the leadership of the Arsaves I consider themselves descendants of the Achaemenid (dynasty Cyrus). A kingdom was founded by Arsaces known as the Parthian Empire finally mastered Iran and Mesopotamia. AD 224 years after the ruling dynasty was replaced Arsacid Persian, Sassanid, who also claimed descent from Archaeminid, and the empire lasted more than four centuries. Even Cyrus is now regarded in Iran as the founder of the Persian state.

Cyrus the Great's career is an important example of a turning point in history. First cultures grown in Sumeria, around 3000 years BC. For more than twenty-five centuries the various Sumerian and Semitic peoples, who succeeded him (such as the Akkadian, Babylonian and Assyrian) became the center of civilization. Throughout that period, Mesopotamia is the land berkebudayaan richest and most advanced in the world (with the exception of Egypt which is roughly located in tarap sejaiar). But Cyrus career - which arguably was in the middle of recorded history - to end that chapter in the history of the world. From since then, both Mesopotamia and Egypt was no longer the cultural center of the world, both culturally and politically.

Furthermore, the Semitic - a large number in the "fertile crescent" - could not regain its independence for centuries after that. After the Persians (Indo-European peoples) came the Macedonia and Greece, followed by a long occupation by the Parthian, Roman, Sassanid rulers, all of it is IndoEropa. Until the Muslim conquest in the 7th century - nearly twelve centuries after Cyrus the Great - the "fertile crescent" was dominated by Semitic peoples.



Map of the Kingdom of Cyrus the Great

Cyrus is important not just because he won many battles and conquered many areas. Meaning of greater importance is the fact that the empire he founded the firm to change the political structure of the old world.

Persian Empire, in addition to wide area and length of stay, does not have a major influence in the history as found in the Roman Empire. England, or China is longer. However, taking into account the importance of Cyrus one must remember that he had completed something that probably would not have happened without him. In the year 620 BC (before Cyrus was born generation) no one would suspect that within a century old world will be under the authority of a tribe that was not known who originated from southwest Iran. Even with hindsight, it appears that no one of the Persian Empire empire that has significance for the history of social and economic circumstances will be so sooner or later so big. So, Cyrus is a rare one that the real change the course of history. Michael H. Hart,One hundred most influential figures in the history.