Iran Honors
Cylinder of Cyrus:
The first
assertion of human rights
This
cylinder is made of cooked mud & has been found in the
ancient city of Babylon. There is a copy version of this
frieze in the United Nations building in New York. The stand
is between the main hAMILY: Tahoma">This
cylinder is made of cooked mud & has been found in the
ancient city of Babylon. There is a copy version of this
frieze in the United Nations building in New York. The stand
is between the main hall of Security Council & the hall of
Mandate. The original version is kept in British Museum,
London.
According
to this command, which has been written
at 13th Oct. 539 B.C. (2544 years ago!)
Cyrus, the empire of Persian Land, has offered to his
soldiers & nation to treat peaceful together! When the great
army of Cyrus entered to Babylon, no one was killed! No
destruction happened! Any one had freedom to pray his god.
Cyrus also, released thousands of Jews who were chained more
than 70 years in Babylon & permitted them to build their own
synagogue. After that many Jews immigrated to Iran to live
in peace forever. As a result, Cyrus has been named as
“Jesus of the God” in Torah book.This frieze is a gift from
the Iranian culture to the current world, which is tired of
war & asperity.Although this cylinder has been blemished a
lot, but in remaining rows there are still a lot of meanings
to distinguish. We bring an English translation of this
command as follows:
I am
Cyrus, king of the world, great king, mighty king, king of
Babylon, king of the land of Sumer
& Akkad, king of the four
quarters, son of Cambyses, great
king of Anshan, grand son of
Cyrus, great king, king of Anshan,
descendant of Teispes, great
king, king of Anshan, progeny of
an unending royal line, whose rule Bel
& Nabu cherish, whose kingship
they desire for their hearts’ pleasure. When I,
well-disposed, entered Babylon, I set up the seat of
domination in the royal palace amidst jubilation &
rejoicing. Marduk, the great god
caused the big-hearted inhabitants of Babylon to … me. I
sought daily to worship him. My numerous troops moved about
undisturbed in the midst of Babylon. I didn’t allow any to
terrorize the land of / Sumer/ &
Akkad. I kept in view the needs
of Babylon & all its sanctuaries to promote their
well-being. The citizens of Babylon … I lifted their
unbecoming yoke. Their dilapidated dwellings I restored. I
put an end to their misfortunes.
At my
deeds Marduk, the great lord,
rejoiced, & to me, Cyrus, the king who worshipped him, & to
Cambyses, my son, the offspring
of [my] loins, & to all my troops he graciously gave his
blessing & in good spirits before him we / glorified /
exceedingly his high / divinity. All the kings who sat in
throne rooms, throughout the four quarters, from the Upper
to the Lower Sea, those who dwelt in … , all the kings of
the West Country who dwelt in tents, brought me their heavy
tribute & kissed my feet in Babylon. From … to the cities of
Ashur &
Susa, Agade,
Eshnuna, the land of
Gutium, the holy cities beyond
the Tigris whose sanctuaries had been in ruins over a long
period, the gods whose abode is in the midst of them, I
returned to their places & housed them in lasting abodes.
I
gathered together all their inhabitants & restored [to them]
their dwellings. The gods of Sumer
& Akkad whom
Nabonidus had, to the anger of
the lord of the gods, brought in to Babylon, I, at the
bidding of Marduk, the great
lord made to dwell in peace in their habitations, delightful
abodes. Many all the gods whom I have placed within their
sanctuaries address a daily prayer in my
favour before
Bel &
Nabu,
that my days may be long, & they may say to
Marduk, my lord. “May Cyrus the
king who reverse thee & Cambyses
his son …
Now that
I put the crown of kingdom of Iran, Babylon, and the nations
of the four directions on the head with the help of (Ahura)
Mazda, I announce that I will respect the traditions,
customs and religions of the nations of my empire and never
let any of my governors and subordinates look down on or
insult them until I am alive. From now on, till (Ahura)
Mazda grants me the kingdom favor, I will impose my monarchy
on no nation. Each is free to accept it, and if any one of
them rejects it, I never resolve on war to reign. Until I am
the king of Iran, Babylon, and the nations of the four
directions, I never let anyone oppress any others, and if it
occurs, I will take his or her right back and penalize the
oppressor.
And until I am the monarch, I will never let anyone take
possession of movable and landed properties of the others by
force or without compensation. Until I am alive, I prevent
unpaid, forced labor. To day, I announce that everyone is
free to choose a religion. People are free to live in all
regions and take up a job provided that they never violate
other's rights.
No one could be penalized for his or her relatives' faults.
I prevent slavery and my governors and subordinates are
obliged to prohibit exchanging men and women as slaves
within their own ruling domains. Such a traditions should be
exterminated the world over.
I implore to (Ahura) Mazda to
make me succeed in fulfilling my obligations to the nations
of Iran (Persia), Babylon, and the ones of the four
directions.
