Historical awareness can strengthen Iranian national identity
Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid dynasty, occupies a place in the collective memory of Iranians that extends far beyond his status as an ancient king, embodying the country’s history, national identity and cultural heritage, a prominent Iranian scholar has said.
Mohammad-Ali Ezzatzadeh, secretary of the Iranian Studies Association, has stressed the importance of a more comprehensive understanding of Cyrus and Iran’s history, saying that education about the country’s past can strengthen national confidence and help counter selective and misleading historical narratives.
Speaking to ISNA on the occasion of the annual observance of Cyrus the Great Day on October 29, Ezzatzadeh highlighted Cyrus’s role in shaping Iran’s historical geography and establishing a political entity that brought together diverse ethnic groups and cultures.
He said Cyrus’s enduring legacy could not be attributed solely to his military conquests, but should also be understood in terms of his role in the formation of Iran as a political and geographical entity and the establishment of a system of governance across culturally diverse territories.
Tracing the continuity of the concept of Iran through successive dynasties, Ezzatzadeh said the Parthians, after overthrowing the Seleucids, successors to Alexander the Great, regained control of large parts of Iranian territory. They were subsequently succeeded by the Sassanids, reflecting the persistence of a broad political and geographical entity across different historical periods.
He described the establishment of the Safavid dynasty as another major turning point in Iran’s post-Islamic history, noting that the Safavids sought to consolidate a territory largely corresponding to Iran’s historical geography.
Conflicts between Iran and the Ottoman Empire over western territories, some of which had historically been part of Iran, were also part of this broader process, he said. However, he cautioned that this continuity did not imply that Iran’s borders or political structures remained unchanged, but rather reflected the enduring significance of the country’s historical identity and geographical sphere.
Ezzatzadeh said similar patterns could be traced in other periods, including the Ilkhanid era under Hulagu Khan, when parts of the historical Iranian sphere remained central to political ambitions, including attempts to extend influence towards the Levant, some parts of which had previously been under Achaemenid rule.
He identified the formation of Iran’s historical geography as one of Cyrus’s most significant legacies, saying it later found expression in concepts such as “historical Iran” and the “Greater Iranian cultural sphere,” as well as in neighboring countries that inherited elements of Iranian civilization.
Cyrus’s significance, therefore, extended well beyond his reign and was closely tied to his role in shaping a fundamental component of Iranian historical identity, he added.
Another major aspect of Cyrus’s legacy was his approach to governing a diverse empire, Ezzatzadeh said, noting that his expanding dominion brought together populations with different ethnic, linguistic and religious backgrounds.
The significance of his system, he explained, lay partly in allowing local communities to preserve aspects of their cultures, languages and religious traditions within a broader political framework. This combination of cultural diversity and political unity helped shape and sustain the Achaemenid Empire.
Explaining the concept of Shahanshah (King of Kings), Ezzatzadeh said it referred to a political structure rather than merely a ceremonial title. Under this system, local kings governed different territories while acknowledging the authority of a supreme monarch.
Cyrus initially ruled as king of Persia before expanding his dominion over other territories. After consolidating his power in Persia, he conquered Media and incorporated parts of Mesopotamia and Lydia in western Anatolia into the Achaemenid Empire. His successors, Cambyses and Darius, further expanded the empire, bringing Egypt under Achaemenid rule.
Bringing together parts of several major civilizations of the ancient world under a single political system was among the Achaemenids’ major achievements, Ezzatzadeh said, adding that their empire became an important model for subsequent large-scale political structures.
He noted that similarities could be drawn between the Achaemenid system and later empires, although their approaches to governance, cultural autonomy and relations with subject populations were not necessarily the same.
The Achaemenid Empire’s survival for more than two centuries across an extensive territory stretching from parts of Anatolia to regions of Central and South Asia demonstrated that military power alone could not account for its longevity, he said.
At its height, the empire encompassed a substantial proportion of the population of the known world, while maintaining such an extensive political structure required effective administrative, political and cultural mechanisms, he added.
Although military strength played a central role in the empire’s formation and expansion, its longevity across territories with diverse ethnic, linguistic and cultural backgrounds depended on factors beyond battlefield victories.
Understanding Cyrus’s historical significance, therefore, requires examining not only his conquests but also the political structures he helped establish and the ways in which different communities were governed, Ezzatzadeh said.
Asked whether historical figures such as Cyrus could help strengthen national identity and patriotism, particularly following Iran’s experience of two recent imposed wars, he cautioned against idealizing historical personalities.
Drawing inspiration from figures such as Cyrus can contribute to a stronger sense of national identity, provided it is based on an accurate understanding of their lives and achievements, he said. Historical figures, however, should not be portrayed as infallible or judged solely by contemporary standards without regard to the social and historical conditions of their time.
Ezzatzadeh also pointed to the recognition Cyrus has received beyond Iran’s borders, saying international appreciation of a historical figure can be a source of pride for a nation whose history and identity are associated with that figure.
Cyrus remains significant to Iranians not only because of his role in expanding the Persian Empire but also because of the attention his system of governance, particularly his treatment of conquered populations, has received in historical studies, he added.
He stressed that national pride should be rooted in historical knowledge and critical understanding rather than idealization.
Iranians can take pride in Cyrus’s achievements and his role in the formation and expansion of the Achaemenid Empire, he said, but such pride is more meaningful when grounded in historical sources, an understanding of the circumstances of the period and a willingness to critically examine the past.
A sound understanding of history, he added, means neither overlooking the achievements of historical figures nor ignoring their limitations and mistakes. It requires a balanced assessment of their place in the broader course of historical developments.
Ezzatzadeh further argued that understanding Iran should go beyond its contemporary image as a country, encompassing its historical, cultural, linguistic, scientific and civilizational dimensions, many of which remain insufficiently explored.
An understanding of Iran, he said, should take into account its historical and cultural heritage, its interactions with other civilizations and its contributions to human civilization.
A society that lacks sufficient knowledge of its own history cannot be expected to recognize and effectively challenge inaccurate or one-sided accounts of its past, he concluded.