Darius I: Founder of the First Postal System in the World

Darius I is recognized as the founder of the first organized postal system in the world, having established a postal service (the modern post office) in ancient Iran. As a result, Iranians are considered the founders of a systematic organization for extensive postal communications in the ancient world. Xenophon, a Greek historian who commanded 10,000 Greek soldiers against Artaxerxes I in 401 BC, wrote about the Iranian couriers, stating, 'Even a crane cannot fly as swiftly as the swift riders of the Iranian postal service.' According to heritage news, Mohammad Reza Shahriyar, a historian, noted in his research titled 'The Postal Houses of Iran' that the establishment of postal services by the Achaemenids was aimed at preserving the territory of Iran. He added, 'Darius I established postal houses along with main roads and extensive networks throughout the country to maintain constant communication between the capital and the provinces and to receive regular news.' Meanwhile, the Greeks, who later benefited greatly from their civilization, also profited from the Iranian postal system due to their proximity to the vast Achaemenid Empire. Interestingly, the organization of news transfer and postal correspondence continued during the Parthian period after the Achaemenids, and a structured administrative organization emerged during the Sassanian period that solidified the postal system. Furthermore, after the Arabs entered Iran, they implemented the Iranian postal system without any modifications to manage their territories. Genghis Khan also utilized couriers to manage the vast empire he founded, referring to them as 'Yam,' which is the Mongolian word for courier. Mohammad Reza Shahriyar writes about the Yam houses, stating, 'In the Yam houses, a number of couriers with postal horses marked with bells around their necks were always ready to deliver Genghis's orders, which were called (Yerliq).' In Iran, the postal service and the dispatch of news via couriers continued during the Safavid, Zand, and early Qajar periods, until Abbas Mirza implemented fundamental reforms that led to the obsolescence of all past customs, including the postal houses.