The Phantom of Cyrus

It seems that the security forces of the Islamic Republic have finally succeeded in blocking the way of people who were heading to visit and pray at the tomb of Cyrus in Pasargadae. Iranians had named the seventh of Aban as Cyrus Day and were moving to gather in Pasargadae. After blocking the way, the security forces even arrested and dispersed those who tried to reach the tomb of Cyrus on foot through the adjacent hills. Subsequently, the governor and other government officials appeared in the empty area in front of the tomb, triumphantly announcing that no one had come to commemorate Cyrus this year! At the same time, certain press outlets and writers are coordinating efforts to portray Cyrus as a creation of 'global Zionism' and the enemies of the regime, attempting to discredit him. This political tug-of-war revolves around a figure who lived 2600 years ago, who clearly had no knowledge of the Islamic Republic nor any interest in 'Zionism', a product of 19th-century nationalism. Yet, the ghost of this great man continues to move through history, appearing in various forms in the political and governance struggles of different eras. Why does the Islamic Republic and its theorists attempt to deny Cyrus? It is evident that in the current cultural-political struggle between the nation and the state in Iran, the Shiite expression of the unitary 'Ummah' stands against the Persian-oriented interpretation and emphasis on pre-Islamic Iranian identity. The ruling clerics in Iran, wounded by the modernization project since the Constitutional Revolution and the Pahlavis' emphasis on Iranian identity over Islamic, are trying to turn the tide with continuous 'cultural' efforts, as desired by Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood theorists and their Iranian counterparts, to raise the flag of a Shiite-national identity. It is no coincidence that in the early steps of the newly established Shiite regime, Sheikh Khalkhali set out to destroy the remnants of Pasargadae with a bulldozer. However, 40 years have passed, and not only has the root of pre-Islamic Iranian identity not been dried up, but in a new overflow, masses of Iranians are gradually praising their pre-Islamic ancestors, falling to the ground in front of Cyrus's tomb. A significant part of the Islamic Republic's cultural efforts to distort Iran's ancient history emphasizes 'Zionist influence' in promoting the returning culture of Iranians. Nasser Banakandeh, an obscure writer with a background in the Tudeh Party, tried to 'prove' in several volumes that even the inscriptions of Behistun and the Zoroastrian Kaaba have been tampered with by Orientalists and Jews and lack historical credibility. Notably, he neither knew ancient languages nor had education in history and archaeology. Hassan Abbasi, another speaker of the Islamic Republic, is of the same ilk. He has gained notoriety by insulting and attacking anyone who thinks differently from him and presenting fabrications wherever he faces a lack of knowledge (which almost includes all statements of this self-taught 'doctor'). He explicitly holds 'global Zionism' responsible for the spread of ancient Iranian ideology. These critics not only display their ignorance but also inadvertently elevate their enemies to a divine and metaphysical status. But what is the root of this thinking, and what does attributing Cyrus to 'Zionism' stem from? The reality is that Cyrus is praised as the savior of the Jewish people from slavery in Babylon. He not only freed the Jews but also ordered the reconstruction of the 'Temple' in Jerusalem, which had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and the return of its looted items. This liberation from captivity is mentioned in the books of earlier Jewish prophets, namely the second book of Ezra, the book of Isaiah, and the book of Daniel. The account in the book of Ezra is more of a detailed historiography, and in other books, the description of Cyrus is such that it seems 'Yahweh' had announced the salvation from Babylon and the reconstruction of the 'Temple' to the Jewish people, making Cyrus its executor. With these details, a Persian king is more or less placed in the ranks of Jewish prophets. It is noteworthy that after the Balfour Declaration in 1917 regarding Britain's intention to create a new country for the Jews, they printed images of Cyrus and George V together, considering the King of England as the Cyrus of the twentieth century who freed them and returned them to the Promised Land. However, the great source of honoring the Persian king is not limited to the books of earlier Jewish prophets. Among European and even American kings, statesmen, and philosophers, in addition to the Old Testament, Greek historiography and to some extent Roman accounts have kept the memory of Cyrus alive. Two great Greek historians, who are also considered founders of the science of history, namely Herodotus and Xenophon (who were contemporaries of Cyrus with a difference of about a century), described his good character and strategic thinking. In these books, we encounter a charismatic ruler who blends justice with power, authoritarian governance with interaction with subordinates, and the conquest of countries with respect for the rulers and religions of those countries and peoples. Xenophon's 'Cyropaedia' or 'Biography of Cyrus' is a reference book in the art of governance and was consulted by Roman emperors. This book is so woven into the fabric of European political culture that the founder of modern political thought in this continent, Niccolò Machiavelli, drew from it, and Thomas Jefferson, the thinker and principal author of the Declaration of Independence of the United States and its third president, was influenced by this book, which is reportedly still kept in his collection of books at his home in Monticello. Cyrus is likely also present in Quranic culture. In verses 83 to 101 of Surah Al-Kahf (the 18th chapter of the Quran), in response to those who ask about 'Dhul-Qarnayn', it is stated that he was a monotheist, believed in the Day of Judgment, and campaigned to the west until the sun sets in a muddy spring and to the east, where the sun rises and where naked people live. Then he built a wall of iron and copper to protect people from the attack of Gog and Magog. Many researchers believe that 'Dhul-Qarnayn' is Alexander. However, Abul Kalam Azad, after observing the prominent work in Pasargadae called 'the winged man', first arrived at the hypothesis that 'Dhul-Qarnayn' (the man with two horns) is this man, and he is Cyrus. After him, Iranian clerics like Motahari and Makarem Shirazi repeated this claim. However, upon careful consideration of this prominent work, Azad's hypothesis weakens. What these individuals have assumed to be Cyrus's 'horns' is more likely the image of a crown that has three cylindrical elements atop it, which I believe refers to the three realms of Cyrus's kingdom preserved in the Cyrus Cylinder, namely the kingdoms of Babylon, Assyria, and Akkad. It is generally very unlikely that anyone would depict the Iranian king as horned, especially since horned imagery is specific to divinity, as mentioned in the story of Joseph in the Shahnameh. However, for another reason, one might consider Dhul-Qarnayn as a distant and faint image of Cyrus. At the end of the cylinder's text, Cyrus mentions that he completed a wall that a previous king had built alongside a moat, using baked bricks and bitumen, and large doors made of cedar wood with bronze coverings. Perhaps this wall is what is imagined as a barrier against Gog and Magog, and Cyrus's monotheism is certainly much greater than that of Alexander. In the story of Al-Kahf, there may also be remnants of the Gilgamesh myth. Ultimately, whether real or legendary, Cyrus is a king who is praised in three great traditions. The Greeks remember him as a ruler who embodies the ideals of classical philosophers. In the Jewish tradition, he is prophet-like. In the Quranic reference, he is likely mentioned as a noble human being. In his homeland, however, some government officials have belittled his name, while young masses create an idealized image of him and draw inspiration from him in their symbolic cultural struggle against the government of clerics. When the ruling clerics block the people's path with quasi-military actions to prevent them from paying their respects at his tomb, when the leader of Iran deems pride in ancestors as futile and states that pride belongs to the present, not the past, and on the other hand, the Iranian masses who have gone to visit him praise him prophetically and fall to the ground in front of his shrine, we realize that Cyrus is still with us, and his ghost still powerfully soars over his country.