Forouhar and the Achaemenids

Introduction
In the present age, where societies, ideas, and schools of thought and ideology are growing, and each seeks to establish its identity and show its superiority over others, some individuals and schools question the values, history, institutions. And other matters related to others try to achieve this goal and use various methods to achieve this goal. The brief introduction given at the beginning is a start to the claims made about Forouhar and the nature of this symbol.. A long time ago, I saw an article about Forouhar that caught my attention. Arbitrary and of course wrong mistake to achieve the goal of destroying the historical and mythical identity of Iran. I will draw your attention to this article below:
History of Forouhar or Ahura Mazda : Examining the works obtained from ancient Egypt, Assyria and Sumer, it is clear that this painting, which belongs to about a thousand years before the Achaemenids came to power in these areas, was used and questioned in different and similar forms.. The image of a winged sphere that appeared in Egypt from the second millennium BC entered Mesopotamia, Assyria and Sumer in the following centuries and has always changed during these years. This image in Egypt, Sumer and Assyria is composed of elements such as wings. Falcon, sun, man - God, which are gathered together in Achaemenid works.
Ahura Mazda and Zoroaster : Examining the history of this painting, it is easy to see that Ahura Mazda used under different names in Egypt, Assyria and Sumer can not be related to the Zoroastrian religion, because the time and place of the emergence of such an image is related to what is attributed to Zoroaster. There is a lot of contradiction. After the Achaemenids, this painting was almost forgotten and even in the Sassanid era, we do not see any trace of this painting in engravings. Know related.
What is Forouhar? Ghiasabadi Mohaghegh writes about this. In recent years, this painting is sometimes referred to as Forouhar and the symbol of Zoroastrians, while no evidence of its use has been found in the Sassanid era until the contemporary era.. Also, for once, the name of Forouhar or its meaning is not seen in any Achaemenid book or even in the Ghats. Some of the three rows of feathers of this goddess are mentioned as a symbol of good speech, behavior and thoughts, while in the Achaemenid works, this image has also changed, especially in the number of rows of wings..

Ahura Mazda and the Achaemenids : It seems that Darius and his family were supposed to design a universal goddess to be worshiped by the subjugated tribes, in such a way that they used parts of the gods of different tribes from Egypt, Assyria, Sumer and Babylon in this painting.. Even in the inscription of Biston, Darius officially considers the reason for one of his battles not to be worshiped by Ahura Mazda by this people and officially declares the worship of Ahura Mazda to be obligatory.. For example, Darius about the reason for attacking the Khozians in the column 5 Close 2 And says 17_14: "The Khozians were in bad faith and Ahura Mazda was not praised by them. I praised Ahura Mazda. At the request of Ahura Mazda, I treated them as he wished." ( Translator : غیاث آبادی )
Darius gives such a description of the Scythian revolution. Will Durant in the History of Civilization
is writing : روی From the severe punishments that were applied to the atheists, it can be guessed that there was doubt in the religion among the Persians and those who converted from the religion were executed immediately.. ›› Evidence suggests that this compulsion to worship Ahura Mazda in Achaemenid-dominated lands was not effective, and that the people of the region did not worship such an image after their overthrow..
Symbol definition : We begin by defining the symbol; Social scientists who study human actions and human social life offer such a definition of a symbol. :
چیزی Something that is used as a sign or representative of another phenomenon is called a symbol. ››
Explaining the symbol debate, it is stated that humans often use symbols to convey meanings, and that no society is without the need for symbolic actions and behaviors.. Symbols can be transferred from one culture to another, and in addition, symbols can be changed according to circumstances in different contexts..
A culture that has received a symbol or a sign from another culture can change it according to its beliefs and values, receiving a symbol from another culture as long as it changes in the deep social layers, ie values ​​and beliefs, and Beliefs and subsequent change in the social actions of the people of that culture is not an obstacle because in this case it does not harm the culture of the recipient.. If a culture remains stable at the level of social beliefs and values, it can receive elements from other cultures in the field of norms and symbols and the like, and as mentioned, make the necessary changes and acquisitions that are in accordance with its culture, beliefs and values. Created in them. A culture that interacts with other cultures while preserving its beliefs, ideals and values ​​provides the basis for its own development and that of its community..
Each symbol or symbolic behavior can have a different meaning according to different circumstances and environments, for example, some hand gestures in a culture such as Western culture are a sign of approval, but the same hand gesture in another culture is sometimes It is considered an insult, so these people are a culture and a society that give meaning and direction to a symbol in the first place..
Having said that, the existence of different components of this symbol in other cultures is not a logical reason to reject this symbol in other cultures. It is not a logical reason to reject this symbol as our national symbol, because what we know as Forouhar is a mixture of people's opinions. Ancient Iran and the teachings of Zoroaster.
In this part, I need to explain that, contrary to some people's beliefs, this symbol is not Ahura Mazda. As you have seen, the compiler of this symbol considers this symbol to be Ahura Mazda, which shows that his information in this field is superficial.. Most of those who study the history of Iran and the ancient religion of this land are aware that Ahura Mazda is inconceivable in the religion of Zoroaster and can not be depicted as we do not depict God in this day and age. We do not consider the essence of God to be inclusive in the mind. It has been the same in the religion of Zarathustra and the religion of Zarathustra ( Image for Ahura Mazda and other holy beings such as angels) Rejects and opposes it.
Mazda : Although with the help of the existing Avesta and also with the help of Pahlavi texts, which contain ideas based on the Zoroastrian tradition, a clear concept of Ahura Mazda can be achieved, it is very difficult to find the antiquity of this ancient name.. Today, it is certain with the existing knowledge that before Zarathustra and his religion, Aryans and Iranians from this people were familiar with this name.. In other words, although the history of Zarathustra's life is in a haze of ambiguity, we are sure that the name Ahura Mazda was by no means a creation of the mind of Zarathustra, the "Prophet of Ancient Iran.". That is, whenever Zarathustra entered the field, the name of Ahura Mazda was a familiar name to the people of his time, so in examining the situation of Ahura Mazda, one should pay attention to Zarathustra alone.. He is at least one of the great ancient gods before the advent of Zarathustra, who reaches a unique position with the advent of Zarathustra..
This name is composed of the Indo-Persian word Ahura (bracelet : Server ) And Mazda Avesta ( Dana ) It means wise server. This compound name, which is mentioned in Avesta as Ahura Mazda, has been changed to Ahrmazd in Pahlavi texts and Ormazd and Hormoz in Persian..
The god Zarathustra, who is called the wise master, is a true, omnipotent and omniscient creation for the prophet of ancient Iran. :
Who paved the way for the sun and the stars?
From whom does the moon increase and decrease again?
Who kept the earth at bay and the clouds of heaven from falling?
Who makes water and plants?
Who tied sharp horses to the winds and clouds? ›› Yasen 44, paragraphs 3_5
And in the fourteenth poem, the Prophet says: : "Mazda, I found you first and last in my mind."
And this way of expression comes from the Torah tens of years after Zarathustra, that is, in the book of Isaiah II;
. I am the first and I am the last and there is no god but me. ›› Torah, the book of Isaiah the prophet 6:44

In the teachings of Zoroaster, God is "eternal" and "the creator of all things.". Especially the real creator. With the presence of this thing and his law, Ahura Mazda controls everything : ‹‹ What is openly said, Mazda, and what two people say in secret, someone who has committed a minor sin and someone who has been severely punished, wake up to all this, with a clear eye and through him. Nazeri ›› Yesen 31, paragraph 13

Forouhar : According to Avestan and Pahlavi mythology, the ancient Persians believed that every living thing had five components (Ahu, Dina, Biozeh, ‌ Arun, Forouhar) That is, the body, soul, psyche, conscience and Forouhar are created, which is due to the effort and growth of human beings.. In the following, we will briefly explain the first four cases and then continue the discussion of Forouhar.
Ton : All the organs of the body minus the life force are called the body, which disappears after death.
Life : The soul, which is the life force, brings with it the movement and work of the body, and with the death of man, the soul is destroyed.
Going : All thoughts, words and deeds come from it and it has full will and authority to choose the good way or the bad way..
Conscience : It is a bad thing to do with the human possessor, and remorse and remorse for bad deeds are the reasons for the existence of conscience..
Forouhar : Although Zarathustra himself does not emphasize Forouhar, the concept that it must have its roots in pre-Zoroastrian times is one of the richest philosophical concepts of Zoroastrianism.. There has been a lot of talk about Forouhar. It is obvious that this term is made up of the two words "Farreh" and "Wahr".. The first word in ancient Hindi parah, ancient Persian para (From before, before)،
Pahlavi Par, Perry ( Like last year and Night Fairy ) And the second word in ancient Hindi _ var, Avestan _ var,
پهلوی واور (Belief) It means to believe. If we take the meaning of Forouhar, the first belief, I first and the dynamic force, it will be easier to understand this concept. That is, the same intrinsic motion that exists in everything, and in Plato's philosophy, "parables." (The idea is the first idea and in itself) is named; Therefore, the Forouhars are the main essences of every inhabitant of the universe and give existence to matter, whether solid, vegetable or animal, or unstable and invisible, and there is nothing in the world that does not exist in the universe and does not have Forouhar.. The issue of Forouhars in this Yasna wage is a complex and important issue, and Farvardin Yasht answers this question to some extent..
In Farvardin, we read Yasht, which is one of the oldest Yashts : ست It is with the help of Forouhars that the sun, moon and stars move [ They rotate ] ››.
Iranians believe that shops existed at the time of creation; In Zoroastrianism, the age of each period of the world is twelve thousand years, in four parts, three thousand years. At 3 In the first millennium, the only Forouhars in the Minoan world were free of material matter and form; ( بندهش 35 ). In the second trimester, at the request of Ahura Mazda, the Forouhars find normal limbs and accept material form, and thus the material world and man emerge.. From now on, the Forouhars become the guardians of their material body. The number of these Forouhars is the same as all the inhabitants. They existed before the world existed and will continue to exist as they did in the beginning. Sales in this world are responsible for that world..
Zoroastrianism's perception of the world and everything in it, with all its simplicity, is eloquent, expressive and pragmatic..
Hafez says that he has seen how angels measure the nature of human mud and has heard that from the beginning and the first breath of the creation and emergence of the Mina Dome, the World Cup has been with man.. And Saadi says :
‹‹ There was no sign on the board of the universe of the world and the man who breathed his last in the school of love. ››

What has been said so far was a description of the nature of Ahura Mazda and Forouhar and the non-unity of these two concepts, as well as their presence in the ancient culture and beliefs of the ancient Iranians. .
Forouhar after the Achaemenids :
Now we will discuss the forgetfulness of this symbol and its meaning and other examples and concepts of the religion of Zoroaster and the beliefs of the ancient people in the post-Achaemenid period..
After the Achaemenids, the land of Iran was bitten and suffered a lot; First of all that in the year 330 In the story of Alexander the Great, all versions of the Gathas and the Avesta were destroyed, so many concepts and examples of the religion of Zoroaster were destroyed.. For eighty years, Iran was under the rule of Alexander and his Greek successors, who tried to promote their civilization, and during this period, many religious books and all national works of Iran were lost.. It is even mentioned in some sources that the Greeks rewrote our scientific books written in the fields of medicine, astronomy, etc. in Greek and set fire to the Persian version and the result of the efforts of Iranian scientists and made themselves the masters of this science and knowledge. They inroduced. In the very ancient tradition of the Zoroastrians, it is said that the religion of Mazdisna, especially the accursed Alexander, suffered a lot and even the Avestan who was in the Achaemenid royal palace was burned by the order of the Greek conqueror.. After the Achaemenids, until the Sassanids came to power, the Seleucids and the Parthians ruled Iran.. Since the Seleucids were the scanners' successors, they followed the religious beliefs of ancient Greece, and so did the Parthians; In fact, the Parthians worshiped the elements of the sun and the moon when they were associated with the Scythians. Entered. After the arrival of Alexander in Iran and the spread of Greek religion and civilization, the worship of some Greek lords and types became part of the religion of the Parthian kings. It was mixed with other beliefs, for example, making a statue and face of each person in the temple, etc., which was contrary to the Zoroastrian religion among the Persians to imitate the Greeks was common among the Parthians, and another thing that was common among them was worship. They were ancestors, in general, although they were Iranians and Zoroastrians of Kish, but the eighty-year domination of the Greeks completely influenced them and they called themselves lovers of Hellas. They were restrained and did not pay attention to its preservation until one of the Parthian kings named Blash I tried to collect Avesta..
After the Parthians, the Sassanids made Zoroastrianism official in Iran. Until then, Iran had no official religion and the subjects of Iran were each free in their religious beliefs.. Although the religion of Zoroaster flourished and this religion became the official religion and the Sassanid kings had regulated and managed all the internal and external relations of the government as well as their social and cultural relations based on it, the emergence of two great Manichaean and Mazdakian religions The first was a mixture of beliefs and beliefs of the ancient Mesopotamian religions and the second was a social and all-encompassing movement..
Although the Iranian nation gained strength when the Shahriari fell to Ardeshir Babakan and the Zoroastrian religion flourished, scattered and scattered religious books, alas, the four-hundred-year-old Sassanid reserve was suddenly lost, what Iran had, both spiritually and materially. The Arabs were robbed and sacrificed for his prejudice, the religion, language, script and customs of Iran changed color or were completely destroyed. A few hundred years after this tragedy, the Mongol army and the invasion of Genghis and Timur passed through Iran like a flood What the Arabs could not trample on, or what was revived during the Saffarid and Samanid eras, perished.. Therefore, in these troubles, books, religious works and manifestations of ancient Iranian culture and civilization were destroyed like many other things.. And as you can see, these efforts to destroy and demean the ancient and glorious history and civilization of this border and landscape in the form of films and movies, books, articles and documentaries by foreign and domestic enemies continue. has it.
On the other hand, it is considered that because this symbol was considered as a symbol of the Achaemenid dynasty, other governments that came to power after them refused to use it, and this is a common custom of nations..
In Persian literature, the role of Forouhar is sometimes mentioned :

Sepehr, wind, water, fire, hash soil, and the smell of flow and pure light (Bahram Pejdo : 5)
Soroush Pak, watch over us, make Forouhar Ashwan a kind one (Bahram Pejdo:11)

Forouhar and Zoroastrians, Forouhar in carvings : The point according to which document Zoroastrians consider this image related to their religion needs to be explained that each component of this image has a meaning and concept arising from the concepts of Zoroastrian religion, as mentioned earlier, this symbol is a national, cultural and It is a history and belongs to the whole nation of Iran, which has arisen from the concepts of the religion of Zoroastrianism, and because the religion of Zoroastrianism has a deep and inseparable connection with the ancient history of this land, and because during these years it was the Zoroastrians who These ancient customs have always tried to assume that these matters belong only to the Zoroastrians if the national identity of all of us is Iranians..
The reason that Forouhar's shape is different in the sculptures of different Achaemenid periods can be traced back to the perception of people of each period of this concept, as previously explained, this symbol has a religious meaning and in each period may be individuals and government and people according to what They learned that they had a special idea of ​​this symbol, but the generality of this symbol never changed, except for very minor differences, which could be due to the perception of people of each period of this concept or even changes in sculptural styles or the development of tools in this art..
Forouhar in Achaemenid inscriptions : The fact that the concept of Forouhar is not mentioned in Achaemenid inscriptions can not be a logical reason to attack the nature of this symbol.. The reason for this may be that the small space of the inscriptions only contained political messages. He did not leave room for religious details. In these inscriptions and inscriptions, we come across something that had a new message and was of special importance to the kings..
Forouhar in the Ghats : The reason why we do not find Forouhar in the Ghats is that it is thought that the Ghats are the poems of Zoroaster in the worship of Ahura Mazda, these poems are pure worship and therefore in them the religion of Zoroaster itself is addressed. This has not been done, and this is quite common, as in many of the heavenly books of the Abrahamic religions, only generalities have been dealt with, and the minor matters, or in other words, the branches of the religion, although important, have not been mentioned..
However, in the Ghats, at the beginning of each of the five Ghats, a pleasing prayer is recited. : فرو May Forouhar Pakan be present during the prayers of Ahnud, Ashtood, Spantamd, Wuhokhtar and Hasht Asht, O Zoot [ The name of a religious leader assigned to a religious ceremony ] For the pleasure of Ahura Mazda, which is the source of all things, Ahura Mazda, which is full of light, and for the pleasure of Amshaspandan; Reveal to us the meaning of the words of Yataahu Verio for us, and make it clear to us that Raspi is clean and clear. ….. We praise all Forouharan, the ancestors and the brave and the well-wishers. Ahornor is the protector of the body . ›› [ Ahnur means the prayer of Yataahu Vairio.]

Components of Forouhar

The concept of Forouhar components has been mentioned many times in various articles, but we will briefly mention these concepts to remind:

1_ Head : Sir Forouhar is an old man who refers to a virtuous and monotheistic person whose orderly and well-behaved demeanor and appearance have been a model for other people, and others value his experience. .
2_ hands : The right hand of the painting is extended to the sky, which refers to the praise of Ahura Mazda, the one God of the Iranians, and it means that we should always pay attention to Ahura Mazda and worship him. .
In the left hand of this symbol is a ring that indicates that the heart and soul are in love with Ahura Mazda because the left hand is closer to the heart and also represents the covenant that is made between man and Ahura Mazda and man should always be the one God. Praise him and consider him a supervisor of his work . Historians consider the wedding rings that a couple gives to each other to be derived from this ring. . Because by giving the ring to each other, the couple makes a covenant that they will always be faithful to each other. .
This state of worship is also seen in some other Achaemenid Hijri .
3 _ Skirt : Forouhar's skirt is made from the top of the part, which is a sign of bad thoughts, words and deeds . From the observation of these three parts, we learn that we must always subdue, degrade and humiliate bad thoughts, words and deeds. . ( As the skirt is below )
4The circle between the shapes : In the middle of this picture is a circle ( Ring ) It is located large, it is a curved line or circle that we start from any point and we will reach the same point that this circle in the middle of Forouhar refers to the circle of time and represents the endless time in which man is in the middle. Has been placed and people are obliged to choose a way of life in the midst of this cycle of time so that their souls will be happy after death and accompanied by divine mercy and forgiveness. .

5Two hanging strings : These two strands are signs of spentaminorrhea (Good menu) And Ingre Mino (Bad menu) Is that they may always appear in the human mind, it is the duty of every human being to put good in his mind and remove evil from it. (Think well).
Investigating the reflection of Forouhar's concepts in the teachings of Zoroaster :
All the meanings and interpretations given for the different components of Forouhar are a collection of original and philosophical teachings of Zoroaster, the prophet of ancient Iran, which we will describe. :
Zarathustra's emphasis on selfishness and rational life can be seen throughout the Ghats, and we even attributed the name Ahura Mazda to the wise servant, which is a sign of his place and benevolence in this religion. For example, we read in the Ghats. : مز Mazda, when I searched for you with the power of wisdom and deep thought and looked at you, I realized that you are the beginning and the end of everything, you are the source of wisdom and thought, and you are the creator of truth and purity and you are the good judge of people's deeds. the world . ››
Forouhar's hand that is praying and praising God; As mentioned, this condition can be seen in many other ancient Hijri of Iran, including Darius I on his tomb in Naghsh-e Rostam or Xerxes I on his tomb and … In the following, we can see two cases.

Also in the Ghats (Ahnud Ghats) we read : ست Following the praise of Mazda's creation of holy wisdom, I raise my hands to ask, first of all, I want to please the human being and the psyche of creation. . ›› We also read this in another poem of this prophet : ‹‹ With raised hands towards you, Mazda, I humbly and above all ask you to grant me the benefit of your holy wisdom so that I can create the happiness of mental creation with the right action and a clear conscience. (The whole world) To provide . ›› In these prayers, both Zarathustra's emphasis on reason can be seen and his emphasis on seeking help from Ahura Mazda, the only Creator of the universe, can be understood. .
Homet, Hokht, Hoorsht : Good thoughts, good words and good deeds are among the characteristics and main slogans of the religion of Zoroaster, and this is a source of pride and honor for the people of Iran, where one day one of his children, when the world was like a ball of darkness, even Ugly thought also restrained, throughout the Ghats and then everywhere Avesta is full of these three words. The first part of these words which is "yes" in Sanskrit (So) And in Achaemenid Persia (And) Is in Persian to (Good) Became, (Don't) ، (Time) And (ورشت) All three nouns are passive . (Don't) From the root (from) Which means to think, (Time) From the word (Mid) Derived from the meaning of saying in Sanskrit (واج) And in other Indo-European languages ​​this word is also available such as Latin vox and English voice and … . The third word is right from the root (Varz) Which means to practice and try and work. In other parts of the Avesta, such as Yasht, the twenty-second verse 15 It is the name of the three floors of heaven, the benevolent psyche reaches the house of Homet in the first step (Good Thoughts)In the second step, he reaches the position of Hokht (Nice speech) And in the third step, he reaches the palace of Hoover (Good character) After walking these houses reach the court of endless light (انغزه روچ) Where Garzman Brin and the court of the glory of Ahura Mazda and the throne of the Almighty. In the book, he buys these three ranks and positions (Homet Gah)، (هوختگاه) And (هوورشتگاه) Named. in return (he is) Avestan (دُژ) Or (Shower) Which means bad and ugly. In Persian also for them and plus (Dose) That shape (دُژ) We have many examples and it is an inseparable part of a group of Persian words, such as enemy, ‌ insult, difficult, stronghold, hell, thief and … . The sinful psyche also works before it lies to the hut (Lie and hide) Comes in must of steps (دژمت)، (دژاوخت) And (دژورشت) By the way, man himself is the architect of these ugly and beautiful buildings during his life.
We sing in the Ghats : کار A sinful and misguided person may succeed in his ugly deeds for a while, but Ahura Mazda, from his wisdom, realizes the essence of everyone's thoughts and judges everyone's deeds correctly, and finally rules according to his eternal law. Victory of goodness and truth will be everywhere. ›› And also among the poems of this prophet it is stated that : خورد Those who are deceived by committing ugly deeds will be afflicted with misery and nothingness, which will end in shouting and wailing.. But men and women who listen to my advice and guidance, and the peace and joy of life will benefit them, and hardship and suffering will be removed from them and they will reach an eternal good name.. ››

Zoroaster in philosophy believed that two twin gems appeared in the imaginary world at the beginning of creation, زه Mino's motive or evil wisdom which later became the devil's time and universal ugliness like him, as opposed to Mino's motive contrary to imagination Some are not Ahura Mazda, ‌ Ahura Mazda is the only creator of the Minoan and material world and is the source of all goodness and goodness and there is no creator or secondary agent in front of him, the fruit of Mino is opposite to Spanta Mino which is itself sacred..
As Zarathustra in Yasna 45 The second piece says : . I want to talk about the two groups that were at the beginning of life, about what one is (Gohar) Holy to another (Gohar) Evil said that our thoughts, teachings, desires, words, deeds and souls are not one and the same.. ››
As is obvious, the material world is a mixture of good and evil, black versus whiteness, darkness versus light, which Zoroaster owes to man in relation to these two powers in Yasna. 35 The third piece knows this : ‹‹ The two twin gems that first appeared in the imaginary world, one of them is good in thought, speech, and deed and the other is evil. (In thought, speech and action), From these two wise men, he should choose the good and not the ugly. ›› And in the eighth piece, the same Yasna says : ‹‹ Immortal country (Paradise) He will be the one who fights with lies in his life and imprisons it and hands it over to the right.. ››, the world is an eternal battle of good and evil, everyone's wish should be that the demon of evil be defeated and truth and good prevail..
Ahura Mazda and the Achaemenids : In the last part of this article, the author points out that Darius did not adhere to Ahura Mazda and wrote: : داری It seems that Darius and his family were supposed to design a universal goddess to be worshiped by the subjugated tribes, so that the gods of different tribes from Egypt, Assyria, Sumer and Babylon would use parts in this painting. They have won. ›› The author does not mention how this looks like this and according to which document he is talking about such a goddess and image, or whether this image exists now or not, which is one of the weaknesses of this article. It is interesting that right in the continuation of this line, he mentions Dariush's extreme emphasis and prejudice in worshiping Ahura Mazda, this contradiction shows that the author is not paying attention to the material he presents, the only purpose of which is to destroy and attack the history and national identity. He has this land, without realizing the things he is narrating.
In the stone inscriptions of Darius and his successors, no opportunity is missed to refer to Ahura Mazda and appeal to him.. Because there are doubts about the authenticity of the tablets of Ersham and Ariarmene, the ancestors of Darius, in which Ahura Mazda is mentioned, and it is mostly thought that these tablets were written by Darius, so the inscription of Darius (522 _ 486 s m ) Biston is the oldest written document that specifically mentions the name Ahura Mazda.
‹‹ Darius Shah says : At the request of Ahura Mazda, I am the king . Ahura Mazda gave me the rule … After I became king, I did everything I wanted at the request of Ahura Mazda … The countries that fell into my hands came under my command at the request of Ahura Mazda … At the request of Ahura Mazda, they obeyed my law … At the request of Ahura Mazda, I defeated the enemy … In the name of the one who worships Ahura Mazda, what I say is not true, it is not a lie … If you do not hide this writing and pass it on to people, Ahura Mazda loved you, your family is large and may you live a long life. … Ahura Mazda helped me and the other gods that exist … For Ahura Mazda and the other gods that existed helped me, that I was not malicious, I was not a liar, I was not a bully, neither I nor my family. '
It should be noted that Ahura Mazda is the greatest god that exists with the position and crystallization that he has in the stone inscriptions of the Achaemenids and in their court. . Throughout the Ghats we find Ahura Mazda for Zoroaster the only mighty, creative and wise god, who is at the highest point of the sky, he was not born and no one remains with him . There is nothing beyond him, beside him and without him . He is the supreme being and the being is everything from him . He is the brightest of creatures, taller than the tallest of the heavens, and older than the oldest creatures in the universe . He is the best . He has no superiors, no equals, and no one is superior to him . No one denies his superiority nor claims his position . There is no one equal to him in the task of ruling the sky . He is the first and the best . He is the superiority that has been and will remain superior, and while he moves everything, no one motivates him, he is the most perfect being. . He is what he has always been . He is the source of everything . He is the server of everything and everything . Ahura Mazda is the wisest and most camera and the norm of life is from him . He knows it before anything happens and no one can deceive him . [ Found from all over the Ghats ]
In the stone inscriptions, such attributes have been used to introduce and remember Ahura Mazda, in fact, in the stone inscriptions, Ahura Mazda is the same god who loves the truth and hates lies, also in both places he ( Mazda ) He is the Creator of the heavens, the earth, and man . In addition to Biston, Darius, in his inscription in the role of Rostam, has well shown Ahura Mazda, whom he knew and worshiped. :
بزرگ Great God is Ahura Mazda, who created this earth, who created that heaven, who created the people, who created the happiness of the people, who made Darius king, a king of many, a ruler of many . ››
Here Ahura Mazda, in addition to creating the earth, chooses to rule the world's largest empire. . Darius's done what he has done and no king has succeeded before him and owes all his success to Ahura Mazda and thanks to him ( Mazda ) Knows . All of this shows his heartfelt will and humility towards Ahura Mazda .
Darius attacks
Historians believe that few sultans in the world faced as many and overwhelming problems at the beginning of his reign as Darius. Iran was in revolt . According to Darius in the inscription of Biston, the revolts from Ilam started in Babylon, Susa, Media, Armenia, Sagarti, Parth and Gorgan and Hergo ( Today ) And … They continued, in short, during the period when the news of the disturbance was heard from everywhere . The local clerics, the Maghans, tried in every possible way to eliminate and destroy the old religion of Zoroastrianism. : If Darius rebel Geomatdi Magh ( False victory ) Did not break, perhaps as they achieved their goal, in fact, Darius himself could not uproot the old established clergy . At some point, many of these people were forced to adapt to him and became Zoroastrians. . A Zoroastrian is someone who follows the pure belief of the prophet of ancient Iran, Zoroastrianism, and we mean Zoroastrians who only seemingly agree with that religion. . The Zoroastrian Moghans, with their infidel beliefs, took a place for themselves in the original Zoroastrian religion and sought to change it and empty it from within. .
The attack on the Khozians is not in line with Darius's religious policy, but in this case, this twist on the worship of Ahura Mazda by the Khozians, the Achaemenid-ruled items, is in fact thought to be the beginning of a movement that was probably aimed at establishing this religion and Opposition to the rule of Darius and the Achaemenids took place, so it had to be suppressed and silenced . We have seen many times in history that the greatest movements that led to the overthrow of the governments began with a change in the religion accepted by the government and most of the people, and perhaps those who did not favor the religion of Zoroaster and the government of Darius in any way. They tried to overthrow them .
Attack on the Scythians
In spring 519 ق . Before the extreme heat began in Ilam, Darius left Susa to begin his first campaign against the Scythians or Skaters. . The Iranians of the plateau were less familiar with these tribes, which stretched from Peru to Siberia . In the first year of his reign, Darius simply speaks of the Scythians without further explanation . In the middle of his reign, his writings on the Scythians of Asia distinguish between the "pointed Scythians themselves" and the "Kiefer Scythians of Hum". . At the site of the Suez Canal in the column of inscriptions they are called "sedimentary land Scythians" and "steppe Scythians". . So the Scythians themselves are sharp ( In fact, all the Sakas wore pointed caps ) They lived in a swampy land at the mouth of the Amu Darya River near the Caspian Sea . At that time, the river did not flow into the Aral Sea as it does today . The "Kifur Ska of Home" were located beyond Sughd, beyond the present-day Seyed Darya in present-day Tashkent. . About the Scythian campaign in 519 ق . We know to some extent that Darius informs in the fifth part of the Persian text written by Biston . This is the report : ‹‹ Then I and my army attacked the Scythians . Then the Scythians, who had a sharp insider on their head, attacked me, because I was near the river ( Amu Darya River ) I arrived and settled among the tree trunks with all my troops . Then I severely defeated the Scythians . They took a group captive, passed them in front of me in closed coats, and I ordered them to be killed. . The leader took them by the name of Skunkhe and brought them to me . There I appointed another leader, as I wished . Then that land became mine . ››
What was said was a description of the attack on the Scythians and the content of the Biston inscription in this regard . We will now examine and describe more about this people .
Scythians on the plateau of Iran
The Achaemenid relations with the Scythians, even after the victory over Skunkhe, were different from the relations of this great world country with other tribes under its command. . This difference had a geopolitical political cause . The steppe tribes of Central Asia have been constantly threatening the Iranian plateau since ancient times until recently. And Uzbeks continued to threaten the Iranian plateau . Protecting the Iranian plateau from the attacks of these steppe tribes has been one of the permanent duties of the Iranian rulers. . This duty also existed during the Achaemenid period . The power of this dynasty was such that it restricted the restless Scythians, at least in the union of countries, and this process lasted until the end of the Achaemenid rule, until 330 AH. . M was useful . Although Darius in his writings called the Scythians "under his hand" like other allied nations in his world country, in fact these allies even carried weapons in his court, a privilege that except the Persians, only the Medes and The Sughdis had it.
Darius and the Scythians
The Scythians are another branch of the Aryan people. The Scythians are considered to be of Aryan descent, but some believe that there were also people of zero race among them. It is not known when and where these people came to these places.. People like Hippocrates, Aristotle, Strabo, and Ptolemy have given information about the Scythians, but the information given by Herodotus is more detailed and relevant to the century. 5 ق . Or at a time when it is more relevant to the subject matter. Herodotus speaks of the beliefs and religion of this people :
ق These people worshiped the lord of all kinds. Their gods were: 1_ Tabit reed, the lord of the family stove 2_ Papaya, the god of the sky 3_ Hey puppy, the god of the sun 4_ Oh, the god of the earth who was the woman of heaven 5_ Ahrim Parsa, the god of beauty 6_ Nahis Masa, the god of the sea ››
"René Grosse," says the French researcher : ق This people, who migrated with the other Indo-European tribes from the plains of Russia, finally turned to Seyhun and Kashgar and advanced to China.. The Scythian movements are the last migration of the Aryan tribes. ››
The Scythians were primitive, desert, and very violent and bloodthirsty. The Scythians lived in the grasslands of southern Russia today. They lived next to Seyhun and then emigrated to Russia. This people was a great plague and a terrible calamity for other tribes.
There are documents of the atrocities and crimes of this unbridled people of history that show the unimaginable cruelty of this people, says Herodotus. : س The Scythians believe that they are better than all nations and have a superior race. ››
Scythian customs
Herodotus speaks of the customs of the Scythians : The Scythians kill the first blood of the enemy
They drink and take the heads of the slain to the king, because if they do not bring the head of the enemy, they will not receive a share of the spoils.. The skin of the dead is peeled off and then used as a napkin, and sometimes the skins are made into clothes. They make bowls from the enemy who is very angry.
Wealthy Scythians take this bowl for gold. The number of these bowls is a sign of authority and makes them proud.
They strongly believe in the divination of fortune tellers and sorcerers. To bury the king, they tore his abdomen, filled it with frankincense and fragrant spices, and waxed his body, and moved his body to different parts of the country, and at the end of the country buried his body in the tomb of the Scythian kings. Then one of the king's unmarried women strangled the king with syrup, medicine, cook, and his close staff and courier, and buried him with the king's horses and jewels..
Greek cities on the Black Sea were sometimes invaded by the Scythians and in some cases forced to pay a ransom.. In the Torah, the Scythians are called Gog and Magog and are considered to be the descendants of Japheth ibn Noah..
The religious situation of the Iranians and the religious policy of the Achaemenids
Regarding the religious situation of the Iranians, what is agreed in all the history books is that the Iranians and the subjects of Iran were never forced to worship what the Iranian kings worshiped, and there was no punishment in this regard. He found that there were severe punishments for those who violated the law, especially justice, but that religion and the compulsion to worship a particular deity had never been part of these unruly laws.. What is clear to historians is that there were very severe punishments for breaking the law, they found that the reason was that the kings were very harsh and sometimes even cruel in establishing justice and judgment of judges, as Si Sam Ness sentenced Cambyses to death for bribery. According to the law or customs of that time, no one was sentenced to death for a crime committed in the first instance, and even the Shah himself was not sentenced to death in the first instance.. They agreed with the beliefs they had about the punishments of the Hereafter.. Therefore, Darius I ordered the execution of a judge who had been sentenced to death, saying that this judge also served and also when the governor of Asia Minor ” هیس تیه ” , Sent a Greek rebel to Darius as Herodotus wrote the king was upset and blamed the governor for not sending him alive and ordered him to wash his head and bury it respectfully, because this person did a great service to Iran and Darius during the war trip He had invaded the Scythian kingdom on the Danube .
What is clear and obvious and all historians agree is that the Achaemenid kings did not have religious prejudice and therefore left every nation to their beliefs and even respected them politically and for the heart, for example Darius the Great for Finding an Apsil cow in Egypt promised a sum of one hundred talents and visited their temples and paid special homage to the statue of the gods . Not only the Achaemenid princes but also their commanders and mayors were obliged to respect the beliefs of the countries. . According to Herodotus, Datis, the Median general who had been commissioned by the Greeks to listen to Darius's nephew Artaphon, fled in fear as he approached the island of Delos, where the holy temple of Apelles was located. He stopped the Iranians from approaching the island and sent scoundrels to the island's fugitives to reassure them and tell them that the king had ordered him not to touch the area that was the birthplace of Aplan and to protect the island and its people. To return to their homes .
Another example of this respect can be found in the charter of Cyrus the Great, which was written on the occasion of the conquest of Babylon. In this charter, we see that Cyrus the Great refrained from any behavior that would cause the slightest resentment to the defeated nation. For their beliefs . Cyrus the Great not only set people free in their worship and beliefs and allowed people to choose whatever they wanted to worship, but also did not force himself on them. .
Some people abused the respect of the Achaemenid kings, including Cyrus and Darius, and tried to present a common image of them. . In this regard, it should be said that the Achaemenid policy, which begins with Cyrus, was to respect the opinions of other nations. . Unprecedented and praiseworthy respect in the usual circumstances of the time, which in the same chapter and for more details you can read the article “Statement of altruism” Read on this site.
After the conquest of Babylon, Cyrus liberated the Jews and restored the cities of Tire and Sidon, which had been destroyed by Najat al-Nasr. He praised the God of the Jews and called him the true God.. The prophets of the Jewish people in the chapters of Jeremiah, Ezra and Ash'ali of the Torah, about the conquest of Ur Shalim by Bakht al-Nasr, plunder of the treasure of Solomon's temple (ع), Informed about the captivity of the Jews and their eventual release by Cyrus. Quoted from the Torah (The first chapter of the journey of Ezra) : ‹‹ So in the first year of the reign of Cyrus, king of Persia, what God did by the prophet Jeremiah (ع) He had done what he had said and put an end to the captivity of the Jewish people. God prompted Cyrus to issue a decree and send it to all of his vast land.. This is the text written : I, Cyrus, king of Persia, declare that God, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the world to build a house for him in the city of Ur Shelim, which is in Judah.. Therefore, of all the Jews who are in my land, those who wish can go back and build the house of the Lord in the land of Shelim.. God be with them …
The Lord inspired the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, to issue a decree to all his kingdoms, saying, "Jehovah the God of heaven has commanded me to build a house for him in the land of Shelim, which is in Judah." … So they all got up and went to build the house of the Lord, which is in the land of Shelim… ››
According to this text, Cyrus, the god of the Jews, called the god of this Abrahamic religion the god of the heavens, who gave all the countries to Cyrus, and as you can see, considers him the true god and used attributes that he never described in the Babylonian idols. We do not see.
Finally, what is certain is that in the vast empire founded by the great and monotheistic Cyrus and united by Darius, all the nations under the rule of the Achaemenids had freedom of religion and belief.. At the end of this discussion, I consider it necessary to mention that in studying the history of citation and mere reliance on the statements of one or two historians and being limited to the information of specific individuals and historians, it is not correct because history and the past are considered by all people. A form does not emerge and each person has a specific goal or goals of engaging in historical studies, and a writer's feelings, interests and emotions, and his love and hate for the subject under discussion and study can affect his works and judgments.. We have witnessed the distortion of history by strangers many times and in different ways. In fact, foreigners who have a strong prejudice against their history and culture and know the basis of civilization from ancient Greece, do not value other cultures, Hegel, the famous Western philosopher and thinkers like him, introduced Western culture as the only original culture and The culture of other nations was considered part of the history of Western culture. The research that began in the West in the name of Orientalism in the nineteenth century and spread as an official science also had no more important motive than showing the superiority of the West and the Western race in science and thought and its superiority over the rest..