sculptures and stone carvings. They left such depictions as court
visitors bowing before Darius on his throne, subjects parading
with treasures to the palace, and a conquered invader shackled
and kneeling before his Persian master.
Defeated by Alexander the Great of Macedon in 331 B.C.,
Persia fell under the governance of several ruling dynasties
for several hundred years. But a “new Persia” emerged in8 AYATOLLAH RUHOLLAH KHOMEINI
PERSIA’S FABLED RULERS
The Pahlavi shahs of the twentieth century wanted to make Iran an
industrialized, “Westernized” leader of the Middle East while also
glorifying its 2,500-year history. They looked proudly to the glorious
Persia of Cyrus the Great and his successors.
Cyrus, who rose to power in 558 B.C., is perhaps most renowned in
history for his conquest of the powerful Babylonian Empire. Not
merely a military commander of great ingenuity, he was also a sensitive
ruler. He made little attempt to change the defeated people who
fell under his control, but instead permitted them to live much as they
had lived before. To a high degree, they could govern themselves,
speak their familiar languages, and continue their traditional religious
practices. Such a policy was as shrewd as it was generous; by giving his
conquests basically free rein, he had little fear of uprisings.
Cyrus appreciated the finer things in life—not just jewels and economic
wealth, but natural beauty. His capital at Pasargadae featured a
spectacular garden of flowers, trees, and pools.
King Darius I, who ascended to the throne several years after Cyrus’s
death, left an even grander legacy: the holy city of Persepolis. Its
ruins tell of magnificent palaces and temples. But Persepolis is noted
for its practical engineering as well as for its stone columns, carvings,
and other splendor. It had, for example, an advanced water and sewer
system. Darius meanwhile oversaw the building of the Royal Highway,
a system of paved, guarded roads that provided easy and safe passage
for caravan traders.
The Pahlavis who came to power much later shared these great
kings’ appreciation of grandeur, sophistication, and national improve-
ments. What they woefully lacked was the savvy to lead their people
effectively while dealing with the outside world. This shortcoming
would bring about their ruin.
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