Annals of Global History Volume 1, Issue 2, 2019, PP 17-24 ISSN 2642-8172 Analysis of the Achaemenid Decline Based on the Theory of Political Instability David Saunders Zahra Hosseinpour1*, Majid Rafiei2, Abdolreza Alishahi3, Zahra Pakzad4 1Master's degree in Executive Master of Business Administration at Tehran University, Tehran, Iran 2Graduate Master of International Relations at Isfahan University, Isfahan, Iran 3Ph.D in Political Science at Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran 4MSc International Relations at the University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran *Corresponding Author: Zahra Hosseinpour, Master's degree in Executive Master of Business Administration at Tehran University, Tehran, Iran, Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT The Achaemenids are one of the most powerful and lasting dynasties in ancient Persia, founded by Cyrus the Great. The territory of this dynasty was very wide, extending from the Sind Valley in India to the Nile in Egypt and the Benghazi area in Libya today and from the Danube River in Europe to Central Asia. In this vast state, many tribes lived in their own customs, and maintained their own state and ethnic culture. In fact, the country's most important characteristic was respect for individual and ethnic freedom and the respect for law and order, and the encouragement of indigenous arts and culture as well as the promotion of commerce and art. This authoritative and widespread government process continued to evolve to a point where the dynasty led to the collapse of this powerful dynasty. In this article, the writers' efforts are about providing a consistent answer to the question what is the most important reason for the collapse and annihilation of the Achaemenid kingdom? The hypothesis that writers will experiment with the methodology of historical sociology and the use of written and librarian resources will be based on the principle that the causes of tyranny, injustice, racial and religious discrimination, the change of military status And the Achaemenid Kings' nationalist veins were confronted with widespread protests and revolts. The findings of the paper, based on the theory of political instability, David Saunders, confirm that the change in the political regime includes changes in norms and laws, the occurrence of successful coups and the change of military status on the one hand and the challenge to the political regime and government Riots and political demonstrations, unsuccessful coups and deaths from political violence led to the collapse and decline of the Achaemenid rule. Keywords: Achaemenid, consolidation of power, legal separation, political instability, David Saunders Another approach to political stability and the INTRODUCTION growing development of power among the One of the ranks of powerful governments that Achaemenid kings has been the concept of reigned in the history of Iran was the Farrah Izadi, which is somewhat derived from Achaemenids. The dynasty was named as the the religious shackles of Ahura Mazda. In fact, world's largest empire in terms of the world's the concept of Farrah Izadi was a concept that population, in which more than 49 million established the legitimacy of the Iranian kings. people from the 112 million world population Farah Izadi, as a concept that considered the lived in this empire. In the era of the kings as representatives of God in the land, Achaemenid kings, about thirty different nations allowed them to rule. Therefore, the central were under the banner of this empire (Shapur denominator of the discourse of the kingdom in Shahbazi, 2005: 11).The way of governing this ancient Persia is the presence of the king as the dynasty has been such that religious and racial representative of the gods on earth and the tolerance and religiousness are its hallmarks. organization of people's lives based on the For this reason, a very important part of the wishes of the gods, so the king is the ruler of the forces under the reign of this dynasty was laws of the gods on earth. In this discourse, the informed with the satisfaction of the kingdom finds the divine origin through the Achaemenid kings (Golshanirad & Hazarian, religious worldview to guide the affairs of the 2014: 233). world. In the texts of the Achaemenid kings, Annals of Global History V1 ● 12 ● 2019 17 Analysis of the Achaemenid Decline Based on the Theory of Political Instability David Saunders they attribute victories and great deeds to implementation of ideal intentions. Then the Ahoura Mazda. The King is the epitome of writers continue to believe that the Shah, in Ahura Mazda(Amanlou& Ahmadvand, 2015: ancient Persia, executes the most perfect people 111).Meanwhile, it is worth noting that the and the representative of the gods on earth, Achaemenid rule was the first example of a heavenly laws. centralized empire that did not compete before This article addresses the question of how the and even 200 years after its founding. Hence, it ideals of the utopian kingdom in ancient Iran is important to know why this government that should be used to guide the Iranian city in such has remained stable for more than two centuries a way as to be a viable community of examples and it has once been extinct. With this brief of paradise. The hypothesis of the article is that overview, the present paper tries to explain the this identity is characterized by attributes such reasons for the collapse and collapse of the as: ferah, race, justice and righteousness, Achaemenid Empire. In other words, in spite of religion and righteousness, virtue, wisdom and the broad tolerance of racialism and respect for rationality, authority and courage, articulation the traditions and culture of the various ethnic and articulation, centered on the central slab, groups that survived this dynasty, and despite That is, the king has been stabilized as the the realization of relative justice, why did this representative of the gods on earth. dynasty evolve and degrade? And why this empire did not to protect the glory of Cyrus the RouhAllah Eslami Great and his its authority? In the article entitled "The Pathology of RESEARCH METHOD Legitimacy in the Political Thought of the Achaemenids (Analyzing the Content of the The hypothesis of this paper has been tested on Inscriptions)," believes that Pegah has devoted a the basis of historical sociology and research history of humanity to the politics of Iran, and data has been gathered based on the library and they have been the subjects of looting, war, internet methodology. violence, Insecurity, instability, rioting and The methodology of historical sociology of aggression have led to development discourses, epistemology, tools and feedback of a tolerance, truth, morality and human rights. The phenomenon is examined (Bordbar, 2014: 143- Achaemenid dynasty, according to Ibn Khaldun 146). For example, in order to investigate the and Hegel, is the beginning of human rule in causes of the consolidation of power or the human history. In this paper, the author tries to decline of the Achaemenids, using this type of answer the question by analyzing the research method, the approaches and inscriptions and inscriptions written by the instruments that led to the consolidation of Achaemenid period, who, with what features, power and the subsequent political instability in has the right to rule in this dynasty. the rule of the Achaemenid kings, and the The collection of inscriptions in the Persepolis, repercussions of this instability Scientific Hamedan, Shosh, Bisotun, Khorasan, Egypt, explanation. Therefore, the authors have used and ... that have recorded the statements and this approach to dynamism of readers' minds statements of the Shahans such as Cyrus, and better and better understanding of the Darius, Cambyses, etc., are the source of the reasons for political instability in the political first and the direct direction Cognition and system of the Achaemenid kings. critique of Iranian political thought is PREVIOUS STUDIES considered. Who should be governed by what indicators should govern the state of the Earth, Shoja Ahmadvand and Hossein Amanloo which has half the residential area of the planet. In an article titled "Recognition of the Discourse In this paper, the technical aspects of the of the Shah's Identity in Ancient Persia", with Achaemenid rule pyramid are critically the aim of recognizing King's identity in the examined, in order to analyze the unknown and political thought of ancient Iran using the highly persistent nature of Iran's political method of discourse analysis. The authors thought. initially argue that the foundation of ancient Seyed Asghar Mahmoud Abadi Iranian political thought is based on the principle of the heavenly order and the political In a paper titled "Darius, the chosen King of model of the political system, which is based on Ahura Mazda," firstly points out that when the idea of the affairs of the people on the basis Darius Achaemenid, after tremendous struggles of the ideal of Armani as the agent of the with the geomat of the Magi, and the serious 18 Annals of Global History V1 ● 12 ● 2019 Analysis of the Achaemenid Decline Based on the Theory of Political Instability David Saunders and decisive encounters with the claimants who institutionalization, some predictable political demanded a change in their situation and The behavior, some of the other continuity and Achaemenid government came out victorious. continuity of the political system, and some in In its first report on the vast and overwhelming the sense of the absence of violence, some in the rebellion, which was published in Bisotun of sense of The existence of a regime of law, a Kermanshah, it was designated as the official group means a lack of structural and other and lasting document for the Prophets. It was changes in the sense of a combination of chosen by Ahlul-e-Ahvazda. previous topics have received a special attention.