The Concept of Human Rights

The concept of human rights is a contentious one right now. Despite appearing to be a recent development, the concept of human rights dates back to ancient Persia. In 539 BC, the city of Babylon was taken over by the army of Cyrus the Great, the first king of ancient Persia.

By establishing racial equality, Cyrus liberated the slaves and granted people the freedom to follow any religion they pleased. This proclamation was written down in the Cyrus Cylinder, a baked clay cylinder. It was penned using cuneiform writing and the Akkadian language.

The Cyrus Cylinder, which is currently on display at the British Museum, was found in 1879 in the ruins of Babylon in Mesopotamia. The first four articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are paralleled by the contents of this declaration, which has been translated into each of the six official languages of the United Nations. It has been referred to as the first human rights declaration, and Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi supported it in his 1967 book, The White Revolution of Iran.