Cyrus the Great, born 590–580 BCE in province of Fars, Iran who founded the Achaemenian empire. His kingdom (Persian Empire) was the largest empire in the world, centered on Persia, going from Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Indus river to the east. Cyrus is known as a tolerant, an ideal monarch who was called the father by his own people. In the Bible he is called the liberator of the Jews who were captive in Babylonia.
The Cyrus Cylinder (decree) has been called “the first declaration of human rights.” It is a small barrel-shaped baked clay cylinder. It tells how the god of Babylon has chosen Cyrus to improve the lives of the Babylonians. It also mentions about Cyrus’s efforts to return displaced people to their own land and restoring temples across Mesopotamia. He allowed people to worship the god of their choice. He allowd people to live by practicing their own culture and beliefs after their country was conquered, something that was not heard of at the time.