Deioces (Deyaco,or Diyako)
the history of the Kurdish nation from ancient times to modern times has been very full of ups and downs.it has included empires, successive kingdoms, multiple governments, and different periods of rule.according to historical evidence, there are about dozens of governments with different characteristics.this page only mentions a few Kurdish governments.because it has never been possible to focus and deal with such topics and scattered texts.
the first king and kingdom of world
One of the most famous Kurdish kings
One of the most famous Kurdish kings
Deioces the Median Shah
Reign 727-675 BC[1]
Coronation 727 BC
Died 675 BC[1]
House Median.
kurdish king Deioces or in kurdish language Dia—oku,(Deyaco-Diyako-or "ako") was the founder and the first shah as well as priest of the Median government. His name has been mentioned in different forms in various sources; including Herodotus, who has written his name as Dēiokēs. Deioces' name is derived from the kurdish word Dahyu-ka-, meaning "the lands" (above, on and beneath the earth).Of course, this name has different meanings in the Kurdish language, including: Deioces (Deyaco, Diyako), a Kurdish given name for boys.
Of course, the Median period is just one of the periods of the history of the Kurdish people,and the Kurds have had many other periods in the history of the kingdom besides the Kingdom of the Medes.
but the Kurdish Kings, during the Medes, made a lot of work for the Kurdish history and people.and for the same reasons, it is more popular with all Kurdish ethnicities.
The exact date of the era of Deioces' rule is not clear and probably covered most of the first half of the seventh century BC. According to Herodotus, Deioces governed for 53 years.
Based on Herodotus's writings, Deioces was the first Median king to fight the Assyrians And as in the past, it maintained the independence of its lands.He contemplated the project and plan of forming a single Median government; and in an anarchistic era in the Medes, he tried to enforce justice in his own village and earn a credibility and fame as a neutral judge. Thus, the territory of his activity was expanded and the peoples of other villages also resorted to him until he eventually announced that this place has been troublesome for him and he is not willing to continue working. Following this resignation, theft and chaos increased and the Medians gathered and chose him as the king this time.
Deioces' first action after coronation was to appoint guards for himself and also constructing a capital. The city Deioces chose for it was called Hegmatāna and Ecbatana in Greek language, believed to be Hamadan today. Ecbatana means "the gathering place" or "a city for everyone" and indicates the gathering of the Median clans, which were disunited previously. In the late eighth century BC, he had a fortified castle constructed on a hill in the city to run all military, government and treasury affairs within.
After Deioces, his son, Phraortes, succeeded him and ruled for 22 years.
Etymology
Deioces' name has been mentioned in various forms in different sources. Herodotus, a Greek historian, has stated his name as Dēiokēs Δηιόκης. In Assyrian texts, he has been mentioned as Da-a-a-uk-ku; and in Elamite ones, as Da-a-(hi-)(ú-)uk-ka and Da-a-ya-u(k)-ka.[2]
Deioces' name is derived from the word -Dahyu-ka, and is the junior noun of the word -dahyu, meaning "the land".this name has a semantic similarity in the Kurdish language with the mountain.there is no such name in Persian.In the Achaemenid period, this name is mentioned in several Elamite inscriptions of the mud plates of Persepolis. (It is worth noting that Persepolis was built by the ancient Romans and Greeks and the effects of previous governments on it are evident.and in fact, all the mental and visual designs that Iranians have about their country's history are fantastical and based on Greek and Roman history and culture).Those mentions apparently referred to different persons in separate government regions.
Friedrich von Spiegel believes that Dahayuku means "resident and headman of the village" and in fact the older form of the word "dehgan=farmer". Also following Spiegel's theory, Ferdinand Justi believes that Deioces' name is his title and a shortened form of dahyaupati and danhupaiti in Avestan having acquired the suffix ka.[3]
Friedrich von Spiegel believes that Dahayuku means "resident and headman of the village" and in fact the older form of the word "dehgan=farmer". Also following Spiegel's theory, Ferdinand Justi believes that Deioces' name is his title and a shortened form of dahyaupati and danhupaiti in Avestan having acquired the suffix ka.[3]
Reign
The era of Deioces' reign is subject to controversy. Herodotus says that Deioces ruled for 53 years and thus some assumptions have been made about the era of his reign; but it seems that Herodotus's report is based on a verbal narrative. Based on Herodotus's report, the researchers have concluded that Deioces was the founder of the Median empire and also the first Median king having gained independence from the Assyrians.[4]
Encyclopædia Iranica mentions the foundation of the Medes in 708 BC centered in Ecbatana and by Deioces.[5]
In Assyrian sources, 674 BC, there are mentions of the actions of a person called Kashthrita, whom some researchers believe to be the same Phraortes. Therefor, the year 674 BC can be considered the end of Deioces' rule; and by reckoning his fifty-three-year old reign, the beginning of the era of Deioces' rule should be around 728 BC.[6] Below is a list of the era of Deioces' reign based on the historians' views:[7]
Historian Herodotus George Cameron Edvin Grantovsky Igor Diakonoff
Era 700-647 BC 728-675 BC[8] 672-640 BC 700-678 BC[4]
Therefore, we should search for confirmations of Cuneiform sources; and actually previously in 1869, George Smith realized that in the Neo-Assyrian texts in the period of the reign of Sargon II (721 to 705 BC), a person called Deioces is mentioned several times. In the calendar of the eighth year of this king's reign (i.e. 715 BC) and in the so-called Khersabad demonstrative inscription, Deioces is named as the governor, having somewhat independently ruled a region bordering the kingdoms of Assyria and Mannae. The exact position of his domain is not clear, but has probably been situated in the Zarrin Rud Valley. Deioces, whose son was captured by the Urartians, supported the king of Urartu, Rusa I, against the ruler of Mannae, Ullusunu, but eventually failed for Sargon intervened in the affair and finally captured Deioces and exiled him along with his family to Hama (in Syria today). Deioces was probably involved in a rebellion against the Mannaean king, Iranzu, the preceding year for one of the governors listed in the Assyrian calendar the same year is not named; and he was probably the very Deioces; though the validity of the matter can not be authenticated with certainty.[1]
Encyclopædia Iranica mentions the foundation of the Medes in 708 BC centered in Ecbatana and by Deioces.[5]
In Assyrian sources, 674 BC, there are mentions of the actions of a person called Kashthrita, whom some researchers believe to be the same Phraortes. Therefor, the year 674 BC can be considered the end of Deioces' rule; and by reckoning his fifty-three-year old reign, the beginning of the era of Deioces' rule should be around 728 BC.[6] Below is a list of the era of Deioces' reign based on the historians' views:[7]
Historian Herodotus George Cameron Edvin Grantovsky Igor Diakonoff
Era 700-647 BC 728-675 BC[8] 672-640 BC 700-678 BC[4]
Therefore, we should search for confirmations of Cuneiform sources; and actually previously in 1869, George Smith realized that in the Neo-Assyrian texts in the period of the reign of Sargon II (721 to 705 BC), a person called Deioces is mentioned several times. In the calendar of the eighth year of this king's reign (i.e. 715 BC) and in the so-called Khersabad demonstrative inscription, Deioces is named as the governor, having somewhat independently ruled a region bordering the kingdoms of Assyria and Mannae. The exact position of his domain is not clear, but has probably been situated in the Zarrin Rud Valley. Deioces, whose son was captured by the Urartians, supported the king of Urartu, Rusa I, against the ruler of Mannae, Ullusunu, but eventually failed for Sargon intervened in the affair and finally captured Deioces and exiled him along with his family to Hama (in Syria today). Deioces was probably involved in a rebellion against the Mannaean king, Iranzu, the preceding year for one of the governors listed in the Assyrian calendar the same year is not named; and he was probably the very Deioces; though the validity of the matter can not be authenticated with certainty.[1]
A photo of the ancient hill of Ecbatana, Hamadan
Foundation of the Median kingdom
In the ancient times, the Medes was bounded by the Aras river and the Alborz mountains to the north, Dasht-e Kavir to the east and the Zagros mountains to the west and south.[4] What is learned from the Assyrian texts is that from the ninth to seventh century BC, the Medians had not been able to thrive enough to cause the convergance and alliance and organization of the scattered Median tribes and clans around a superior and single leader and lord who could be called the king of all the Median lands.[9] During their several invasions on the Median settled territories, the Assyrian kings always encountered a large number of "local shahs" and not a single king ruling all of the Median lands.[8] After the death of Sargon II in 705 BC, the Assyrians diverted their attention to another spot far from kurdish lands. The opportunity, along with the everlasting fear of the Assyrian invasion, caused the formation of a union of Median princes and monarchs. The leaders of the movement were Deioces' followers.[10]
Based on Herodotus's writings, Deioces, son of Phraortes, was the one who contemplated the idea and plan of forming a single Median government; the Medians lived in separate autonomous villages or small cities.[11] In an anarchistic era in the Medes, Deioces tried to enforce justice in his own village and gained a credit and reputation as a neutral judge; thus the territory of his activities expanded; and the peoples of other villages resorted to him until he eventually announced that the requests of the people are too much and the post is troublesome and difficult for him and he is not ready to continue the work. Following the resignation, theft and chaos increased; and the Medians gathered and chose him him as the king in order to settle the disagreements.[2] Assyrian sources mention an independent Median kingdom in 673 BC. for the first time.[4]
Deioces held a ceremony for the first time; Herodotus states that Deioces stayed in his palace; and his connection was by sending to and receiving messages from the outside; and no one was able to contact the king directly; and the petitions and messages were performed only by the messengers; the limitation was in order to make a sense of fear and respect among the people.[12] Besides, it was forbidden to laugh or expectorate in the king's presence.[13] Of his other actions was creating a group called "The King's Eyes and Ears", which consisted of people assigned to spy for the king himself; this organization and group existed until the Achaemenid era.[2][11]
Ecbatana
After coronation, Deioces' first action was to appoint guards for himself and also construct a capital. The city which Deioces chose for it was called Ecbatana in Greek language, considered to be Hamadan today.[10] Ecbatana means "the gathering place" or "a city for everyone"[14] and indicates the gathering of Median clans, which had been disunited before. In the late eighth century BC, he had a fortified castle constructed on a hill in the city to run all the military, government and treasury affairs within. Herodotus describes that the royal complex was made of seven concentric walls, with each internal one higher than the external one. Each of the seven walls were decorated with a specific color: the first (external) wall was white, second wall black, third one high red, fourth blue, fifth low red, sixth wall copper, and the seventh and innermost wall gold.[15] The king's palace was situated within the last wall along with its treasures.[16][12] However, this narrative of Herodotus's is not corroborated by what is written in Assyrian sources, which imply the existence of various masters in the Medes until years after Deioces,[17] and the foundation of an independent royal body and constructing several large royal complexes was not something that the Assyrians could easily remain silent against; thus these words from Herodotus seem a bit exaggerative.[17] Nevertheles, Polybius, a famous Greek historian, has mentioned this palace in his book and description of Hamadan, stating the long age of this palace.[12]
According to some historians and archaeologists, the hill that is currently situated in the city and known as the Ecbatana Hill, was the true place of the ancient city of Ecbatana.[18]
Some historians, including Henry Rawlinson, believe that the Ecbatana mentioned in Herodotus's writings is not the current Hamadan; and the olden Median capital should be searched in Takht-e Soleymān and in the vicinity of Lake Urmia to the south east. But some researchers, like Jacques de Morgan, believe that Herodotus's Ecbatana is the same Hamadan today; and the places of the seven castles of Fort Ecbatana could be identified by the projections on the land and hills.[15]
Succession
After Deioces, his son, Phraortes, succeeded him and ruled for 22 years; though some researchers believe that he ruled for fifty-three years (678-625 BC). During his reign, he conquered Persia and went to war with other peoples of the Iranian Plateau. He invaded Assyria; during these attacks, the Medians were defeated and Phraortes was killed in the war.[15][21]
This means that Phraortes was not very knowledgeable and experienced in politics, contrary to his father.after him, the Assyrians were again defeated in other wars by other Medes.
This means that Phraortes was not very knowledgeable and experienced in politics, contrary to his father.after him, the Assyrians were again defeated in other wars by other Medes.
External links
Deioces (Deyaco, Diyako), a Kurdish given name for boys