Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire (modern-day Iran), issued the clay document known as the Cyrus Cylinder in 539 BCE. After his armies conquered the city of Babylon, Cyrus used the document as a form of propaganda against the recently conquered king Nabonidus. It scorns the fallen leader and praises Cyrus, describing how he freed many people who were held captive as slaves in Babylonia.
Many historians view the cylinder as an early human rights document, as it freed people from slavery and established racial, religious, and linguistic freedom under Cyrus’s rule.
Cyrus Cylinder (Image by Ali Moayedian via Payvand.com)