Median Kingdom

E358646

The Median Kingdom was an ancient Iranian state that emerged in the first millennium BCE and played a key role in the rise of the Persian Empire.

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All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Median Kingdom canonical 1

Statements (51)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient Iranian state
ancient kingdom
historical polity
ally Neo-Babylonian Empire
capital Ecbatana
ancient city of Hamadan
surface form: Hamadan (modern identification of Ecbatana)
conqueredBy Achaemenid Empire
surface form: Achaemenid Persians

Cyrus the Great
continent Asia
culture Iranian peoples
surface form: Iranian
currency barter and metal bullion (inferred)
demiseReason Persian conquest of the Median Empire
surface form: Persian revolt under Cyrus the Great
disputedAspect extent of centralized statehood
endTime c. 550 BCE
enemy Neo-Assyrian Empire
ethnicGroup Medes
event Siege of Nineveh
surface form: siege and fall of Nineveh
followedBy Achaemenid Empire
Achaemenid Empire
surface form: First Persian Empire
governmentType monarchy
hasLeader Astyages
Cyaxares
Deioces
surface form: Deioces (traditional founder, per Herodotus)

Phraortes
surface form: Phraortes (per Herodotus)
historicalSource Assyrian inscriptions
Babylonian chronicles
Herodotus
influenced administrative practices of the Achaemenid Empire
knownFor alliance with Babylon against Assyria
overthrow of the Neo-Assyrian Empire
role in the rise of the Persian Empire
language Median language
locatedIn Ancient Near East
Iranian plateau
surface form: Iranian Plateau

western Iran
surface form: Western Iran
majorCity Ecbatana
Rhagae
surface form: Rhagae (Ray)
military noted for cavalry
modernCountry Iran
Iraq
Turkey
partOf history of Iran
history of the Ancient Near East
politicalStructure confederation of Median tribes (traditional view)
precededBy Neo-Assyrian Empire
surface form: Neo-Assyrian Empire (regional hegemony)
region Media
religion ancient Iranian religion
early Zoroastrian traditions (disputed)
rulingClass Median nobility
startTime c. 7th century BCE
timePeriod 1st millennium BCE

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Medes politicalEntity Median Kingdom