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.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Median Kingdom canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (51)

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

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

Phraortes (per Herodotus)
linked to: Phraortes
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
linked to: Iranian plateau

Western Iran
linked to: western Iran
majorCity Ecbatana
Rhagae (Ray)
linked to: Rhagae
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 (regional hegemony)
linked to: Neo-Assyrian Empire
region Media
religion ancient Iranian religion
early Zoroastrian traditions (disputed)
rulingClass Median nobility
startTime c. 7th century BCE
timePeriod 1st millennium BCE

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

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

Medes politicalEntity Median Kingdom