Human Trafficking Was First Outlawed in Ancient Persia

In 539 BCE, after conquering Babylon, the Persian king Cyrus the Great (Review) issued a decree that has been recognized by many as the world's first charter of human rights. This declaration, inscribed on a baked-clay cylinder in Akkadian cuneiform script, was discovered in 1879 in the ruins of ancient Babylon, in modern-day Iraq. Among its proclamations were the release of enslaved peoples and the freedom for all to choose their own religion. The text of the cylinder describes Cyrus as a liberator chosen by the Babylonian god Marduk to restore peace and order.

While slavery was an existing institution in the regions the Achaemenid Empire conquered, some scholars suggest it was not as foundational to Persian society as it was in other ancient civilizations. The Cyrus Cylinder's decrees stood in stark contrast (Review) to the common practices of the time, where conquest often led to the mass enslavement and oppression of the vanquished. The cylinder's text details the repatriation of displaced peoples and the restoration of their cult sanctuaries, an act that is also mentioned in the biblical Book of Ezra in relation to the Jewish people.

The principles of freedom and equality laid out in the Cyrus Cylinder have had a lasting impact, with its provisions paralleling the first few articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A replica of the cylinder is on display at the United Nations headquarters, symbolizing its enduring significance as a document promoting tolerance and justice. Though some historians argue the cylinder was also a tool of political propaganda to legitimize Cyrus's rule, its message of humane governance has resonated for centuries.