The Medes (Modern Persian مادها, Madha) were an Iranian people, who lived in the north, western, and northwestern portions of present-day Iran, and roughly the areas of present day Tehran, Hamedan, Azarbaijan, north of Esfahan, Zanjan, and Kurdistan. This region was known in Greek as Media (Μηδία). By the 6th century BC, the Medes were able to establish an empire that stretched from Aran province (the modern-day Republic of Azerbaijan) to north and Central Asia and Afghanistan.
The Medes are credited with the foundation of Iran as a nation and empire, and established the first Iranian empire, the largest of its day until Cyrus the Great established a unified empire of the Medes and Persians, often referred to as the Achaemenid Persian Empire, by defeating his grandfather and overlord, Astyages the shah of Media. Until that point, all Iranians were referred to as Mede or Mada by the peoples of the Ancient World.
Medes in ancient times intermarried with other Iranians, especially Persians. Thus many modern Iranians are descendants of the Medes. However, they are generally assumed to be the forefathers of today's Kurds.
Apart from a few personal names, the language of the Medes is almost entirely unknown, but was undoubtedly quite similar to the Avestan and Scythian languages, and modern Kurmanci or Kurdish; according to some research Persians and Medians could communicate with each other at that time.
2006-08-15 02:30:47
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answer #1
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answered by endrshadow 5
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The kingdom of Media was created around 900 BCE. The kingdom of Persia, which was similar, and which soon conquered Media, was created around 600 BCE. Media and Persia were both founded by aryans that migrated westward from their original homeland of northwest afghanistan, the land that the persians called 'arya'.
2006-08-11 20:25:24
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answer #2
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answered by Anonymous
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