How can Cyrus the Great's tolerance inform modern governance?
The wisdom I employed, by the grace of Ahuramazda, remains relevant. My policy of allowing peoples to worship their own gods in peace and to live according to their own customs, as I did for the Jews returning to Jerusalem, shows that unity does not require uniformity. True strength lies in respecting diversity, not in imposing a single way of life. When rulers act as shepherds, protecting the weak and fostering harmony, an empire can be built on a foundation of enduring loyalty and peace, rather than fear and resentment. This lesson in inclusive governance is crucial even today.
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