Dara I

Dara I enthroned while receiving the crown brought by his mother,Humay Chehrzad.Folio from a copy of theShahnameh,made inSafavid Iranduring the early 16th-century

Dara IorDarab Iwas the penultimate king of the mythologicalKayanian dynasty,ruling for 12 years. He was the son ofKay Bahman.Most accounts agree that Dara's mother wasHumay Chehrzad,who had married her father, Kay Bahman. After Kay Bahman's death, Humay, who was pregnant with Dara, became the regent of the realm. Humay later hid the news of Dara's birth, and abandoned him on casket filled with expensive jewels on a river. The river has reported to have been theEuphrates,theTigris,theKor riverinFars,the Polvar river in Fars, or theBalkh river.

When Dara became older he eventually found his way back to Humay, who abdicated in his favor. Dara I was later succeeded by his sonDara II.

Dara I has been credited with the establishment of the Persian postal system, which is a reflection of the introduction or restructuring of the postal system by theAchaemenidKing of Kings,Darius I the Great(r. 522–486 BC). The last Kayanian kings were usually connected with western Iran, as demonstrated by reports of Dara I usingBabylonas his residence. Most sources credit Dara I with the foundation of the city ofDarabgerdin Fars, while a few consider Dara II to have been its founder.

According to later sources, Dara I had a son named Firuzshah, whose achievements are mentioned in theFiruz-namehby Haji Muhammad Bigami.

Sources

• Tafazzoli, Ahmad (1994)."Dārā(b) (1)".Encyclopædia Iranica, online edition, Vol. VII, Fasc. 1.New York. pp. 1–2.{{cite encyclopedia}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Further reading

• Briant, Pierre(2015),Darius in the Shadow of Alexander,Harvard University Press,ISBN9780674745209