MONDAY, 03.11.2026 /Khovar National Information Agency/. The Great Pillar of Kurush (Declaration of Kurush) is known as the first declaration of human rights in the history of mankind, and this point is the logical bridge to the Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan, because the core of every democratic constitution is the protection of human rights and freedoms.
The Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan plays a central role in the society as a compass of the new statehood and national agreement. The humanitarian essence of this supreme document has deep roots in the Pillar of Cyrus the Great, who proclaimed the principles of freedom of belief and inviolability. For a deeper understanding of this phenomenon, it is necessary to look at the history and essence of the word constitution.
The term "Constitution" is derived from the Latin word "constitutio" and means "establishment", "structure" and "establishment". The historical roots of this concept go back to ancient Rome, where the decrees of the emperors had the same title. However, in modern times, this document is considered as the basic and fundamental law of the state and the legal basis of society.
The history of the emergence of the first modern constitutions in the world is the story of the transition from "the absolute power of monarchs" to "the rule of law and the will of the nation". Constitutions in their modern meaning, i.e. as a single codified document that establishes the distribution of power, emerged mainly at the end of the 18th century, after great intellectual and political developments.
In the history of the world, the Constitution of the United States of America (1787) is considered the first modern, unified and codified constitution. It was developed after America's independence from Great Britain and officially came into force in 1789, and it presented a new model of governance to the world through the clear separation of powers, executive, legislative and judicial. The Constitution was amended in 1791 with the addition of the Bill of Rights.
After the Great French Revolution, the National Assembly of this country approved the first French constitution in 1791, which was developed on the basis of the "Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen" and turned the absolute monarchy of France into a constitutional system.
But for us Tajiks, the roots of the idea of rule of law and protection of citizens' rights are inextricably linked not only with the history of Europe and America of the 18th century, but above all, with the ancient history of our own statehood. The stable foundation of this thinking was already laid in the 6th century BC by the king of the Achaemenid dynasty - Cyrus the Great.
The Pillar of Cyrus the Great, written in 539 BC after the conquest of Babylon, is recognized in world history as the first Declaration of Human Rights. Although this document was not in the form of today's constitutions, its essence and philosophy are directly in line with the constitutional values of the modern era. In this document, Kurush Kabir announced the freedom of religion and belief, the inviolability of property and the prohibition of slavery, which are the same principles that form the basis of the Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan today.
Thus, the humanitarian essence of the Pillar of Cyrus was revived thousands of years later in the legal basis of our new statehood. The Constitution of independent Tajikistan, as the heir of this great historical tradition, declared man and his rights and freedoms as the highest value of the society and the state. This historical link proves that the compass of our statehood is based on justice and human respect, which is rooted in the historical memory of the nation.
The people of Tajikistan, relying on the history of their statehood and human experience, started to build their new legal system after gaining state independence. The history of the adoption of the Constitution of Tajikistan took place in extremely sensitive and complex political and social conditions, during the civil war. In order to save the state and the nation from disintegration, a new constitutional commission was established under the initiative and direct leadership of the Chairman of the Supreme Council, Honorable Emomali Rahmon. The draft of the Basic Law was adopted on November 6, 1994 through a national referendum, after extensive public discussions and submission of thousands of proposals by citizens. More than 87 percent of the people of the republic supported this fateful document and chose their future path, that is, the establishment of a democratic, law-based and secular state. This document was recognized by international organizations as one of the best constitutions in terms of human rights protection.
Such recognition of the dignity and humane spirit of the Constitution of our state is not accidental, because it draws water from the wellspring of our national historical background, the modern legislation of Tajikistan did not arise on empty land, but has its roots in the legal culture of our ancestors for thousands of years. The Tajik nation is the indigenous people of Central Asia, the direct inheritors of the Aryan civilization and the Achaemenid state. The humanitarian ideas of Cyrus the Great did not disappear throughout the long history. They continued as a cultural chain in the laws of Sassanids, the book "Avesta", "Shahnoma" of Firdausi and "Siyasatnoma" of Nizamulmulk and reached today.
In Tajikistan, at the level of legislation and state ideology, the Great Kurushi Pillar is recognized and appreciated as the first basis of national human rights. On November 6, 2025, at the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference, a resolution entitled "Cyrus Pillar: Initial Declaration of Human Rights and Cultural Diversity" was adopted at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Honorable Emomali Rahmon, which is a great diplomatic achievement of the Republic of Tajikistan.
It consistently proves that the values of human rights, such as freedom of conscience and protection of human dignity, are not "modern" concepts or "copied" from the West for residents of Tajikistan, but are part of our original culture.
Therefore, the modern Constitution of Tajikistan can be called a new stage in the development of the same legal civilization, which was founded more than 2500 years ago by Cyrus the Great. These two documents, despite the historical gap of more than 2500 years, have a common essence of humanity and justice. In the modern legal studies of Tajikistan and in the messages and speeches of the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, in particular, in the book "The Enduring Faces", it is emphasized that the ideas of the Pillar of Cyrus as a historical source of human rights of our ancestors were embodied in the text of the national legislation.
Some important and common points of these two documents can be seen in the following areas:
The supreme value of man and protection of his dignity
- Pillar of Cyrus: the first document that prohibited violence, captivity and slavery, declaring that no one should be subjected to violence by others.
- Constitution of Tajikistan: Article 5 states: "Man, his rights and freedoms are the highest value. The state guarantees the protection of human life, dignity and honor."
Freedom of conscience and religious belief
- Pillar of Cyrus: he gave freedom to all the inhabitants of the city of Babylon and other lands to freely choose and worship their religion and to restore the destroyed temples.
- Constitution of Tajikistan: Article 26 guarantees freedom of conscience. Everyone has the right to independently determine his attitude towards religion, to follow a religion or not to accept any religion.
Freedom to choose the place of residence and return to the homeland
-Cyrus' pillar: he allowed the exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their ancestral homeland and their place of residence and rebuild their homes.
- The Constitution of Tajikistan: Article 24 guarantees the right of citizens to move freely, choose their place of residence and freely leave the republic and return to it.
Protection of property and security of citizens
- Pillar of Kurush: ordered that the army should not encroach on people's property, destroy their houses and ensure the safety of citizens.
- The Constitution of Tajikistan: Article 32 protects the inviolability of property and Article 22 protects the inviolability of housing.
When we compare, we find that the Cyrus Pillar was a royal decree (manifesto) to restore peace and justice after the war.
The Constitution of Tajikistan is the supreme legal document of a modern democratic and secular state, which defines the structure of power, executive, legislature, and judiciary.
The pillar of the Great Kurush served as the "first blessing" and the essence of the legal civilization of the ancestors, whose high ideas have been developed and strengthened today in the Constitution of Tajikistan in the form of modern international legal norms.
The historical and legal connection between the Pillar of Cyrus the Great and the Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan is not just an ordinary harmony of ideas. These two documents are the foundation and the main factor of strengthening national statehood in two fateful historical stages. One laid the foundation of the civilization of Aryan statehood, the other keeps the modern statehood of Tajiks stable in the modern age. The guarantee of the existence and survival of the state is security and peace and unity, social justice, tolerance and pluralism, these important points are mentioned in the axis of the two documents.
Ensuring political stability and peace
A stable state cannot exist without peace and community consensus. Both documents have served as a means of peacemaking in the stages of crisis to strengthen the state.
- Evidence from Ustuvona: after the conquest of Babylon (539 BC), instead of bloodshed and destruction, Cyrus the Great pursued a policy of reconciliation. He says in the column: "I wanted peace... My great army entered Babylon quietly and I did not let fear rule over this land." It was this humanitarian policy that made the Achaemenid state the largest and most stable empire of that time.
Evidence from the Constitution: The Constitution of Tajikistan (1994) was adopted in the conditions of the civil war. As the supreme act of peace, it laid the legal basis for the cessation of war and prevented the disintegration of the state and nation. In its introduction, it is stated: "... to ensure the sovereignty of our state and its independence... considering peace and harmony and national unity as sacred..."
The principle of tolerance and diversity
State management depends on the desire to unite different segments of society. Only a state that recognizes the rights of all citizens, regardless of religion or nationality, will be strengthened.
- Evidence from Ustuvona: Cyrus' empire consisted of different peoples, sects and cultures. Cyrus did not force his religion on anyone, but he rebuilt the ruined temples. This guarantee of religious freedom kept the state safe from internal uprisings.
Evidence from the Constitution: Articles 8 and 26 of the Constitution of Tajikistan guarantee diversity of ideologies and freedom of conscience. Tajikistan is a secular and democratic state, where representatives of all nationalities and religions have equal rights, and this is the main factor of national unity and security of the state.
The spirit of social justice and protection of the weak
A stable state means that the citizen feels protected in it. When people see the justice of the state, they themselves become guardians of the state.
- Evidence from Ustuvona: Cyrus emphasizes in the text of Manshur that he rebuilt the destroyed houses of the people and put an end to their suffering. He prohibited the violence of the upper class against the poor: "I eliminated forced unemployment and improved their living conditions."
- Evidence from the Constitution: according to Article 1, Tajikistan is a social state that provides decent living conditions and free development for every person. This social spirit ensures the stability of the relationship between the state and the citizen.
International influence of the state and cultural heritage
A state that respects its historical roots will gain respect on the world stage.
- The effort of Tajikistan to recognize the Cyrus Pillar at the world level (such as the special resolution of UNESCO in 2025) shows that modern Tajikistan considers itself to be the continuation of this high culture of humanity.
- When the state links its constitution to such ancient national sources, it strengthens the national ideology of statehood and gives citizens a sense of national pride and patriotism.
The Pillar of Great Kurush and the Constitution of Tajikistan are two pillars of a magnificent building of national statehood. Having consistently laid the first brick and humane design of this statehood, the Constitution protects and strengthens it in a modern legal form.
Mujibahan JAWHARI,
Chairman of the Committee of Representatives of the Majlisi Oli
on social, family and health issues
Translated automatically from Tajik.
Source: Khovar News Agency · khovar.tj
