Azerbaijanis portray Tomyris, Queen of the Massagetae, as the first female ruler of Azerbaijan, but the reality is different

2026-11-10

In certain Azerbaijani publications, Queen Tomyris is mentioned among the women who have made a significant contribution to the history of Azerbaijan. Moreover, she is considered to be the first female ruler of Azerbaijan.

However, Tomyris, who had lived in the 6th millennium BCE, was the Queen of the Massagetae inhabiting Central Asia at the time. The Massagetae, according to primary historical sources, were Iranian-speaking nomadic tribes. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, the Persian king Cyrus II the Great (550-530 BCE) attempted to conquer the territories of the Massagetae, but was defeated and died in battle.

Tomyris, rightfully so, can be considered one of the most prominent historical figures of the ancient world, who was able to defeat one of the most powerful rulers of her time, Cyrus the Great.

In reality, neither Tomyris, nor Cyrus the Great, could have had any conception of the existence of the Azerbaijanis or the present-day state of Azerbaijan, because in that period of time, neither that people, as a modern national entity, nor that state existed.

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