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Friday 25 January 2013

Query Letter on Queen Vashti to an Agent and readers attention!!!

By Alison Buckley (Author) and Hamma Mirwaisi (Author)

The Kurdish women guerrillas who fight to regain the land whose theft was initiated on that fateful day when Vashti refused to come before the king.


Co regent of the Median and Babylonian Empires, daughter of General Cicataxma, chosen by her father-in-law Shahan Shah Cyaxares, Vashti, Queen of the Medes walks the long corridor to the garden court of King Astyages’ (Ahasuerus’) palace. Waiting for her is her drunken husband, cavorting riotously with his concubines, foreign visitors and even the servants. Never would she expose herself in such a way as he had demanded. Trapped, the net set by her enemies is closing around her, the gaping mouth of its jade studded door opening before her.

How had their marriage come to this? Aeons ago Astyages had drawn her into the shelter of the fragrant pine trees of the hunting grounds during a late summer storm, where they had finally come together after tempestuous years of other loves and imperial demands. 

Now her other passion, the Median Empire, carefully entrusted to her is under threat. Does the king’s unexpected order signify a plot to also undermine the Babylonian Empire, which the Median monarchs now administer for his sister Queen Amytis following her husband King Nebuchadnezzar’s fall into insanity?

The magi had warned her of Asytages’ deterioration over the last six months of celebrations of his imperial grandeur. 
Ashtizai, her lifelong maid and blood sister, squeezes her hand.  Will this be the last time she crosses the threshold of the garden court?

Historical Background and Significance

In 582 BCE when she was illegally deposed by her husband, King Ahasuerus (Astyages) Queen Vashti of Media ruled an empire from India to western Turkey and from Georgia to the Sudan. A descendent of Queen Nefertiti, grand step-mother of Cyrus the Great and daughter of the Medes’ leading general, she was entrusted with the fostering of the seminal Aryan civilisation  by her father-in-law King Cyaxares, who brought the Median Empire from its tribal origins to a parallel and allied power to King Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon.

Denied her rightful as the first feminist place in history Vashti has previously been relegated to secondary importance behind Esther of Purim and biblical fame. Now knew research has thrown light on the pivotal significance of her downfall for Middle Eastern history, which heralded the two and a half thousand year subjection of her Aryan civilisation to Persia, Judea, Greece, Rome and later Arabia and Turks. Emerging from the distortions and deletions of their politically and culturally dominant discourses Vashti has no ancient rival and can only be compared to present day stateswomen such as Hilary Clinton and Queen Elizabeth of England.

The recent assassination of three women Kurdish activists in Paris highlights further the relevance the historical novel Vashti, Queen of the Ancient Medes.Today her indomitable spirit lives on in her descendants,the Kurdish women guerrillas who fight to regain the land whose theft was initiated on that fateful day when Vashti refused to come before the king.

Thursday 24 January 2013


By Alison Buckley



In 582 BCE when she was illegally deposed by her husband, King Ahasuerus (Astyages) Queen Vashti of Media ruled an empire from India to western Turkey and from Georgia to the Sudan. A descendent of Queen Nefertiti, grand step-mother of Cyrus the Great and daughter of the Medes’ leading general, she was entrusted with the fostering of the seminal Aryan civilisation by her father-in-law King Cyaxares, who brought the Median Empire from its tribal origins to a parallel and allied power to King Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon.

Denied her rightful place in history as the first feminist Vashti has previously been relegated to secondary importance behind Esther of Purim and biblical fame. Now knew research has thrown light on the pivotal significance of her downfall for Middle Eastern history, which heralded the two and a half thousand year subjection of her Aryan civilisation to Persia, Judea, Greece, Rome and later Arabia.

Emerging from the distortions and deletions of their politically and culturally dominant discourses Vashti has no ancient rival and can only be compared to present day heroes such as Hilary Clinton and Queen Elizabeth of England. 

Today her indomitable spirit lives on in her descendants, the Kurdish women guerrillas who fight to regain the land whose theft was initiated on that fateful day when Vashti refused to come before the king.

For the full story go to


Monday 21 January 2013

When did the incident between Queen Vashti and King Ahasuerus take place?

There is a compelling case from the Old Testament for QueensVashti and and Esther to have been the wives of King Astyages (Ahasuerus) son of King Cyaxares of the Medes who ruled the Median Empire from around 630 to 585 BCE. Astyages was probably born around 620 BCE.becoming the father of Darius the Mede in 601BCE. His first wife Vashti must have been the mother of Darius the Mede, who was 62 years old in 539 BCE when he took the Babylonian kingdom for his nephew General Cyrus of Anshan, a part of Persia.
Astyages' removal of Vashti occurred in 582 BCE and four years later her married the Jewess Esther, making her Queen of the Medes. Astyages was a Median king, not a Persian. He cannot be confused with the Persian King Xerxes, who was born around 519 BCE and cannot therefore have been the husband of Vashti and Esther.
The book Vashti Queen of the Ancient Medes is the first historical novel that frees these ancient Middle Eastern queens from the chains of historical distortions, ommissions and cover-ups designed by the dominant powers who followed to erase the true story of the Medes, their culture and the Airyanem Vaejah civilisation which was the first to grant the human rights enjoyed by so many today.
Ironically and most unjustly, their descendants the contemporary Kurds fight now in the land of Queen Vashti for the rights their ancestors enjoyed, particularly for women. The novel describes how Queen Vashti's struggle reflects ther uncompromising stand for freedom of conscience and choice.

Thursday 10 January 2013

Vashti and the fashion police

Just as Vashti was punished for crimes related to her refusal to expose herself in front of a raucous crowd of her husband's guests so are women in her Airyanem land now suffering for their appearance if they are not wearing what the law considers appropriate covering or undesireable additions such as face or unnatural colourings. What lengths are human beings prepared to go to in order to control others according to their own insecurities? Is a woman wearing nail polish really such a threat? Maybe if it is poisoned and she accidentally scratches someone in order to free herself from the constraints of the fashion police, but then that sort of resistance might lead to the death penalty.
Vashti wasn't a threat.She was battling to defend her nation from internal attack. You will have to read the book to discover what happened after she refused to be dictated to about her appearance.

Sunday 6 January 2013

When did Queen Vashti live?




A few steps in careful analysis of the Biblical books of Esther and Daniel produce a compelling case for Vashti having lived in the period 620-539BCE. The key is the status and role of her husband Ahasuerus. In the book of Esther Ahasuerus is the husband of Vashti and Esther. In the book of Daniel he is the father of Darius the Mede, who was aged sixty-two in 539 BCE.  So Darius’ father was born around 620 BCE. But are they the same person? 

It is very likely that the father of Darius the Mede was Astyages the son of King Cyaxares of Media who reigned from 625-585BCE. Ahasuerus (derived from ‘Achashverosh’, a signal term used by Cyaxares in the defeat of the Scythians who initially usurped his throne) was a generic name for Median kings.  As such it cannot be confused, (no matter how many linguists or other hopefuls fiddle with it) with the Persian King Xerxes, who was born around 100 years after Astyages (generically titled Ahasuerus) who ruled from 585 to 550 BCE.

The beginning of the book of Esther tells us that Ahasuerus ruled 127 satraps of the Medes and the Persians from India to Ethiopia from Susa, the former capital of Elam. He was not a Persian king, as the then Persian king was Cyrus I of Anshan, situated further south east of Susa. So a Median king named Ahasuerus, not a Persian king, ruled the 127 satraps and was the husband of Vashti and Esther.

The Ahasuerus in Ezra 4:6 apparently lived after Cyrus King of Persia, (Cyrus the Great) who ruled from 559-539BCE. He is not Darius the Mede who died around 537 BCE. No more Median kings are mentioned in history or the bible. This Ahasuerus is correctly not denoted as the husband of Vashti and Esther and is probably Xerxes I (it is still not clear how the Hebrew Ahasuerus can become Xerxes) who has never been termed a Median although he had Median blood.

We can only conclude from biblical evidence and accepted historical facts that the father of Darius the Mede was the husband of Vashti and Esther, placing the events of the book of Esther in the period of 585-575 BCE.

Sunday 30 December 2012









Ashtizai raced frantically to Sham’s quarters, where she was sitting drinking tea with Vahoush.  ‘The queen is gone, I saw the guards with her, she is in a carriage, I don’t know where…’ the frightened maid’s garbled message interrupted the calm repose of mother and daughter.

Sham’s lined face dropped with instant concern. ‘Quiet yourself girl, you must be confused, are you sure it was Vashti?’

‘Yes,’ tears rolled uncontrollably down Ashtizai’s face. ‘She was wearing the gown I dressed her in this morning. Perhaps…they are going to kill her,’ she cried.

‘Nonsense girl, the law of the Medes would never allow it.’

‘But mistress, the anger of the king, it was terrible.’

‘He will cool down soon; we all know what he is like. Vashti was probably just going out for a break after the busy time we have had. You know how she likes to be alone sometimes.’

‘But with so many guards? And without letting me know? She always tells me her whereabouts, in case she is needed for anything.’

Vahoush stood and went to the door. ‘I will find Harpagos, to see if he knows where she is. If the queen is in danger, he will surely find her.’ But Vashti’s sister felt distinctly uneasy. Astyages’ new advisors were decidedly secretive about their intentions in matters of government. Taking advantage of the delinquent behaviour of the king, had they devised a plot to depose the queen?  Or worse still were these officials seeking to overthrow the Medes’ hold on both empires? On her way to the barracks Vahoush slipped briefly into the royal family’s shrine room to make a special appeal to Auramazdaha for her sister’s protection.

Harpagos was in a tumult of distress. It seemed his lifelong friend had done the unthinkable by banishing his wife forcibly without giving her access to legal appeal. He paced up and down the floor of his quarters, while Gulwashoo tried to understand the day’s events. ‘If only someone could penetrate the king’s addled mind,’ she lamented. ‘Then he might see reason.’

‘His habits have twisted it so much, I fear it will never be straightened,’ Harpagos commiserated. He looked directly at Gulwashoo. ‘If we have lost our beautiful queen at a time of extremity for our government it surely cannot be a coincidence.’

Gulwashoo had never seen such remorse in her husband’s eyes. ‘We must not waste time speculating, you must approach the king. Perhaps Vashti has been kidnapped?’

Harpagos had heard otherwise from reliable sources. But he had to know the truth. He reached for his sword as his manservant entered to announce the arrival of Princess Vahoush. She was panting and her face was flushed. When she saw the expressions on the faces of the vispavada and his wife, Vahoush became alarmed. ‘Is it true?’ she gasped. ‘My sister has been taken away under the king’s orders?’ Harpagos could only nod while Gulwashoo hugged Vahoush.

‘Surely something can be done,’ Vahoush cried.

‘I am about to request an audience with the king,’ Harpagos replied flatly, ‘but I hold little hope for the queen’s rescue. Apparently she has been sent to confinement and deprived of her throne, by immutable decree of …’ Harpagos paused as though lifting the weight of monumental words, ‘the Shahan Shah.’

Two hours later Harpagos returned, his face set like rock. ‘It is done,’ he declared to Gulwashoo and Vahoush. ‘She is on her way to Ecbatana for indefinite imprisonment.’

Vahoush collapsed into Gulwashoo’s arms. ‘How will I ever tell Sham?’ she cried. Then she turned to Harpagos. ‘You must lead the Bears to retrieve her. Vashti is the legally appointed Queen of the Medes she is being subjected to treasonous treatment.’

Harpagos shook his head. ‘Then I and the regiment would be committing a mutinous act against the king. And to use the regiment for such a purpose could place the soldiers under the same charge. We also risk civil war if the people decide to choose between the king and… the former queen.’

Vahoush gasped. ‘But we cannot leave her to rot in some obscure prison in Ecbatana. We must go to her. We will have visiting rights.’

‘That depends on the king’s will.’

Vahoush looked to her husband, who had not long arrived. ‘This is the work of unseen forces whose intent we cannot fully determine,’ he tried to explain to his stricken wife. ‘Nor can we tell how long they will prevail.’

“And it seems we cannot fight them.’

‘We may be halted in a worldly sense, but the power of Auramazdaha is not challenged,’ Pir Daidwar asserted. ‘We must unite ours with him and trust, because we know Ahriman’s defeat is not far away. These happenings confirm the Piree Magush’s belief that we will soon learn the time of the Saoshyant’s appearance.’  The young Piree’s efforts to encourage his listeners hardly seemed to soften the blows they were enduring.

But Vahoush wondered how she would help her mother through yet another ordeal.  ‘We must uphold each other at this terrible time,’ she asserted, as she led the way to Sham’s quarters. Ahead she saw Prince Darius hurrying down the corridor.

When the little party reached Sham’s quarters the sound of sobbing could be heard from within. Freshta had her arm around Zrena, who held her grandmother’s hand.  ‘Has mother really been taken away by the guards?’ Zrena cried on seeing Harpagos.

The vispavada glanced at Sham who rocked gently in her chair. ‘For a while, we do not know how long.’

Sham looked straight ahead. ‘First my husband, then my nephews and my son, Cyaxares is gone and now my daughter is too. Will Auramazdaha let everyone be taken from me?’ the old woman asked incredulously.

Harpagos searched desperately for words of comfort. ‘I advise you to gather your household and return to Ecbatana as soon as possible,’ he stated. ‘Vashti will need to know you are all close to her.’

Prince Darius, who had been pacing the floor, interrupted, his face white with rage. ‘I will stay here,’ he protested, ‘until I finish off that dog.’ Darius had rushed out to Vashti after his father’s judgment against her. His distress had been heightened by his horror as she spoke desperately to him in the corridor outside the banquet hall.

Drawing his sword he strode towards the door. But Harpagos brandished his quickly to prevent him. ‘If you are thinking of visiting the Shahan Shah consider again,’ he advised tersely. ‘It may mean your life.’

‘What does it matter if my mother’s is not avenged?’ he cried. ‘It was not enough that he humiliate her with his whores but then he expected her to dance like one in front of all those people. The man is mad… and dangerously evil. If he held so much as a candle to my mother the stink of his breath would extinguish it instantly. He deserves to be left in eternal darkness. Let us rid ourselves of him and replace him with my mother. Queen Vashti is the only one fit to rule.’

There followed a stunned silence. Darius had expressed what they had all often thought, but been too afraid to speak. Harpagos broke the silence. ‘Prince, as the heir to the throne you warrant my protection, only minimally less than your father does. The enemies of the empire might mount another attack. I advise you to remain within the palace grounds and I will double your guard. And as commander of the armed forces I order you to stay away from the Shahan Shah.’
To continue in the book of Queen Vashti


Monday 3 December 2012

Queen Vashti's family

Queen Vashti's family

Queen Vashti's family (see her here with her sister Vahoush and her cousin Freshta) were descended from the Mittani tribe of the Airyanem Vaejah people.  Her grandparents founded the empire whose centre was at Ecbatana, modern day Hamadan in Iran. She lived in the palace citadel near her uncle and aunt King Cyaaxares and Queen Holyah. Her mother was the king's sister and her father was the Medes' leading general. In those days political instability was a fact of life, much like it is in parts of the Middle East today. So all the royal family were carefully guarded against assassination and kidnap attempts, to say nothing of plots to destroy the government.
Young Princess Vashti was full of the fire that had burned in the hearts of her forbears when they established the Median Empire. Wanting to see the world beyond the palace citadel she conspired with her maid to venture where danger could have been lurking. In doing so she broke the first law of the Medes - never indulge the 'duru' or lie. The consequences were her first lesson in life, which set the pattern for a future in which she could be true to herself, her family and the empire.
Guard yourself against deception, it lurks everywhere and is a subtle killer of truth, trust, integrity, honesty and transparent authentic character. How many people do you know who you can trust in your family, your community your workplace, school and institutions right up the the highest levels of government and administration? What a different world it would be if deception were eliminated. The world would be more just, equitable and free to name just a few advantages.
Princess Vashti had to be truthful in her life as she prepared to lead the empire. Its future would depend on it.