Anshan

Cyrus’ father, Cambyses I, ruled Anshan in south-western Iran. Anshan had a mixed Persian and Elamite population, and Cyrus belonged to a family that had exercised kingship for several generations. The Cyrus Cylinder, an inscription produced later in his reign, identifies him as the son of Cambyses and grandson of an earlier King Cyrus, both kings of Anshan.