Hmm, I am little bit surprised by the suggestions stated above.

I have played Pahlava campaigns since 0.81v2 on each new EB release and I have tried various stategies to keep the things going, but I have never experienced a situation that would demand cheating. Cheating IMHO completely destroys whatever enjoyment you can get from the game as there would always be the thought in the background of your conscience that you have not stood up to the challenge. In fact, I have found blitz strategies and/or sacking of AS cities as spoiling the game in the long run. I am certainly no masochist, but I find the tight starting years, when one watches the AI turn going in the tense excitement whether a gray or blue or red fullstack appear out of nowhere towards your almost defenceless cities and the triumphal relief when such a menace is crushed by tiny band of horsemen and gund-i-nizagans as the most rewarding experiences of the whole game. And when those starting decades are a mere histor and the royal purple spreads over the world map and a mighty empire is born, that is even better knowinghow this all was hardly won from the most humble beginnings! I love playing as Pahlava!!!

I would sincerely advice to anybody to try to play them slow, no cheats, no blitz, no raiding, no attacking others unless being attacked first. Go slowly, build your economy and the reward will be yours. Patience brings roses, they say...