Bahmanyar
Abu al-Hasan (or Abu al-Husayn) Bahmanyar ibn al-Marzban, better simply known as Bahmanyar (; died 1066) was an Iranian scholar, who is mainly known as one of the most prominent pupils of Avicenna (d. 1037). Background Bahmanyar was from a Zoroastrian family, reportedly from Azerbaijan in northern Iran. His father may have been the Bavandid prince al-Marzuban, who ruled in Mazandaran in the late 10th-century, and was the author of the Marzban-nama. Bahmanyar's knowledge of Arabic was not perfect. Life Little is known of Bahmanyar's life. He most likely started his studies in philosophy along with Abu al-Qasim al-Kirmani in the Buyid city of Ray in northern Iran. There they both became involved in the administration, while they read Avicenna works. Bahmanyar was possibly part of the Buyid court in Ray through family ties with the Bavandid princess Sayyida Shirin, her husband Fakhr al-Dawla () and son Majd al-Dawla (), both Buyid rulers of Ray. Bahmanyar eventually started to interact with Avicenna, which would later result in the latter's creation of the al-Mubāḥathāt ("The Discussions"), which were mainly answers to questions made by Bahmanyar. The work was compiled sometime between 1024–1037, during Avicenna's stay in Isfahan, the capital of the