Farhangestan/ Sassanian universities, Gundishapur,Ctesiphon

The Sassanians were great patrons of learning. The Gundishapur university was the first of it's kind, granting scholars from India, Rome, China, Jewish lands a stipend from the royal treasury to carry out their studies, research and training.

It was envisioned, envisaged by Ardeshir-e-Papekan, the first Sassanian emperor and constructed by his son Shapur the great. Ardeshir wanted this to be his legacy and heritage.   

In addition to it's primary function of medical research and training, Gundishapur University had the faculties of pharmacy, mathematics, physics, astrology, astronomy, philosophy, ethics and religion.  Christian, Jewish, Indian and Greek students and teachers were all paid a stipend from the royal treasury. His queen, Shahbanu Azadokht was also engaged, immersed in the daily functioning of the university. The university library boasted of 259 rooms stacked with books in different languages.  

At a pretentious, grandiose ceremony, Shapur presented senior teachers the envied, coveted certificate of professorship. He is reported to have said in his opening speech, "Our sword conquers new countries and our knowledge and wisdom shall conquer the minds and thoughts."   

Shapur's health minister, Dorostpad Schebril was the dean of the university. Under his guidance an international medical congress was held at the Gundishapur University in the year 261 AD. An academic manual containing all the discussions was written at the end.  

Khosrow Anushirwan (531-579 A.D) granted refuge to Greek philosophers and Syriac-speaking Nestorian Christians escaping religious persecution by Byzantine emperors Zeno in 489 A.D and Justinian in 529 A.D. They were employed to translate Greek and Syriac texts  on medicine, astronomy, philosophy, and crafts into Pahlavi.

Khosrau Anushirwan also sent his physician Borzuye to invite Indian scholars to Gundishapur. They translated Indian texts on astronomy, astrology, mathematics and herbal medicine and religion into Pahlavi. 

Borzuye himself  had gone on a quest to India to look for a tree of life that granted life to the dead. He found a hermit, who informed him a man without knowledge is dead and wisdom, insight give life to such a person. These were to be found in abundance in the Sanskrit book, Panchtantra, which Borzuye translated from into Pahlavi, naming it the Kilila wa Dimna. 

The University remained in existence for two centuries after the Tazian conquest and then fell into disrepair, decay, abandonment and decrepitude.