Born: Unknown, Iran
Died: 631
Country most active: Iran
Also known as: Āzarmīgdukht
This biography was originally published in the World History Encyclopedia and was written by Joshua J. Mark. It is shared in line with the Encyclopedia’s policies under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Azadokht Shahbanu has long been known as a diplomat for the Sassanian Empire under Shapur I, his primary consort and wife, and a skilled swordswoman, but modern scholarship is increasingly leaning toward identifying her as a guiding force in Shapur I’s reign and the one responsible for establishing the great intellectual, cultural, and medical center of Gundeshapur. Her name, Azadokht, means “free girl” while, Shahbanu is a title (“wife of the king”).
One of the high points of Shapur I’s impressive reign has always been recognized as the establishment of the Gundeshapur teaching hospital and library, but recent scholarship points to Azadokht as the one who invited Greek physicians to Shapur I’s court for the purpose of founding the hospital and teaching center. She is known for her ability with weaponry and may also have owned her own business, though this claim is challenged.