The Bavand dynasty (in Mazandarani: "Bävendiyun") was an Iranian dynasty that began in the early 7th century. Its rulers reigned for about 700 years over Tabaristan, on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. The name of the dynasty comes from Bäv (also known as Farrukhzad), who ruled from 651 to 665. He was from the House of Ispahbudhan, a noble Parthian family which served the Sasanian Empire. The Bavandid rulers were originally Zoroastrian, but they later converted to Islam during the reign of Qarin I.