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Last August, readers of Soroush, an Iranian on-line network were asked to list five favorite pre-20th century Iranians*. Here are the results as of February 10, 1996, taken from the "Polls & Questionnaire" section of Soroush:

1- Kourosh (Cyrus the Great, king, 6th century B.C.)	163	(12.8%)
2- Hafez (14th century poet)	160	(12.6%)
3- Amir Kabir (19th century premier)	141	(11.1%)
4- Ferdowsi (10th century poet)	117	(9.2%)
5- Ibn Sina (Avicenna, 11th century scientist)	107	(8.4%)
6- Omar Khayyam (11th century poet)	89	(7.0%)
7- Mowlavi (Rumi, 13th century poet)	81	(6.3%)
8- Zardosht (Zoraster, prophet, 7th century B.C.)	80	(6.3%)
9- Sa'di (13th century poet)	79	(6.2%)
10- Dariush I (Darius, king, 6th century B.C.)	66	(5.2%)
11- Nader Shah Afshar (18th century king)	46	(3.6%)
12- Mazdak (6th century prophet)	19	(1.4%)
12-Shah Ismail Safavi (16th century king)	19	(1.4%)
13- Mani (3rd century prophet)	18	(1.4%)
14- Ardeshir II (3rd century king)	17	(1.3%)
None of the above	66	(5.2%)
Total	1,268	(100%)

*Each user ID could only vote once.