The name and probable habitations of the Tapuri appear, at different periods of history, to have been extended along a wide space of country from Armenia to the eastern side of the Oxus.
Strabo places them alongside the Caspian Gates and Rhagae, in Parthia or between the Derbices and Hyrcani or in company with the Amardi and other people along the southern shores of the
Caspian; in which last view Curtius, Dionysius, and Pliny may be considered to coincide.
Ptolemy in one place reckons them among the tribes of Media, and in another ascribes them to Margiana. Their name is written with some differences in different authors; thus Τάπουροι and Τάπυροι occur in Strabo; Tapuri in Pliny and Curtius; Τάπυρροι in Steph. B. sub voce There can be no doubt that the present district of
Tabaristan derives its name from them. Aelian gives a peculiar description of the Tapuri who dwelt in Media. Ptolemy refers to two different tribe with similar names. The first tribe, called Tapuri, lived in the Medes south of the Caspian Sea. The second tribe, called the
Tapurei, lived in the land of the
Scythians. According to the
Encyclopaedia Iranica, the origin of the Tapurei reached the mountains of the land of Hyrcania. Some of the Tapur migrated from
Parthyene to central parts of southern territories of
Caspian Sea during kingdom of
Phraates I when
Parthian Empire became strong during
Phraates I, he attacked to
Amard (another
Scythian tribe) and defeated them. Then he forced them to leave southern fringes of
Caspian Sea and replaced them with Tapur people. After this event, ancient
Tapuria was established. These Tapuri clan furnished 1,000 cavalry for the
battle of Gaugamela as
Achaemenid Empire Army. According to
Arrian, a group of Tapurs lived among the
Hyrcanians and
Amards during the
Achaemenid and
Alexander periods. Alexander obeyed the Tapurs and went to battle with Amard and defeated them. Alexander then annexed the land of Amard to the land of Tapur. Satrap Tapur was under Autophradates's rule. == References ==