Kingdom of Tapuria
Encyclopedia
Tapuria was the name of the former historic region in the Southern coasts of Caspian sea
roughly in the location of northern and southern slopes of Elburz range in Iran
. The region roughly corresponded to the modern Iranian provinces of Golestan
, Mazandaran
and northern Semnan
.
Best City King city Tabarestan Amol
.
The establishment of the early great kingdom dates back to about the first millennium BCE when the Hyrcanian Kingdom was founded with Sadracarta (somewhere near modern Sari
) as its capital. Its extent was so large that for centuries the Caspian Sea
was called the Hyrcanian Ocean.
The first known dynasty were the Faratatians, who ruled some centuries before Christ.
During the rise of the Parthians, many of the Amerdians were forced into exile to the southern slopes of the Elburz mountains known today as Varamin
and Garmsar
, and the Tabaris (who were then living somewhere between today's Yaneh Sar to the north and Shahrud to the south) replaced them in the region.
During the indigenous Gushnaspian dynasty many of the people adopted Christianity. In 418 CE the Tapurian calendar
(similar to the Armenia
n and Galeshi) was designed and its use implemented. The Gashnaspians ruled the region until 528 CE, when, after a long period of fighting, the Sassanid King Kopad defeated the last Gashnaspian king.
, and the language of the Mazanderanis
was somewhat altered.
When the Sassanid empire
fell, Yazdegerd III escaped to Tapuria to make use of the Mazanderani's bravery and resistance to repel the Arabs. By his order, AdarVelash (the last Zarmehrian king) ceded the dominion to Ispahbod Gil Jamaspi in 645 CE, while western and Southern Gilan and other parts of Gil's domain merged under the name of Tapuria. He then chose Amol as capital of United Tapuria in 647 CE. The dynasty of Gil was known as Gavbareh in Gilan, and as the Dabuyans in eastern Tapuria.
Tabaristan was one of the last parts of Persia to fall to the Muslim Conquest, maintaining resistance until 652. Even afterwards, Tabaristan remained virtually independent of the Caliphate.
Farrukhan the Great (the fourth king of the Dabuyans), who was crowned after Khorshid I, expanded Tapuria to eastern parts of today's Turkmenistan and repulsed the Turks around 725 CE.
By the 770s, the Dabuyan dynasty of Tabaristan was prosperous enough to mint coins under Umar ibn al-Ala (771–780).
The area of Tabaristan quickly gained a large Shi'ite element, and by 900, a Zaydi Shi'ite kingdom was established under the Alavids
.
While the Dabuyans were in the Plainy regions, the Sokhrayans governed the mountainous regions. Venday Hormuzd ruled the region for about 50 years until 1034 CE. After 1125 CE, (the year Maziar was assassinated by subterfuge) an increase in conversion to Islam was achieved, not by the Arab Caliphs, but by the Imam's ambassadors.
Mazandaranis and Gilaks were one of the first groups of Iranians to convert directly to Shia Islam.
, who visited a town near Pirouzcow
in Mazandaran, noted that Mazandarani women
never wore the veil and didn't hesitate to talk to foreigners. He also noted that he had never encountered people with as much civility as the Mazandaranis.
After the Safavid period, the Qajars began to campaign south from Mazandaran with Agha Mohammad Khan who already incorporated Mazandaran into his empire in 1782.
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
roughly in the location of northern and southern slopes of Elburz range in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. The region roughly corresponded to the modern Iranian provinces of Golestan
Golestan Province
Golestan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran, located in the north-east of the country, south of the Caspian Sea. Its capital is Gorgan....
, Mazandaran
Mazandaran Province
Mazandaran Province is a Caspian province in the north of Iran. Located on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, it is bordered clockwise by the Golestan, Semnan, Tehran, Alborz, Qazvin, and Gilan provinces....
and northern Semnan
Semnan Province
Semnan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the north of the country, and its center is Semnan. The province of Semnan covers an area of 96,816 square kilometers and stretches along the Alborz mountain range and borders to Dasht-e Kavir desert in its southern parts.Counties of...
.
Best City King city Tabarestan Amol
Amol
Amol is a city in and the capital of Amol County, Mazandaran Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 197,470, in 55,183 families.Amol and the old part of town is the first of the four towns that populate the world in which there is Nzamyh...
.
Early history
The Amardians are believed to have been the earliest inhabitants of the region where modern day Mazanderan and Gilan are located.The establishment of the early great kingdom dates back to about the first millennium BCE when the Hyrcanian Kingdom was founded with Sadracarta (somewhere near modern Sari
Sari
A sari or sareeThe name of the garment in various regional languages include: , , , , , , , , , , , , , is a strip of unstitched cloth, worn by females, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles. It is popular in India, Bangladesh, Nepal,...
) as its capital. Its extent was so large that for centuries the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
was called the Hyrcanian Ocean.
The first known dynasty were the Faratatians, who ruled some centuries before Christ.
During the rise of the Parthians, many of the Amerdians were forced into exile to the southern slopes of the Elburz mountains known today as Varamin
Varamin
Varamin is a city in and the capital of Varamin County, Tehran Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 208,569, in 53,639 families.Varamin has an extensive history...
and Garmsar
Garmsar
Garmsar is a city in and the capital of Garmsar County, Semnan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 38,891, in 10,951 families....
, and the Tabaris (who were then living somewhere between today's Yaneh Sar to the north and Shahrud to the south) replaced them in the region.
During the indigenous Gushnaspian dynasty many of the people adopted Christianity. In 418 CE the Tapurian calendar
Tapurian calendar
The Tabarian calendar is the indigenous solar calendar of the Mazandaranis.-Months:*Owna Ma *Erkea Ma, Siya Ma*Dea Ma *Vehmina Ma *Neowrez Ma *Fardina Ma *Kercha Ma *Her Ma *Tir Ma *Melarea Ma, Merdal Ma*Shervin Ma *Mir Ma-References:* Dr...
(similar to the Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n and Galeshi) was designed and its use implemented. The Gashnaspians ruled the region until 528 CE, when, after a long period of fighting, the Sassanid King Kopad defeated the last Gashnaspian king.
Medieval era
The Mazandaranis never compromised with Kopad and he soon left the region, but he placed Zarmehr on the throne in 537 CE. As a native of the region, he became popular. Zarmehr traced his genealogy to Kaveh, the legendary smith. During the reign of the Zarmehrians many people gradually converted to ZoroastrianismZoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
, and the language of the Mazanderanis
Mazandarani language
Mazandarani or Tabari is an Iranian language of the Northwestern branch, spoken mainly in Iran's Mazandaran, Gilan and Golestan provinces...
was somewhat altered.
When the Sassanid empire
Sassanid Empire
The Sassanid Empire , known to its inhabitants as Ērānshahr and Ērān in Middle Persian and resulting in the New Persian terms Iranshahr and Iran , was the last pre-Islamic Persian Empire, ruled by the Sasanian Dynasty from 224 to 651...
fell, Yazdegerd III escaped to Tapuria to make use of the Mazanderani's bravery and resistance to repel the Arabs. By his order, AdarVelash (the last Zarmehrian king) ceded the dominion to Ispahbod Gil Jamaspi in 645 CE, while western and Southern Gilan and other parts of Gil's domain merged under the name of Tapuria. He then chose Amol as capital of United Tapuria in 647 CE. The dynasty of Gil was known as Gavbareh in Gilan, and as the Dabuyans in eastern Tapuria.
Tabaristan was one of the last parts of Persia to fall to the Muslim Conquest, maintaining resistance until 652. Even afterwards, Tabaristan remained virtually independent of the Caliphate.
Farrukhan the Great (the fourth king of the Dabuyans), who was crowned after Khorshid I, expanded Tapuria to eastern parts of today's Turkmenistan and repulsed the Turks around 725 CE.
By the 770s, the Dabuyan dynasty of Tabaristan was prosperous enough to mint coins under Umar ibn al-Ala (771–780).
The area of Tabaristan quickly gained a large Shi'ite element, and by 900, a Zaydi Shi'ite kingdom was established under the Alavids
Alavids
The Alavids or Alavians , also known as the Zaydids, were a Zaidi Shia emirate based in Mazandaran of Iran. They were descendants of the second Shi'a Imam and brought Islam to the south Caspian Sea region of Iran. Their reign was ended when they were defeated by the Samanid empire in 928 AD...
.
While the Dabuyans were in the Plainy regions, the Sokhrayans governed the mountainous regions. Venday Hormuzd ruled the region for about 50 years until 1034 CE. After 1125 CE, (the year Maziar was assassinated by subterfuge) an increase in conversion to Islam was achieved, not by the Arab Caliphs, but by the Imam's ambassadors.
Mazandaranis and Gilaks were one of the first groups of Iranians to convert directly to Shia Islam.
Modern era
Tapuria remained independent until 1596, when Shah Abbas I, Mazandarani on his mother's side, incorporated Mazandaran into his Safavid empire, forcing many Armenians, Georgians, Kurds and Qajar Turks to settle in Mazandaran. Pietro Della VallePietro Della Valle
Pietro della Valle was an Italian who traveled throughout Asia during the Renaissance period. His travels took him to the Holy Land, the Middle East, Northern Africa, and as Far as India.-Biography:...
, who visited a town near Pirouzcow
Firuzkuh
Firuzkuh is a city in and the capital of Firuzkuh County, Tehran Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 15,807, in 4,334 families....
in Mazandaran, noted that Mazandarani women
Mazandarani people
The Mazandarani people are Iranian people of Caucasus origin living primarily in south of the Caspian Sea coast. The Elburz mountains mark the southern limit of Mazandarani peoples .- People:...
never wore the veil and didn't hesitate to talk to foreigners. He also noted that he had never encountered people with as much civility as the Mazandaranis.
After the Safavid period, the Qajars began to campaign south from Mazandaran with Agha Mohammad Khan who already incorporated Mazandaran into his empire in 1782.