Skunkha (Old Persian: 𐎿𐎤𐎢𐎧 Skuⁿxa),[1] was king of the Sakā tigraxaudā ("Saka who wear pointed caps"), a group of the Saka, in the 6th century BC.

Skuⁿxa
Behistun relief of Skuⁿxa
Label: iyam Skuⁿxa hya Saka ("This Skuⁿxa, he is a Saka")[1]
King of the Sakā tigraxaudā
Reignmid 6th century BCE–518 BCE
PredecessorTomyris (?)
Successorunknown
SakaSkuⁿxa
ReligionScythian religion

Name

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The name Skuⁿxa might be related to the Ossetian term meaning "distinguishing oneself," and attested as skₒyxyn (скойхйн) in the Digor dialect, and as æsk’wænxun (ӕскъуӕнхун) in the Iron dialect.[2][3]

Capture

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In 519 BC, Darius I of Achaemenids attacked the Saka tribe and captured their king. His capture is depicted in the relief sculpture of Behistun Inscription, last in a row of defeated "lying kings".[4] After his defeat, Darius replaced him with the chief of another tribe.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Old Persian Corpus: Part No. 23: Text: DBk". Thesaurus Indogermanischer Text- und Sprachmaterialien. Goethe University Frankfurt. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  2. ^ Schmitt, Rüdiger (2018). "SCYTHIAN LANGUAGE". Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 28 July 2022. OPers. Skunxa- (the leader of the Sakas, who rebelled against Darius I), perhaps related to Oss. skₒyxyn/æsk'wænxun "to distinguish oneself".
  3. ^ Schmitt, Rüdiger (2018). "Die Sprache der Skythen" [THE LANGUAGE OF THE SCYTHIANS] (PDF). Nartamongæ. The Journal of Alano-Ossetic Studies: Epic, Mythology & Language (in German). 13 (1–2): 77–86. doi:10.23671/VNC.2018.1-2.37869. ISSN 1810-8172. Retrieved 28 July 2022. 3. altpers. Skunxa- (der Anführer der Saken, die sich gegen Dareios I. erhoben), vielleicht zu verbinden mit osset. digoron skₒyxyn, iron æsk'wænxun „sich auszeichnen usw.". [3. OPers. Skunxa- (the leader of the Sakas, who rebelled against Darius I), perhaps related to Osset. Digor skₒyxyn, Iron æsk’wænxun "to distinguish oneself, etc.".]
  4. ^ Rolle, Renate (1 July 1992). The World of the Scythians. University of California Press. p. 47. ISBN 978-0520068643.
  5. ^ M. A. Dandamayev (1999). History of Civilizations of Central Asia Volume II: The development of sedentary and nomadic civilizations: 700 BC to AD 250. UNESCO. pp. 44–46. ISBN 978-8120815407.
Skuⁿxa
Regnal titles
Preceded by King of the Sakā tigraxaudā
mid 6th century BCE–518 BCE
Succeeded by
unknown