Skunkha
{{Short description|Saka king (fl. 519 BCE)}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Skuⁿxa
| title =
| image = Behistun relief Skunkha.jpg
| caption = Behistun relief of Skuⁿxa
Label: {{transl|peo|iyam Skuⁿxa hya Saka}} ("This Skuⁿxa, he is a Saka"){{cite web |url=https://titus.uni-frankfurt.de/texte/etcs/iran/airan/apers/apers.htm?apers023.htm |title=Old Persian Corpus: Part No. 23: Text: DBk |last= |first= |date= |website=Thesaurus Indogermanischer Text- und Sprachmaterialien |publisher=Goethe University Frankfurt |access-date=28 July 2022 }}
| succession = King of the Massagetae
| reign = mid 6th century BCE–518 BCE
| predecessor = Tomyris (?)
| successor = unknown
| religion = Scythian religion
| native_lang1 = Saka
| native_lang1_name1 = {{transl|xsc|Skuⁿxa}}
}}
Skunkha (Old Persian: {{lang|peo|{{script|Xpeo|{{small|𐎿𐎤𐎢𐎧}}}}}} {{transl|peo|Skuⁿxa}}), was king of the Massagetae ("Saka who wear pointed caps"), a group of the Saka, in the 6th century BC.
Name
The name {{transl|peo|Skuⁿxa}} might be related to the Ossetian term meaning "distinguishing oneself," and attested as {{transl|os|sgwyxyn}} ({{lang|os|{{script|Cyrl|сгуыхын}}}}) in the Iron dialect, and as {{transl|os|æsk’wænxun}} {{lang|os|({{script|Cyrl|ӕскъуӕнхун}}}}) in the Digor dialect.{{cite web |url=https://iranicaonline.org/articles/scythian-language |title=SCYTHIAN LANGUAGE |last=Schmitt |first=Rüdiger |author-link=Rüdiger Schmitt |date=2018 |website= |publisher=Encyclopædia Iranica |access-date=28 July 2022 |quote=OPers. {{transl|peo|Skunxa-}} (the leader of the Sakas, who rebelled against Darius I), perhaps related to Oss. {{transl|os|skₒyxyn}}/{{transl|os|æsk’wænxun}} “to distinguish oneself”.}}{{cite journal |last=Schmitt |first=Rüdiger |title=Die Sprache der Skythen |author-link=Rüdiger Schmitt |date=2018 |trans-title=THE LANGUAGE OF THE SCYTHIANS |lang=de |url=https://vncran.ru/upload/nartamongae/2018/77-86.pdf |journal=Nartamongæ. The Journal of Alano-Ossetic Studies: Epic, Mythology & Language |volume=13 |issue=1–2 |pages=77–86 |doi=10.23671/VNC.2018.1-2.37869 |issn=1810-8172 |access-date=28 July 2022 |quote=3. altpers. {{transl|peo|Skunxa-}} (der Anführer der Saken, die sich gegen Dareios I. erhoben), vielleicht zu verbinden mit osset. digoron {{transl|os|skₒyxyn}}, iron {{transl|os|æsk’wænxun}} „sich auszeichnen usw.“. |trans-quote=3. OPers. {{transl|peo|Skunxa-}} (the leader of the Sakas, who rebelled against Darius I), perhaps related to Osset. Digor {{transl|os|skₒyxyn}}, Iron {{transl|os|æsk’wænxun}} "to distinguish oneself, etc.". }}
Capture
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".{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l8Uy2k1srAIC&pg=PA47 |title=The World of the Scythians|first= Renate |last=Rolle |page=47 |publisher=University of California Press|date=1 July 1992|isbn=978-0520068643}} After his defeat, Darius replaced him with the chief of another tribe.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DguGWP0vGY8C&pg=PA44 |title=History of Civilizations of Central Asia Volume II: The development of sedentary and nomadic civilizations: 700 BC to AD 250 | pages=44–46|author= M. A. Dandamayev |publisher=UNESCO|isbn=978-8120815407 |year=1999 }}
References
{{reflist}}
{{S-start}}
{{S-hou||||||name={{transl|xsc|Skuⁿxa}}}}
{{s-reg}}
{{S-bef|before=Tomyris (?)}}
{{S-ttl|title=King of the Massagetae|years=mid 6th century BCE–518 BCE}}
{{s-vac|unknown}}
{{S-end}}
Category:6th-century BC monarchs in Asia
Category:6th-century BC Iranian people
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