Skunkha

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
Reign	mid 6th century BCE–518 BCE
Predecessor	Tomyris (?)
Successor	unknown
Saka	Skuⁿxa
Religion	Scythian religion

Name

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

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".^[4] After his defeat, Darius replaced him with the chief of another tribe.^[5]