Indo-Scythians: Map & History
The Indo-Scythians, also known as Indo-Sakas, were a group of nomadic people of Iranic Scythian origin who migrated from Central Asia southward into the present-day regions of Afghanistan, eastern Iran and the northwestern Indian subcontinent.
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The Indo-Scythians, also known as Indo-Sakas, were a group of nomadic people of Iranic Scythian origin who migrated from Central Asia southward into the present-day regions of Afghanistan, eastern Iran and the northwestern Indian subcontinent. The migrations persisted from the middle of the second century BCE to the fourth century CE.
Modern Countries Once Part of Indo-Scythians
At its mapped extent, Indo-Scythians covered territory in 6 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Pakistan110 BCE – 90 CE · most
- Afghanistan126 BCE – 282 CE · a large part
- Turkmenistan144–92 BCE · a small part
- India77 BCE – 90 CE · a small part
- Uzbekistan144–92 BCE · a small part
- Iran110–92 BCE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Indo-Scythians's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Indo-Scythians in Depth
Origins
The ancestors of the Indo-Scythians are generally believed to have been Saka (Scythian) (Kamuia) Kamboja tribes.
One group of Indo-European speakers that makes an early appearance on the Xinjiang stage is the Saka (Ch. Sai). Saka is more a generic term than a name for a specific state or ethnic group; Saka tribes were part of a cultural continuum of early nomads across Siberia and the Central Eurasian steppe lands from Xinjiang to the Black Sea. Like the Scythians whom Herodotus describes in book four of his History (Saka is an Iranian word equivalent to the Greek Scythes, and many scholars refer to them together as Saka-Scythian), Sakas were Iranian-speaking horse nomads who deployed chariots in battle, sacrificed horses, and buried their dead in barrows or mound tombs called kurgans.
Legacy
Tadeusz Sulimirski notes that the Saka invaded parts of northern India. Indian linguist Weer Rajendra Rishi has identified linguistic affinities between Indian and Central Asian languages, which also suggests a Saka influence in northern India.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Indo-Scythian Kingdom (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Indo-Scythians: Key Facts
| Capital | Sigal |
|---|---|
| Founded | 200 BCE |
| Dissolved | 400 CE |
Preceded by
Facts from Wikidata Q240123 (CC0).
Indo-Scythians Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Indo-Scythians appears, with the other states of the time.
Indo-Scythians Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 1,496,248 km² in 58 BCE.
Indo-Scythians: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Indo-Scythians exist?
Indo-Scythians is dated to 144 BCE – 282 CE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
What was the capital of Indo-Scythians?
The capital of Indo-Scythians was Sigal.
How large was Indo-Scythians at its peak?
At its peak in 58 BC Indo-Scythians covered about 1,496,248 km².
How did the map of Indo-Scythians change over time?
Indo-Scythians appears on 4 dated world maps in the atlas, from 100 BCE to 200 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.