Saka

Quick Facts: Who was Saka?

Subject:

Saka

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Nomadic Eastern Iranian peoples of the Eurasian Steppe, related to Scythians.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Saka were a group of nomadic Eastern Iranian peoples who lived in the Eurasian Steppe and the Tarim Basin from the 9th century BC to the 5th century AD. The Saka were closely related to the Scythians, and both groups formed parts of the wider Scythian cultures. However, the two groups have differing specific geographical and cultural traits. The Saka languages formed part of the Scythian phylum, a branch of the Eastern Iranian languages. Derived from the earlier Andronovo, Sintashta and Srubnaya cultures, the Saka were later influenced by the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Culture and Iron-Age East Asian genetic influx.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The ancient Persians, ancient Greeks, and ancient Babylonians respectively used the names "Saka", "Scythian", and "Cimmerian" for all the steppe nomads. However, the name "Saka" is used specifically for the ancient nomads of the eastern steppe, while "Scythian" is used for the related group of nomads living in the western steppe. Prominent archaeological remains of the Sakas include Arzhan, Tunnug, the Pazyryk burials, the Issyk kurgan, Saka Kurgan tombs, the Barrows of Tasmola and possibly Tillya Tepe. In the 2nd century BC, many Sakas were driven by the Yuezhi from the steppe into Sogdia and Bactria and then into the northwest of the Indian subcontinent, where they became known as the Indo-Scythians. Other Sakas invaded the Parthian Empire, eventually settling in Sistan, while others may have migrated to the Dian Kingdom in Yunnan, China.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In the Tarim Basin and Taklamakan Desert of today's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, they settled in Khotan, Yarkand, Kashgar and other places. The Iranian form sakā comes from Proto-Indo-European root ǩak or ǩek, literally 'power', from which derive Proto-Indo-Iranian *čaka, Iranian and Nuristani *ćaka, Indo-Aryan šaka and Old Iranian saka. It has also been suggested to have come from an Iranian verbal root sak-, "go, roam" and thus meaning "nomad", from which came the names: Old Persian: 𐎿𐎣𐎠 Sakā, used by the ancient Persians to designate all nomads of the Eurasian steppe, including the Pontic Scythians, Ancient Greek: Σάκαι Sákai, Latin: Sacae, Sanskrit: शक Śaka, and Old Chinese: 塞 Sək. The Scythians, Saka, and Cimmerians were closely related nomadic Iranic peoples, and the ancient Babylonians, ancient Persians, and ancient Greeks respectively used the names "Cimmerian," "Saka," and "Scythian" for all the steppe nomads. Early modern historians such as Edward Gibbon used the term Scythian to refer to a variety of nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples across the Eurasian Steppe.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Saka

True or False: “The ancient Greeks used the name 'Saka' exclusively for nomadic groups inhabiting the eastern steppe regions.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): While the ancient Persians used 'Sakā' broadly, modern scholarship specifies that 'Saka' is generally reserved for Iranian peoples of the northern and eastern Eurasian Steppe and Tarim Basin.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Sakae Ōba — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Imperial Japanese Army officer who survived the Battle of Saipan to lead a prolonged holdout.
• Sakae Menda — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Japanese man wrongfully convicted of murder, exonerated in 1983, becoming a death penalty abolitionist.
• Sakae Ōsugi — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Pioneering Japanese anarchist writer whose thought centered on individualism and direct action.
• Sakai Tadakiyo — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: High-ranking daimyō and advisor in the Tokugawa Shogunate, influential during the Genroku era.
• Sakai Tadashige — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Last Tairō of the Tokugawa Shogunate; Daimyō of Himeji Domain.
• Sakai Tadayo — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Prominent Sengoku daimyō and high-ranking advisor who served the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Frequently Asked Questions about Saka