Essay name: Scythian Elements in early Indian Art
Author:
Swati Ray
Affiliation: University of Calcutta / Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture
This essay studies Scythian Elements in early Indian Art鈥攁 topic that has not garnered extensive scholarly attention. Although much research has focused on various aspects of Saka/Scythian culture, such as politics and numismatics, their contribution to Indian art remains underexplored. This essay delves into archaeological evidence, historical texts, and art forms from Eurasian steppes to decipher the Scythian impact.
Chapter 2 - Scythia鈥攊ts geographical location
9 (of 14)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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settled form of life; b) The Sak膩 Tigrakhaud膩, in the region beyond the Syr
Darya and in Semirechye; and c) The Sak膩 tayaiy paradraya, or European
Sakas (Scythians).1 In his list of Darius' satrapies, Herodotus also mentions the
Caspians and the Sacae as belonging to the fifteenth province. As suggested by
Oswald Szemerenyi, the Greek term Skythai reflects an earlier Iranian Skuta
i.e. an archer.2
The Scythians were culturally related to the Sauromatians in the Volgo-
Ural region. Herodotus incidentally writes of the Sauromatians as pastoral
nomads living on the steppes to the east of the Scythians. Recent excavations
(concluded in 1990) in the Volgo-Ural region have revealed the marvellous finds
from the twenty-five barrows at Filippovka. These finds have been dated by K.F.
Smirnov to the late fifth and early fourth century B.C. According to Herodotus,
the Sauromatians arose from the union of Scythians and Amazons. The
Scythians are often related with the Sarmatians who probably arose from a
union of nomadic invaders from the east and Sauromatians. 3 The Scythians
were also related to the Massagetae in the region east of the Caspian Sea.
2 1 Hist. Civ. Cen. As., Vol. II, p.44.
虏 Gol.De.Eur., p. 19.
3 Ibid., p.3.
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