"… We worship the Fravashis of the holy men in the Saini countries, We worship the Fravashis of the holy women in the Saini countries…" Frawardin Yasht, verse 144 Long before the rise of the likes of Huns and Mongols, the "Great Steppe" was dominated by a powerful group of nomads who pioneered the steppe way of life. Conquering the harsh and unforgiving landscape, they established a vast trade network, guaranteeing the prosperity of the land and the peoples who were to inherit it after they were long gone. The Persians called them by the blanket term "Sakā," derived from the Iranian verbal root "sak-" (go, roam), and thus the word means "nomad." The Greeks, called them "Skuthēs" or "Skuthoi," from which we ultimately get the English terms "Scyth" and "Scythian." However, modern scholars prefer to use the term Sakā exclusively to refer to the eastern branch of these so-called "Early Nomads," while the term Scythian is reserved for the western branch or "Pontic Scythians." Scythians were originally inhabitants of the Central Asian plains. However, owing to a possible sudden change in climate, overpopulation, etc, they started migrating westward in different waves from around the 9th up until the 8th centuries BC. Fierce and relentless warriors, they eventually came into possession of a vast territory from the Carpathian Mountains in the west to the Tarim Basin in the east, subjugating and absorbing many sedentary and nomadic populations along the way, while displacing or outright annihilating many others. Scythians were a people of Iranian stock, speaking variations of an Eastern Iranian language. The evidence for this can be found in their many names mentioned in different Greek and Persian sources, and the fragmentary remnants of their language. "Khotanese Sakā" religious fragments are also a great source for insight into the language (refer to "The Dictionary of Khotan Saka" by H. W. Bailey) although they are from a later era. Some practiced the ancient Iranian religion, while others may have even practiced Zoroastrianism or at least an early form of it. Certain communities were also pagans and animists. It is believed by some scholars that the "Saini/Sainus" mentioned in "Frawardin Yasht" is the same as Scythians, who are named as one of the tribes living in proximity to "Airyas," "Tuiryas," "Sairimas," and "Dahis," all being closely related ancient Iranian tribes. According to Herodotus, the Scythians worshipped a pantheon of seven gods and goddesses ("Heptad"). He then mentions eight deities (the additional one being "Thagimasadas") divided into three ranks, with this structure being typically "Indo-Iranic". Cultural and artistic evidence of this association is also abundant. Examples include the drinking of "Hauma," the association of the color red with the "Warrior Caste," etc. Scythians were famously warlike people. The nomadic way of life is harsh and unforgiving, naturally breeding strong men and women. They were also an equestrian nation, mastering horsemanship, archery, hunting, and maneuvering while in a legion of raiders since childhood. Their martial prowess made them a very sought-after commodity on the battlefield, and it was not uncommon to find different bands of Scythians fighting for the opposite sides of a battle. Any ruler with enough gold at hand would have preferred to have a trusty band of able skirmishers at his side, not least because it would deprive the competition of the same luxury. The same prowess helped them overthrow the Median royal family and rule Media in their stead for about 28 years at the height of their power in West Asia before their leaders were poisoned to death by Cyaxares in a banquet. Centuries later, they were still famed as extraordinary warriors, and many Scythians from distant regions ended up serving the opulent Achaemenid court as light and heavy cavalry. The Scythians first appeared on the Pontic Steppe around the 6th century BC, at the time dominated by Cimmerians and the remnants of Agathyrsi, fellow Iranic tribes who migrated into the area a few centuries earlier. Scythians eventually subjugated these nations and became the undisputed overlords of the whole region, a position they held up until their decline and subsequent subjugation by the Sarmatians around the 2nd century BC. Although the Scythians are long gone, their influence continues to resonate in the collective consciousness of many peoples. Several nations take pride in imagining themselves as the rightful descendants of the Scythians, claiming their legacy as their own. The impact of Scythian culture on the development of traditions in these regions, and their contributions to establishing trade routes connecting ancient empires across Eurasia, is a legacy that no one overlooks. Even in ancient times, tales of their adventures and fierceness echoed across the Eurasian steppe, inspiring successive waves of nomadic invaders who aspired to become the next Scythians.

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