Malkh


The Malkh were an ancient nation, living in the Western/Central North Caucasus. They are usually regarded as the westernmost Nakh people, and their name has a Nakh root. Little is known about them due to a loss of historical writings.

History

Unlike the Durdzuks, the Malkh seem to have to set up a monarchy. The Malkh state had a king, who called himself an "emperor".
By the 5th century BCE, the Nakh nations of the North Caucasus were turning to larger states for assistance against the northern nomadic invaders. While the Dvals and Dzurdzuks allied themselves to Colchis and Iberia, the Malkh became strong allies of the Greek Bosporan Kingdom. In 480, Adermalkh, king of the Malkh, married a daughter of the Bosporan king. The later history of the Malkh is unknown.