Qunka

Qunka (also spelled Kunka, Kunqa, and Qunqa) was a Parsanian warrior queen living during the 1st Century BCE. She managed to carve out a large domain in Suren's Desert before mysteriously disappearing.

## Folktale

The tale of Qunka begins in the Sardanese Confederation - more specifically, in the hamlet of Adhah,on the eastern edge of the country. She is first heard of as a concubine of the young local lord Sheikh Vanzar. When the Fifty Year War broke out in 48 BCE, Adhah was attacked by its neighbouring towns Otadura and Sayhana, which sought to capitalise on the chaos to make themselves richer. Vanzar put up a defence, but was overwhelmed and killed during the siege.

Legend says that Qunka, being the most beloved of Vanzar's childless concubines, took control of the situation and crowned herself Sheikh. She managed to not only turn the tide, but chased Sayhana's forces back to their town and took it, before swinging north to do the same to Otadura. Qunka thus made herself the eminent power in the region. Her realm, though officially nameless, had been dubbed Qunkary.

Rallying her forces and determined to return the land to peace through war, Qunka marched south and took the Solitary Peak along with its satellite town of Soran. She pushed west as well, taking Nadhawa in 45 BCE and then Khashfar in 44 BCE. The lords of Qairi, Uwayl, and the surrounding lands bent the knee shortly afterwards.

Qunka now ruled over a land roughly corresponding to modern Sahran. It is argued by some scholars that Qunka's influence is what made Sahran form in such a way after the dissolution of the Vardanids. Either way, Qunka saw no need to further expand - she had stabilised the eastern half of Sardan, and the western lords would not fall so easily. She settled down to govern her new domain, passing laws that made women equal to men - laws which have remained in place ever since.

In around 35 BCE, The sole remaining warlord in the west, Shah Dayran, invaded. He quickly put Qunka's western holdings to the sword, and was met in battle by Qunka herself near the town of Alil. Qunka bargained for her realm, challenging Dayran to a duel - whomever won would reign over both their realms. Seeing only a weak woman as his opponent, Dayran agreed.

Both Qunka and Dayran were mortally wounded during the duel - Qunka was sliced from neck to waist, and Dayran was stabbed through the throat. While Dayran died on the field, Qunka had enough strength left to entrust control of the situation to her subordinates before mounting her horse and galloping south. It is often maintained the reason for her escape was to ensure her death, and therefore weakness, went unseen by most.

Qunka was never seen again, though naturally many theories as to her end have arisen. Originally it was thought she must have died in the saddle, but as the story propagated south it was said that a woman similar to Qunka had been seen as late as 20 CE - 55 years after the duel - in the now-desolate plains south of Nebsina.

Following her departure, the result of the duel was uncertain. Evantually the subordinates of Qunka and Dayran reached an agreement of white peace, and Dayran's armies receded back into the west. As often occurs with warlords' realms, though, the death or departure of the lord led to the fracture of the realm. Qunkary dissolved due to infighting among Qunka's subordinates shortly afterwards - the most important of whom was Parham Vardanid, the governor of Soran and later first Shahanshah of the Vardanid Empire.

## Descendants

Qunka had no official descendants. However, after her demise it was maintained by Parham Vardanid that his own son, Parham II, was Qunka's issue.