Kushan Empire

Kushan territories (full line) and maximum extent of Kushan dominions under Kanishka (dotted line), according to the Rabatak inscription. Kanishka (Kushan language Κανηϸκι, Middle Chinese: 迦腻色伽 was a king of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia, ruling an empire extending The Rabatak inscription is an inscription written on a rock in the Bactrian language and the Greek script, which was found in 1993 at the site of Rabatak [1]
Languages	Bactrian Greek Pali Sanskrit, Prakrit Possibly Aramaic
Religions	Central Asian Cults Zoroastrianism Buddhism Ancient Greek religion Hinduism
Capitals	Begram Taxila Mathura
Area	Central Asia Northwestern Indian subcontinent
Existed	60 – 375 CE

The Kushan Empire (c. A language is a dynamic set of visual auditory or tactile Symbols of Communication and the elements used to manipulate them "Bactrian" redirects here For the camel see Bactrian camel. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Pali ( ISO 15919 / ALA-LC: Pāḷi is a Middle Indo-Aryan language or Prakrit of India. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical Prakrit (also transliterated as Pracrit) ( Sanskrit: prākṛta प्राकृत (from pra-kṛti प्रकृति according to one Aramaic is a Semitic language with The world's principal Religions and spiritual traditions may be classified into a small number of major groups or world religions'. Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Greek religion encompasses the collection of beliefs and rituals practiced in Ancient Greece in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Bagram or Bagrām (ancient Alexandria of the Caucasus, medieval Kapisa) was an ancient city located at the junction of the Ghorband For the Genus of metalmark butterflies, see Taxila (butterfly. Mathura ( IAST mathurā)( Hindi: मथुरा is a holy City in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. This page attempts to list the many extinct States, countries, Nations Empires or territories that have ceased to exist as political 1st–3rd centuries) was a state that at its cultural zenith, circa 105–250 CE, extended from what is now Tajikistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan and down into the Ganges river valley in northern India. The 1st century was the Century that lasted from 1 to 100 according the Julian calendar. The 3rd century is the period from 201 to 300 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. Circa (often abbreviated c, ca, ca or cca and sometimes Italicized to show it is Latin) means "about" Events and Trends Crisis of the Third Century 259 — The Juthungi invade the Roman Empire by crossing the Danube Tajikistan (təˈdʒɪkɨstæn or /təˈdʒiːkɨstæn/ Тоҷикистон tɔʤikɪsˈtɔn or, Persian تاجیکستان‎ taajikestaan officially the Republic of Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The Ganges (ˈgænʤiːz also Ganga, Devanāgarī: hi गंगा in most Indian languages) is the major river in the Indian subcontinent Geography Northern India lies mainly on continental India and a very small part of it lies on the Indian peninsula India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The empire was created by the Kushan tribe of the Yuezhi confederation, believed to be Indo-European people^[2] from the eastern Tarim Basin, China, possibly related to the Tocharians. The Yuezhi or Rouzhi ( Chinese: 月支 Pinyin: yuè zhī or ròu zhī; also 月氏 Pinyin: yuè shì The Tarim Basin ( is a large Endorheic basin occupying an area of more than 400000 km² China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The Tocharians were the Tocharian -speaking inhabitants of the Tarim basin, making them the easternmost speakers of an Indo-European language in antiquity They had diplomatic contacts with Rome, Persia and China, and for several centuries were at the center of exchange between the East and the West. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty or Sassanian Dynasty (ساسانیان) is the name used for the third Iranian dynasty and the second Persian empire China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

Origins

Chinese sources describe the Guishuang (Ch: 貴霜), i. e. the "Kushans", as one of the five aristocratic tribes of the Yuezhi, also spelled Yueh-chi,^[3] (Ch: 月氏), a loose confederation of supposedly Indo-European peoples. The Yuezhi or Rouzhi ( Chinese: 月支 Pinyin: yuè zhī or ròu zhī; also 月氏 Pinyin: yuè shì ^[4] The Yuezhi are also generally considered as the easternmost speakers of Indo-European languages, who had been living in the arid grasslands of eastern Central Asia, in modern-day Xinjiang and Gansu, possibly speaking versions of the Tocharian language, until they were driven west by the Xiongnu in 176–160 BCE. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk ( is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. Tocharian or Tokharian is one of the branches of the Indo-European language family. The Xiongnu ( Turkish: Doğu Hun were a confederation of nomadic tribes from Central Asia with a ruling class of unknown origin and other subjugated tribes Events By place Roman Republic The Roman general Tiberius Gracchus Major, subdues Sardinia, enslaving some of the The five tribes constituting the Yuezhi are known in Chinese history as Xiūmì (Ch: 休密), Guishuang (Ch: 貴霜), Shuangmi (Ch: 雙靡), Xidun (Ch: 肸頓), and Dūmì (Ch: 都密).

Historian John Keay contextualizes the movements of the Kushan within a larger setting of mass migrations taking place in the region:

Silver tetradrachm of the first known self-declared "Kushan" ("Kossano" on his coins) ruler Heraios (1–30). Heraios (often read as Heraus Heraos Miaos was a clan chief of the Kushans (reign 1-30 CE one of the five constituent tribes of the Yuezhi confederacy in Year 1 ( I) was a Common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Year 30 was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar.

Listing of Kushan royal tamgas

Chinese sources tell of the construction of the Great Wall in the third century BC and the repulse of various marauding tribes. A tamga, or tamgha (Modern Turkish: damga stamp mark stigma brand) is an abstract seal or device used by Eurasian nomadic peoples and by Forced to head west and eventually south, these tribes displaced others in an ethnic knock-on effect which lasted many decades and spread right across Central Asia. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south The Parthians from Iran and the Bactrian Greeks from Bactria had both been dislodged by the Shakas coming down from somewhere near the Aral Sea. Parthia ( Middle Persian: اشکانیان Ashkâniân) was an Iranian civilization situated in the northeastern part of modern Iran For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. The Gr(aeco-Bactrian Kingdom was the easternmost part of the Hellenistic world covering Bactria and Sogdiana in Central Asia from 250 "Bactrian" redirects here For the camel see Bactrian camel. The Sakas ( English form of Old Iranian Sakā, Nominative plural masculine case; Ancient Greek Σάκαι, The Aral Sea ( Kazakh: Арал Теңізі Aral Tengizi, Orol dengizi Russian: Аральскοе мοре Tajik / Persian: Daryocha-i But the Shakas had in turn been dislodged by the Yueh-chi who had themselves been driven west to Xinjiang by the Hiung-nu. The Yuezhi or Rouzhi ( Chinese: 月支 Pinyin: yuè zhī or ròu zhī; also 月氏 Pinyin: yuè shì Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk The Xiongnu ( Turkish: Doğu Hun were a confederation of nomadic tribes from Central Asia with a ruling class of unknown origin and other subjugated tribes The last, otherwise the Huns, would happily not reach India for a long time. The Huns were an early confederation of Central Asian equestrian nomads or semi-nomads with a Turkic core of aristocracy But the Yueh-chi continued to press on the Shakas, and having forced them out of Bactria, it was sections or clans of these Yueh-chi who next began to move down into India in the second half of the first century AD. "^[5]

The Yuezhi reached the Hellenic kingdom of Greco-Bactria, in the Bactrian territory (northernmost Afghanistan and Uzbekistan) around 135 BCE. The Gr(aeco-Bactrian Kingdom was the easternmost part of the Hellenistic world covering Bactria and Sogdiana in Central Asia from 250 "Bactrian" redirects here For the camel see Bactrian camel. The displaced Greek dynasties resettled to the southeast in areas of the Hindu Kush and the Indus basin (in present day Pakistan), occupying the western part of the Indo-Greek Kingdom. The Hindu Kush is a Mountain range located between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Indus River { Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu; Urdu: urd {{Nastaliq سندھ}} Sindh; Sindhi: snd The Indo-Greek Kingdom (or sometimes Graeco-Indian Kingdom) covered various parts of the northwest and northern Indian subcontinent during the last two centuries

Early Kushans

Head of a Kushan prince (Khalchayan palace, Uzbekistan). Khalchayan (also Khaltchaïan) is an archaeological site thought to be a small palace or a reception hall located near the modern town of Denov in Surxondaryo Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly

Some traces remain of the presence of the Kushan in the area of Bactria and Sogdiana. "Bactrian" redirects here For the camel see Bactrian camel. History Hellenistic period The Sogdian Rock or Rock of Ariamazes a fortress in Sogdiana was captured in 327 BC by the forces of Alexander the Great Archaeological structures are known in Takht-I-Sangin, Surkh Kotal (a monumental temple), and in the palace of Khalchayan. Surkh Kotal is an ancient archaeological site located in the southern part of the region of Bactria, in today's northern Afghanistan near the city of Pul-i Khumri, the capital Khalchayan (also Khaltchaïan) is an archaeological site thought to be a small palace or a reception hall located near the modern town of Denov in Surxondaryo Various sculptures and friezes are known, representing horse-riding archers^[6], and significantly men with artificially deformed skulls, such as the Kushan prince of Khalchayan^[7] (a practice well attested in nomadic Central Asia). Artificial cranial deformation or artificial deformation of the skull is any practice of intentionally deforming the skull of a human being On the ruins of ancient Hellenistic cities such as Ai-Khanoum, the Kushans are known to have built fortresses. Ai-Khanoum or Ay Khanum (lit “Lady Moon” in Uzbek, probably the historical Alexandria on the Oxus, also possibly later named Eucratidia The earliest documented ruler, and the first one to proclaim himself as a Kushan ruler was Heraios. Heraios (often read as Heraus Heraos Miaos was a clan chief of the Kushans (reign 1-30 CE one of the five constituent tribes of the Yuezhi confederacy in He calls himself a "Tyrant" on his coins, and also exhibits skull deformation. In modern usage a tyrant is a single ruler holding absolute power over a State or within an Organization. He may have been an ally of the Greeks, and he shared the same style of coinage. Heraios may have been the father of the first Kushan emperor Kujula Kadphises. Kujula Kadphises, reigned (30-80 CE (Kushan language Κοζουλου Καδφιζου, also Κοζολα Καδαφες, Pali: Kujula Kasasa

A multi-cultural Empire

In the following century, the Guishuang (Ch: 貴霜) gained prominence over the other Yuezhi tribes, and welded them into a tight confederation under yabgu (Commander) Kujula Kadphises. The 1st century BC started the first day of 100 BC and ended the last day of 1 BC. Kujula Kadphises, reigned (30-80 CE (Kushan language Κοζουλου Καδφιζου, also Κοζολα Καδαφες, Pali: Kujula Kasasa The name Guishuang was adopted in the West and modified into Kushan to designate the confederation, although the Chinese continued to call them Yuezhi.

A Buddhist devotee in Kushan dress, Mathura, 2nd century. The Kushan dress is generally depicted as quite stiff, and it is thought it was often made of leather (Francine Tissot, "Gandhara").

Gradually wresting control of the area from the Scythian tribes, the Kushans expanded south into the region traditionally known as Gandhara (An area lying primarily in Pakistan's Pothowar, and Northwest Frontier Provinces region but going in an arc to include Kabul valley and part of Qandahar in Afghanistan) and established twin capitals near present-day Kabul and Peshawar then known as Kapisa and Pushklavati respectively. The Indo-Scythians are a branch of the Indo-Iranian Sakas ( Scythians) who migrated from southern Siberia into Bactria, Gandhāra ( Sanskrit: गन्धार Urdu: گندھارا Gandḥārā; also known as Waihind in Persian is the name of an ancient For the 2001 film see Kandahar (film; for the Kandahar meteorite of 1959 see Meteorite falls; for the places in Azerbaijan see Cəndəhar and } Kābul ( Persian and Pashto: کابل, IPA:) is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with ( پښور; Urdu: پشاور) is the capital of the North-West Frontier Province and the administrative centre for the Federally Administered

The Kushan writing system used the Greek alphabet, with the addition of the letter Sho. The Greek alphabet (Ελληνικό αλφάβητο is a set of twenty-four letters that has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early Sho (Ϸ was a letter added to the Greek alphabet in order to write the Bactrian language.

Asia in 200 CE (showing the Kushan Empire and its neighbors.

The Kushans adopted elements of the Hellenistic culture of Bactria. This article focuses on the cultural aspects of the Hellenistic age for the historical aspects see Hellenistic period. "Bactrian" redirects here For the camel see Bactrian camel. They adapted the Greek alphabet (often corrupted) to suit their own language (with the additional development of the letter Þ "sh", as in "Kushan") and soon began minting coinage on the Greek model. On their coins they used Greek language legends combined with Pali legends (in the Kharoshthi script), until the first few years of the reign of Kanishka. The Kharoṣṭhī script, also known as the Gāndhārī script, is an ancient Abugida (an alphasyllabary based on consonants with graphical variations to express Kanishka (Kushan language Κανηϸκι, Middle Chinese: 迦腻色伽 was a king of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia, ruling an empire extending After that date, they used Kushan language legends (in an adapted Greek script), combined with legends in Greek (Greek script) and legends in Pali (Kharoshthi script). The Kharoṣṭhī script, also known as the Gāndhārī script, is an ancient Abugida (an alphasyllabary based on consonants with graphical variations to express

The Kushans are believed to have been predominantly Zoroastrian and later Buddhist as well. Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices However, from the time of Wima Takto, many Kushans started adopting aspects of Indian culture like the other nomadic groups who had invaded India, principally the Royal clans of Gujjars. The culture of India has been shaped by the long History of India, its unique geography and the absorption of customs traditions and ideas from some of its neighbors India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Gujjar ( Hindi: गुज्जर Urdu: گجر or Gurjar (Hindi गुर्जर Urdu گُرجر are an ethnic group in India and Like the Egyptians they absorbed the strong remnants of the Greek Culture of the Hellenistic Kingdoms, becoming at least partly Hellenised. The first great Kushan emperor Wima Kadphises may have embraced Saivism, as surmised by coins minted during the period. Shaivism, also spelled "Saivism" names the oldest of the four sects of Hinduism. The following Kushan emperors represented a wide variety of faiths including Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, and possibly Saivism. Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Shaivism, also spelled "Saivism" names the oldest of the four sects of Hinduism.

The rule of the Kushans linked the seagoing trade of the Indian Ocean with the commerce of the Silk Road through the long-civilized Indus Valley. The Silk Road, or Silk Routes, are an extensive interconnected network of Trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East South and Western Asia with the The Indus River { Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu; Urdu: urd {{Nastaliq سندھ}} Sindh; Sindhi: snd At the height of the dynasty, the Kushans loosely oversaw a territory that extended to the Aral Sea through present-day Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan into northern India.

The loose unity and comparative peace of such a vast expanse encouraged long-distance trade, brought Chinese silks to Rome, and created strings of flourishing urban centers. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2

Territorial expansion

Sculpture of a spear-throwing foreign soldier, Later Han, Three Kingdoms, 3rd century CE, China. The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The Three Kingdoms period ( is a period in the History of China, part of an era of disunity called the Six Dynasties following immediately the loss of China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

Offerings found in Bodh Gaya under the "Enlightenment Throne of the Buddha", with a decorated coin of the Kushan emperor Huvishka, 3rd century CE. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Bodh Gaya or Bodhgaya (Hindi बोधगया is a city in Gaya district in the The Kushan Empire (c 1st &ndash 3rd centuries) was a Bactrian state that at its cultural zenith Circa 105 &ndash 250 Huvishka (Kushan Οοηϸκι, "Ooishki" was a Kushan emperor from the death of Kanishka (assumed on the best evidence available to be in 140 British Museum. The British Museum is a Museum of human history and culture in London.

Direct archaeological evidence of a Kushan rule of long duration is basically available in an area stretching from Surkh Kotal, Begram, the summer capital of the Kushans, Peshawar the capital under Kanishka I, Taxila and Mathura, the winter capital of the Kushans. Surkh Kotal is an ancient archaeological site located in the southern part of the region of Bactria, in today's northern Afghanistan near the city of Pul-i Khumri, the capital Bagram or Bagrām (ancient Alexandria of the Caucasus, medieval Kapisa) was an ancient city located at the junction of the Ghorband ( پښور; Urdu: پشاور) is the capital of the North-West Frontier Province and the administrative centre for the Federally Administered For the Genus of metalmark butterflies, see Taxila (butterfly. Mathura ( IAST mathurā)( Hindi: मथुरा is a holy City in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ^[8]

Other areas of probable rule include Khwarezm (Russian archaeological findings)^[9] Kausambi (excavations of the Allahabad University),^[10] Sanchi and Sarnath (inscriptions with names and dates of Kushan kings),^[11] Malwa and Maharashtra,^[12] Orissa (imitation of Kushan coins, and large Kushan hoards). Khwarezm were a series of States centered on the Amu Darya River delta of the Kosambi ( Pali) or Kausambi ( Sanskrit) was one of the greatest cities in India in the Buddha 's time (500 BC Sanchi is a small Village in Raisen District of India, it is located 46 km north east of Bhopal, and 10 km from Besnagar and This article is about a place in India For H P Lovecraft 's fictitious city see The Doom That Came to Sarnath. Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. Orissa (ଓଡ଼ିଶା is a state located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. ^[13]

The recently discovered Rabatak inscription tends to confirm large Kushan dominions in the heartland of India. The Rabatak inscription is an inscription written on a rock in the Bactrian language and the Greek script, which was found in 1993 at the site of Rabatak The lines 4 to 7 of the inscription^[14] describe the cities which were under the rule of Kanishka, among which six names are identifiable: Ujjain, Kundina, Saketa, Kausambi, Pataliputra, and Champa (although the text is not clear whether Champa was a possession of Kanishka or just beyond it). WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Ujjain ( Hindi:उज्जैन (also known as Ujain, Ujjayini, Avanti Kundina is an ancient Indian city named as part of Kanishka 's territory in the Rabatak inscription. Ayodhya (अयोध्या IAST Ayodhyā) is an ancient city of India, the old capital of Awadh, in the Faizabad district Kosambi ( Pali) or Kausambi ( Sanskrit) was one of the greatest cities in India in the Buddha 's time (500 BC Paṭnā ( Hindi: पटना is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited The district Janjgir-Champa is situated in the center of the Indian state of Chhatisgarh and so it is considered as the Heart of Chhattisgarh. ^[15][16][17]

Northward, in the 2nd century CE, the Kushans under Kanishka made various forays into the Tarim Basin, seemingly the original ground of their ancestors the Yuezhi, where they had various contacts with the Chinese. Kanishka (Kushan language Κανηϸκι, Middle Chinese: 迦腻色伽 was a king of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia, ruling an empire extending The Tarim Basin ( is a large Endorheic basin occupying an area of more than 400000 km² Both archaeological findins and literary evidence suggest Kushan rule, in Kashgar, Yarkand and Khotan. Kashgar or Kashi (officially transliterated as Kaxgar in Uyghur; قەشقەر/K̡ǝxk̡ǝr, is an Oasis Yarkent (Yarkand County ( Chinese 莎車县 Pinyin: Shāchē; يەكەن|Yerkent|Yərkənt; Turkish: Yerkent which means 'ground city' also ^[18]

As late as the 3rd century CE, decorated coins of Huvishka were dedicated at Bodh Gaya together with other gold offerings under the "Enlightenment Throne" of the Buddha, suggesting direct Kushan influence in the area during that period. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Bodh Gaya or Bodhgaya (Hindi बोधगया is a city in Gaya district in the ^[19]

Main Kushan rulers

Kujula Kadphises (30–80)

Tetradrachm of Kujula Kadphises (30–80 CE) in the style of Hermaeus. Kujula Kadphises, reigned (30-80 CE (Kushan language Κοζουλου Καδφιζου, also Κοζολα Καδαφες, Pali: Kujula Kasasa Hermaeus Soter "the Saviour" was a Western Indo-Greek king of the Eucratid Dynasty who ruled the territory of Paropamisade in the Hindu-Kush

According to the Hou Hanshu: "the prince (xihou) of Guishuang (Badakhshan and the adjoining territories north of the Oxus), named Kujula Kadphises (Ch: 丘就却, "Qiujiuque") attacked and exterminated the four other princes (xihou). The Book of the Later Han ( is one of the official Chinese Historical works which was compiled by Fan Ye in the 5th century, using Badakhshan ( Tajik: Бадахшон is a region comprising parts of northeastern Afghanistan and southeastern Tajikistan. The Amu Darya (formerly Oxus River the Greeks (Ptolemeus called it Oxiana palus) is the longest river in Central Asia. Kujula Kadphises, reigned (30-80 CE (Kushan language Κοζουλου Καδφιζου, also Κοζολα Καδαφες, Pali: Kujula Kasasa He set himself up as king of a kingdom called Guishuang. "^[20]

He invaded Anxi (Parthia) and took the Gaofu (Kabul) region. } Kābul ( Persian and Pashto: کابل, IPA:) is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with He also defeated the whole of the kingdoms of Puda, and Jibin (Kapisha-Gandhara). Qiujiuque (Kujula Kadphises) was more than eighty years old when he died. "

These conquests probably took place sometime between 45 and 60, and laid the basis for the Kushan Empire which was rapidly expanded by his descendants.

Kujula issued an extensive series of coins and fathered at least two sons, Sadaṣkaṇa (who is known from only two inscriptions, especially the Rabatak inscription, and apparently never have ruled), and seemingly Vima Taktu. Sadashkana was according to the Rabatak inscription, the son of the Kushan emperor Kujula Kadphises. The Rabatak inscription is an inscription written on a rock in the Bactrian language and the Greek script, which was found in 1993 at the site of Rabatak Vima Takto or Vima Taktu was a Kushan emperor around 80-90 AD

Kujula Kadphises was the great grandfather of Kanishka.

Vima Taktu (80–105)

Bronze coin of Vima Takto. Vima Takto or Vima Taktu was a Kushan emperor around 80-90 AD Corrupted Greek legend ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΩΝ ΣΩΤΗΡ [ΓΗΕ. ] "Basileu[s] Basileuōn Sōtēr [Megas?]": "The King of Kings, [Great?] Saviour".

Vima Takt[u] (or Tak[to], Ancient Chinese: 阎膏珍 Yangaozhen ) is not mentioned in the Rabatak inscription (Sadashkana is instead. Vima Takto or Vima Taktu was a Kushan emperor around 80-90 AD The Rabatak inscription is an inscription written on a rock in the Bactrian language and the Greek script, which was found in 1993 at the site of Rabatak Sadashkana was according to the Rabatak inscription, the son of the Kushan emperor Kujula Kadphises. See also the reference to Sims-William’s article below). He was the predecessor of Vima Kadphises, and Kanishka I. Vima Kadphises (Kushan language Οοημο Καδφισης, Ancient Chinese阎膏珍 was a Kushan emperor from around 90-100 CE Kanishka (Kushan language Κανηϸκι, Middle Chinese: 迦腻色伽 was a king of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia, ruling an empire extending He expanded the Kushan Empire into the northwest of the Indian subcontinent. The Hou Hanshu says:

"His [Kujula Kadphises'] son, Yangaozhen (Vima Taktu), became king in his place. The Book of the Later Han ( is one of the official Chinese Historical works which was compiled by Fan Ye in the 5th century, using He conquered Tianzhu (Northwestern India) and installed a General to supervise and lead it. Tiānzhú (in Chinese) Tenjiku (in Japanese) Cheonchuk (in Korean) Thiên Trúc (in Vietnamese) are The Yuezhi then became extremely rich. All the kingdoms call [their king] the Guishuang (Kushan) king, but the Han call them by their original name, Da Yuezhi. "^[21]

Vima Kadphises (105–127)

Vima Kadphises. Vima Kadphises (Kushan language Οοημο Καδφισης, Ancient Chinese阎膏珍 was a Kushan emperor from around 90-100 CE

Vima Kadphises (Kushan language: Οοημο Καδφισης) was a Kushan emperor from around 90–100 CE, the son of Sadashkana and the grandson of Kujula Kadphises, and the father of Kanishka I, as detailed by the Rabatak inscription. Vima Kadphises (Kushan language Οοημο Καδφισης, Ancient Chinese阎膏珍 was a Kushan emperor from around 90-100 CE The Kushan Empire (c 1st &ndash 3rd centuries) was a Bactrian state that at its cultural zenith Circa 105 &ndash 250 Sadashkana was according to the Rabatak inscription, the son of the Kushan emperor Kujula Kadphises. Kujula Kadphises, reigned (30-80 CE (Kushan language Κοζουλου Καδφιζου, also Κοζολα Καδαφες, Pali: Kujula Kasasa The Rabatak inscription is an inscription written on a rock in the Bactrian language and the Greek script, which was found in 1993 at the site of Rabatak

Vima Kadphises added to the Kushan territory by his conquests in Afghanistan and north-west India. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country He issued an extensive series of coins and inscriptions. He was the first to introduce gold coinage in India, in addition to the existing copper and silver coinage.

Kanishka I (127–147)

Kanishka I. Kanishka (Kushan language Κανηϸκι, Middle Chinese: 迦腻色伽 was a king of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia, ruling an empire extending

The rule of Kanishka, fifth Kushan king, who flourished for at least 28 years from c. Kanishka (Kushan language Κανηϸκι, Middle Chinese: 迦腻色伽 was a king of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia, ruling an empire extending  127. Upon his accession, Kanishka ruled a huge territory (virtually all of northern India), south to Ujjain and Kundina and east beyond Pataliputra, according to the Rabatak inscription:

"In the year one, it has been proclaimed unto India, unto the whole realm of the governing class, including Koonadeano (Kaundinya< Kundina) and the city of Ozeno (Ozene, Ujjain) and the city of Zageda (Saketa) and the city of Kozambo (Kausambi) and the city of Palabotro (Pataliputra) and so long unto (i. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Ujjain ( Hindi:उज्जैन (also known as Ujain, Ujjayini, Avanti Kundina is an ancient Indian city named as part of Kanishka 's territory in the Rabatak inscription. Paṭnā ( Hindi: पटना is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited Kundina is an ancient Indian city named as part of Kanishka 's territory in the Rabatak inscription. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Ujjain ( Hindi:उज्जैन (also known as Ujain, Ujjayini, Avanti Ayodhya (अयोध्या IAST Ayodhyā) is an ancient city of India, the old capital of Awadh, in the Faizabad district Kosambi ( Pali) or Kausambi ( Sanskrit) was one of the greatest cities in India in the Buddha 's time (500 BC Paṭnā ( Hindi: पटना is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited e. as far as) the city of Ziri-tambo (Sri-Champa). The district Janjgir-Champa is situated in the center of the Indian state of Chhatisgarh and so it is considered as the Heart of Chhattisgarh. " Rabatak inscription, Lines 4–6. The Rabatak inscription is an inscription written on a rock in the Bactrian language and the Greek script, which was found in 1993 at the site of Rabatak

The Qila Mubarak fort at Bathinda was built by Kanishka. Qila Mubarak, a Historical National Monument of India, forms the heart of the city of Bathinda, in Indian Punjab. Bathinda (ਬਠਿੰਡਾ is one of the oldest cities in Punjab and the current administrative headquarters of Bathinda District.

His territory was administered from two capitals: Purushapura (now Peshawar in northern Pakistan) and Mathura, in northern India. ( پښور; Urdu: پشاور) is the capital of the North-West Frontier Province and the administrative centre for the Federally Administered Mathura ( IAST mathurā)( Hindi: मथुरा is a holy City in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. He is also credited (along with Raja Dab) for building the massive, ancient Fort at Bathinda (Qila Mubarak), in the modern city of Bathinda, Indian Punjab. Qila Mubarak, a Historical National Monument of India, forms the heart of the city of Bathinda, in Indian Punjab. Qila Mubarak, a Historical National Monument of India, forms the heart of the city of Bathinda, in Indian Punjab. Bathinda (ਬਠਿੰਡਾ is one of the oldest cities in Punjab and the current administrative headquarters of Bathinda District. Punjab (ਪੰਜਾਬ पंजाब pəɲdʒaːb is a state in northwest India.

The Kushans also had a summer capital in Bagram (then known as Kapisa), where the "Begram Treasure", comprising works of art from Greece to China, has been found. Bagram or Bagrām (ancient Alexandria of the Caucasus, medieval Kapisa) was an ancient city located at the junction of the Ghorband Bagram or Bagrām (ancient Alexandria of the Caucasus, medieval Kapisa) was an ancient city located at the junction of the Ghorband According to the Rabatak inscription, Kanishka was the son of Vima Kadphises, the grandson of Sadashkana, and the great-grandson of Kujula Kadphises. The Rabatak inscription is an inscription written on a rock in the Bactrian language and the Greek script, which was found in 1993 at the site of Rabatak Kanishka’s era is now generally accepted to have begun in 127 on the basis of Harry Falk’s ground-breaking research. ^[22][23] Kanishka’s era was used as a calendar reference by the Kushans for about a century, until the decline of the Kushan realm.

Vāsishka

Vāsishka was a Kushan emperor, who seems to have a short reign following Kanishka. Vāsishka was a Kushan emperor who seems to have had a short reign following Kanishka II. The Kushan Empire (c 1st &ndash 3rd centuries) was a Bactrian state that at its cultural zenith Circa 105 &ndash 250 Kanishka (Kushan language Κανηϸκι, Middle Chinese: 迦腻色伽 was a king of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia, ruling an empire extending His rule is recorded as far south as Sanchi (near Vidisa), where several inscriptions in his name have been found, dated to the year 22 (The Sanchi inscription of "Vaksushana" – i. Sanchi is a small Village in Raisen District of India, it is located 46 km north east of Bhopal, and 10 km from Besnagar and WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Vidisha or Besnagar or old name Bhelsa is a city in the central Indian state  e. Vasishka Kushana) and year 28 (The Sanchi inscription of Vasaska – i.  e. Vasishka) of the Kanishka era.

Huvishka. Huvishka (Kushan Οοηϸκι, "Ooishki" was a Kushan emperor from the death of Kanishka (assumed on the best evidence available to be in 140

Huvishka (140–183)

Huvishka (Kushan: Οοηϸκι, "Ooishki") was a Kushan emperor from the death of Kanishka (assumed on the best evidence available to be in 140 CE) until the succession of Vasudeva I about forty years later. Huvishka (Kushan Οοηϸκι, "Ooishki" was a Kushan emperor from the death of Kanishka (assumed on the best evidence available to be in 140 The Kushan Empire (c 1st &ndash 3rd centuries) was a Bactrian state that at its cultural zenith Circa 105 &ndash 250 Kanishka (Kushan language Κανηϸκι, Middle Chinese: 迦腻色伽 was a king of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia, ruling an empire extending Vasudeva I ( Kushan: ΒΑΖΟΔΗΟ "Bazodeo" Chinese: 波調 "Bodiao" was a Kushan /Bactrian emperor last of the "Great His rule was a period of retrenchment and consolidation for the Empire. In particular he devoted time and effort early in his reign to the exertion of greater control over the city of Mathura. Mathura ( IAST mathurā)( Hindi: मथुरा is a holy City in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Vasudeva I (191–225)

Gold coin of Vasudeva I. Vasudeva I ( Kushan: ΒΑΖΟΔΗΟ "Bazodeo" Chinese: 波調 "Bodiao" was a Kushan /Bactrian emperor last of the "Great

Vasudeva I (Kushan: Βαζοδηο "Bazodeo", Chinese: 波調 "Bodiao") was the last of the "Great Kushans. Vasudeva I ( Kushan: ΒΑΖΟΔΗΟ "Bazodeo" Chinese: 波調 "Bodiao" was a Kushan /Bactrian emperor last of the "Great The Kushan Empire (c 1st &ndash 3rd centuries) was a Bactrian state that at its cultural zenith Circa 105 &ndash 250 " Named inscriptions dating from year 64 to 98 of Kanishka’s era suggest his reign extended from at least 191 to 225 CE. Kanishka (Kushan language Κανηϸκι, Middle Chinese: 迦腻色伽 was a king of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia, ruling an empire extending He was the last great Kushan emperor, and the end of his rule coincides with the invasion of the Sassanids as far as northwestern India, and the establishment of the Indo-Sassanids or Kushanshahs from around 240 CE. The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty or Sassanian Dynasty (ساسانیان) is the name used for the third Iranian dynasty and the second Persian empire The Indo-Sassanids, Kushano-Sassanids or Kushanshas (also Indo-Sassanians) were a branch of the Sassanid Persians who established their The Indo-Sassanids, Kushano-Sassanids or Kushanshas (also Indo-Sassanians) were a branch of the Sassanid Persians who established their

Kushan deities

Kushan worshipper with Zeus/Serapis/Ohrmazd, Bactria, 3rd century CE. Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology Serapis (Latin spelling or Sarapis in Greek was a syncretic Hellenistic - Egyptian god in Antiquity. Ahura Mazda ( ae Ahura Mazdā) is the Avestan language name for a divinity exalted by Zoroaster as the one uncreated Creator "Bactrian" redirects here For the camel see Bactrian camel. ^[24]

Kushan worshipper with Pharro, Bactria, 3rd century CE. ^[25]

Kushan worshipper with Shiva/Oesho, Bactria, 3rd century CE. Shiva:(pronunciation; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, lit "Auspicious one" One of the Trimurtis Shiva is the supreme God in the Shaiva Oesho was a deity represented on the coins of several Kushan kings and was apparently one of the titular deities of the dynasty ^[26]

The Kushan religious pantheon is extremely varied, as revealed by their coins and their seals, on which more than 30 different gods appear, belonging to the Hellenistic, the Iranian, and to a lesser extent the Indian world. A pantheon (from Greek Πάνθειον - pantheion, literally "a temple of all gods " neut Greek deities, with Greek names are represented on early coins. During Kanishka's reign, the language of the coinage changes to Bactrian (though it remained in Greek script for all kings). After Huvishka, only two divinities appear on the coins: Ardoxsho and Oesho (see details below). Oesho was a deity represented on the coins of several Kushan kings and was apparently one of the titular deities of the dynasty

Representation of entities from Greek mythology and Hellenistic syncretism are:

• Ηλιος (Helios), Ηφαηστος (Hephaistos), Σαληνη (Selene), Ανημος (Anemos). In Greek mythology the Sun was personified as Helios (ˈhiliˌɑs ( Ἥλιος Latinized as Helius) Hephaestus (hɨˈfiːstəs or /hɨˈfɛstəs/ Greek Hēphaistos) was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. In Greek mythology, Selene (Σελήνη " Moon " English sɛˈliːniː was an archaic Lunar deity and the daughter of the Titans In Greek Mythology, the Anemoi (in Greek, Άνεμοι &mdash " winds " were Wind gods who were each ascribed Further, the coins of Huvishka also portray two demi-gods: erakilo Heracles, and sarapo Sarapis. In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera " or Serapis (Latin spelling or Sarapis in Greek was a syncretic Hellenistic - Egyptian god in Antiquity.

The Indic entities represented on coinage include:

• Βοδδο (boddo, Buddha)
• Μετραγο Βοδδο (metrago boddo, bodhisattava Maitreya)
• Mαασηνo (maaseno, Mahasena)
• Σκανδo koμαρo (skando komaro, Skanda Kumara)
• Ϸακαμανο Βοδδο (shakamano boddho, Shakyamuni Buddha)

The Iranic entities depicted on coinage include:

• Αρδοχϸο (ardoxsho, Ashi Vanghuhi)
• A?αειχ?o (ashaeixsho, Asha Vahishta)
• Αθϸο (athsho, Atar)
• Φαρρο (pharro, Khwarenah)
• Λροοασπο (lrooaspa, Drvaspa)
• Μαναοβαγο, (manaobago, Vohu Manah)
• Μαο (mao, Mah)
• Μιθρο, Μιιρο, Μιορο, Μιυρο (mithro and variants, Mithra)
• Μοζδοοανο (mozdooano, Mazda *vana "Mazda the victorious?")
• Νανα, Ναναια, Ναναϸαο (variations of pan-Asiatic nana, Sogdian nny, in a Zoroastrian context Aredvi Sura Anahita)
• Οαδο (oado Vata)
• Oαxϸo (oaxsho, "Oxus")
• Ooρoμoζδο (ooromozdo, Ahura Mazda)
• Οραλαγνο (orlagno, Verethragna)
• Τιερο (tiero, Tir)

Additionally,

• Οηϸο (oesho), long considered to represent Indic Shiva,^[27] but more recently identified as Avestan Vayu conflated with Shiva. Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder Maitreya ( Sanskrit) or Metteyya ( Pāli) is a future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder Ashi ( aši) is the Avestan language word for the Zoroastrian concept of "that which is attained Asha ( aša) or arta is the Avestan language term for a concept of cardinal importance to Zoroastrian theology and doctrine Atar ( ātar, Avestan) is the Zoroastrian concept for "burning and unburning fire" and "visible and invisible fire" (Mirza 1987389 ae Khvarenah or ae khwarenah ( ae xvarənah) is an Avestan language word for a Zoroastrian concept literally denoting Drvaspa ( druuāspā, drvāspā, drwāspā) is the Avestan language name of an "enigmatic" and "strangely discreet" Zoroastrian Vohu Manah is the Avestan language term for a Zoroastrian concept frequently translated as "Good Purpose" or "Good Mind" but more literally ae Mah or ae Maonghah is the Avestan language word for both the moon and for the Zoroastrian divinity that presides over and is the hypostasis This article is about the Zoroastrian Yazata Mithra (Miθra For other divinities with related names see the general article Mitra. Ahura Mazda ( ae Ahura Mazdā) is the Avestan language name for a divinity exalted by Zoroaster as the one uncreated Creator ae Aredvi Sura Anahita ( ae Arədvī Sūrā Anāhitā) is the Avestan language name of an Indo-Iranian Cosmological figure venerated as the divinity Vayu-Vata (or Vata-Vayu) is the Avestan language name of a dual-natured Zoroastrian divinity of the wind (Vayu and of the atmosphere (Vata Ahura Mazda ( ae Ahura Mazdā) is the Avestan language name for a divinity exalted by Zoroaster as the one uncreated Creator Tishtrya (Tištrya is the Avestan language name of an Zoroastrian benevolent divinity associated with life-bringing rainfall and fertility Shiva:(pronunciation; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, lit "Auspicious one" One of the Trimurtis Shiva is the supreme God in the Shaiva Avestan is an Eastern Old Iranian language that was used to compose the sacred hymns and canon of the Zoroastrian Avesta. Vayu-Vata (or Vata-Vayu) is the Avestan language name of a dual-natured Zoroastrian divinity of the wind (Vayu and of the atmosphere (Vata ^[28][29]
• Two copper coins of Huvishka bear a 'Ganesa' legend, but instead of depicting the typical theriomorphic figure of Ganesha, have a figure of an archer holding a full-length bow with string inwards and an arrow. Therianthropy (from n therianthrope and adj therianthropic, part man and part beast from the Greek theríon, θηρίον meaning "wild Ganesha ( Sanskrit: sa गणेश Gaṇeśa) also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh and also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar This is typically a depiction of Rudra, but in the case of these two coins is generally assumed to represent Shiva. Rudra ( Sanskrit: रुद्रः is a Rigvedic god of the storm the wind and the hunt Shiva:(pronunciation; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, lit "Auspicious one" One of the Trimurtis Shiva is the supreme God in the Shaiva

Some deities on Kushan coinage:

Mahasena on a coin of Huvishka. Huvishka (Kushan Οοηϸκι, "Ooishki" was a Kushan emperor from the death of Kanishka (assumed on the best evidence available to be in 140	Four-faced Oisho.	Rishti.	Manaobago.
Pharro.	Ardochsho.	Oisho	Oisho with bull.
Skanda and Visakha.	Gold coin of Kanishka I, with a depiction of the Buddha, with the legend "Boddo" in Greek script. Ahin Posh. Ahan Posh or Ahan Posh Tape (Persian Iron covered place) is an ancient archaeological site in Orakzai, F	Kushan Carnelian seal representing the "ΑΔϷΟ" (adsho Atar), with triratana symbol left, and Kanishka's dynastic mark right. Carnelian, sometimes spelled cornelian, is a red or reddish-brown variant of Chalcedony. Atar ( ātar, Avestan) is the Zoroastrian concept for "burning and unburning fire" and "visible and invisible fire" (Mirza 1987389 The Three Jewels, also called the Three Treasures, the Three Refuges, or the Triple Gem, are the three things that Buddhists take refuge

The Kushans and Buddhism

An early Mahayana Buddhist triad. From left to right, a Kushan devotee, the Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha, the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, and a Buddhist monk. The Kushan Empire (c 1st &ndash 3rd centuries) was a Bactrian state that at its cultural zenith Circa 105 &ndash 250 In the Buddhist context a bodhisattva (बोधिसत्त्व bodhisattva;; Vietnamese Bồ Tát; बोधिसत्त bodhisatta Maitreya ( Sanskrit) or Metteyya ( Pāli) is a future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. Avalokiteśvara ( Nepali: अवलोकितेश्वर, lit 2nd-3rd century, Gandhara. Gandhāra ( Sanskrit: गन्धार Urdu: گندھارا Gandḥārā; also known as Waihind in Persian is the name of an ancient

Cultural exchanges also flourished, encouraging the development of Greco-Buddhism, a fusion of Hellenistic and Buddhist cultural elements, that was to expand into central and northern Asia as Mahayana Buddhism. Greco-Buddhism, sometimes spelt Graeco-Buddhism, refers to the cultural Syncretism between Hellenistic culture and Buddhism, which developed This article focuses on the cultural aspects of the Hellenistic age for the historical aspects see Hellenistic period. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Mahayana ( Sanskrit: mahāyāna, Devanagari: महायान 'Great Vehicle' is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for

Kanishka is renowned in Buddhist tradition for having convened a great Buddhist council in Kashmir. Lists and numbering of Buddhist councils vary between and even within schools This article is about the geographical region of greater Kashmir Kanishka also had the original Gandhari vernacular, or Prakrit, Buddhist texts translated into the language of Sanskrit. Prakrit (also transliterated as Pracrit) ( Sanskrit: prākṛta प्राकृत (from pra-kṛti प्रकृति according to one Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical Along with the Indian emperors Ashoka and Harsha Vardhana and the Indo-Greek king Menander I (Milinda), Kanishka is considered by Buddhism as one of its greatest benefactors. Ashoka ( Devanāgarī: अशोकः IAST: Aśokaḥ, aɕoːkə(hə Prakrit Imperial title Devanampriya Priyadarsi Harsha or Harshavardhana (हर्षवर्धन or "Harsha vardhan" ( 590 &ndash 647) was an Indian emperor who ruled Northern India The Indo-Greek Kingdom (or sometimes Graeco-Indian Kingdom) covered various parts of the northwest and northern Indian subcontinent during the last two centuries Menander I Soter "The Saviour" (known as Milinda in Indian sources was one of the rulers of the Indo-Greek Kingdom in northern India

Kushan art

The art and culture of Gandhara, at the crossroads of the Kushan hegemony, are the best known expressions of Kushan influences to Westerners. Gandhāra ( Sanskrit: गन्धार Urdu: گندھارا Gandḥārā; also known as Waihind in Persian is the name of an ancient Several direct depictions of Kushans are known from Gandhara, where they are represented with a tunic, belt and trousers and play the role of devotees to the Buddha, as well as the Bodhisattva and future Buddha Maitreya. In the Buddhist context a bodhisattva (बोधिसत्त्व bodhisattva;; Vietnamese Bồ Tát; बोधिसत्त bodhisatta Maitreya ( Sanskrit) or Metteyya ( Pāli) is a future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology.

In the iconography, they are never associated however with the very Hellenistic "Standing Buddha" statues (See image), which might therefore correspond to an earlier historical period. Greco-Buddhist art is the artistic manifestation of Greco-Buddhism, a cultural Syncretism between the Classical Greek culture and Buddhism The style of these friezes incorporating Kushan devotees is already strongly Indianized, quite remote from earlier Hellenistic depictions of the Buddha:

Kushan costume.	Detail of the face of a Kushan devotee.	Flaming Buddha with Kushan devotees around Maitreya.	Maitreya, with Kushan devotee couple. 2nd century Gandhara. Gandhāra ( Sanskrit: गन्धार Urdu: گندھارا Gandḥārā; also known as Waihind in Persian is the name of an ancient
Detail of Kushan devotee.	Maitreya, with Kushan devotees, left and right. 2nd century Gandhara.	Maitreya, with Indian (left) and Kushan (right) devotees.	Kushans worshipping the Buddha's bowl. 2nd century Gandhara.
The "Kanishka casket", with the Buddha surrounded by Brahma and Indra, and Kanishka on the lower part, 127. The Kanishka casket or "Kanishka reliquary" is a Buddhist reliquary made in gilted copper and dated to the first year of the reign of the Kushan emperor Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder Brahma is the Hindu god ( deva) of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. Indra ( Sanskrit: इन्द्र or इंद्र Indra, Malay: Indera, Thai: พระอินทร์ Phra-Intra Kanishka (Kushan language Κανηϸκι, Middle Chinese: 迦腻色伽 was a king of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia, ruling an empire extending	Buddha triad and kneeling Kushan devotee couple. 3rd century.	Stucco head of a Kushan man. Gandhara.	Kushan devotee in the traditional costume with tunic and boots, 2nd century, Gandhara. The 2nd century is the period from 101 to 200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. Gandhāra ( Sanskrit: गन्धार Urdu: گندھارا Gandḥārā; also known as Waihind in Persian is the name of an ancient
Butkara stupa under the Kushans. The Butkara Stupa is an important Buddhist shrine in the area of Swat, Pakistan. [30]

Contacts with Rome

A Greco-Roman gladiator on a glass vessel, Begram, 2nd century. Bagram or Bagrām (ancient Alexandria of the Caucasus, medieval Kapisa) was an ancient city located at the junction of the Ghorband

Several Roman sources describe the visit of ambassadors from the Kings of Bactria and India during the 2nd century, probably referring to the Kushans. The 2nd century is the period from 101 to 200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era.

Historia Augusta, speaking of Emperor Hadrian (117–138) tells:

"Reges Bactrianorum legatos ad eum, amicitiae petendae causa, supplices miserunt"

"The kings of the Bactrians sent supplicant ambassadors to him, to seek his friendship. The Augustan History ( Lat Historia Augusta) is a late Roman collection of biographies in Latin of the Roman Emperors their junior Publius Aelius Hadrianus (January 24 76 &ndash July 10 138 as emperor Imperator Caesar Divi Traiani filius Traianus Hadrianus Augustus, and Divus Hadrianus after "

A coin of the Roman Emperor Trajan, found together with coins of Kanishka, at the Ahin Posh Buddhist Monastery, Afghanistan. Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus, commonly known as Trajan ( September 18 53 &ndash August 9 117) was a Roman Emperor who Ahan Posh or Ahan Posh Tape (Persian Iron covered place) is an ancient archaeological site in Orakzai, F

Also in 138, according to Aurelius Victor (Epitome‚ XV, 4), and Appian (Praef. Sextus Aurelius Victor (ca 320-ca 390 was an historian and politician of the Roman Empire. , 7), Antoninus Pius, successor to Hadrian, received some Indian, Bactrian (Kushan) and Hyrcanian ambassadors. Titus Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Arrius Antoninus ( September 19, 86 &ndash March 7 161) generally known in English as Antoninus Pius Publius Aelius Hadrianus (January 24 76 &ndash July 10 138 as emperor Imperator Caesar Divi Traiani filius Traianus Hadrianus Augustus, and Divus Hadrianus after

The Chinese Historical Chronicle of the Hou Hanshu also describes the exchange of goods between northwestern India and the Roman Empire at that time: "To the west (Tiazhu, northwestern India) communicates with Da Qin (the Roman Empire). The Book of the Later Han ( is one of the official Chinese Historical works which was compiled by Fan Ye in the 5th century, using The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Daqin ( is the ancient Chinese name for the Roman Empire and the Near East. Precious things from Da Qin can be found there, as well as fine cotton cloths, excellent wool carpets, perfumes of all sorts, sugar loaves, pepper, ginger, and black salt. "

The summer capital of the Kushan in Begram has yielded a considerable amount of goods imported from the Roman Empire, in particular various types of glassware. Bagram or Bagrām (ancient Alexandria of the Caucasus, medieval Kapisa) was an ancient city located at the junction of the Ghorband

See also: Roman trade with India

Contacts with China

The Kushan Buddhist monk Lokaksema, first known translator of Buddhist Mahayana scriptures into Chinese, circa 170. Roman trade with India through the overland caravan routes via Anatolia and Persia though at a relative trickle comparative to later times antedated the southern trade route via the Red Lokaksema ( Ch: 支婁迦讖 Zhī Lóujiāchèn ， sometimes abbreviated 支讖 Zhī Chèn) born around 147 CE The name Lokakṣema translates Mahayana ( Sanskrit: mahāyāna, Devanagari: महायान 'Great Vehicle' is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for

During the 1st and 2nd century, the Kushan Empire expanded militarily to the north and occupied parts of the Tarim Basin, their original grounds, putting them at the center of the profitable Central Asian commerce with the Roman Empire. The Tarim Basin ( is a large Endorheic basin occupying an area of more than 400000 km² The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial They are related to have collaborated militarily with the Chinese against nomadic incursion, particularly when they collaborated with the Chinese general Ban Chao against the Sogdians in 84, when the latter were trying to support a revolt by the king of Kashgar. Control of the Tarim Basin Ban Chao like his predecessors Huo Qubing and Wei Qing from the earlier-half of the Han Dynasty before him is said to Year 84 was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Kashgar or Kashi (officially transliterated as Kaxgar in Uyghur; قەشقەر/K̡ǝxk̡ǝr, is an Oasis Around 85, they also assisted the Chinese general in an attack on Turfan, east of the Tarim Basin. Year 85 was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Turfan or Tulufan (تۇرپان|Turpan|Turpan Modern Chinese: 吐魯番, Pinyin: Tǔlǔfān is an Oasis city in the

In recognition for their support to the Chinese, the Kushans requested, but were denied, a Han princess, even after they had sent presents to the Chinese court. The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. In retaliation, they marched on Ban Chao in 86 with a force of 70,000, but, exhausted by the expedition, were finally defeated by the smaller Chinese force. For the processor see Intel 8086. Year 86 was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian The Yuezhi retreated and paid tribute to the Chinese Empire during the reign of the Chinese emperor Han He (89–106). Family background Then-Prince Zhao was born to Emperor Zhang and his Concubine Consort Liang in 79 Year 89 was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar.

A bronze coin of Kanishka found in Khotan, Tarim Basin. Kanishka (Kushan language Κανηϸκι, Middle Chinese: 迦腻色伽 was a king of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia, ruling an empire extending The Tarim Basin ( is a large Endorheic basin occupying an area of more than 400000 km²

Later, around 116, the Kushans under Kanishka established a kingdom centered on Kashgar, also taking control of Khotan and Yarkand, which were Chinese dependencies in the Tarim Basin, modern Xinjiang. Kanishka (Kushan language Κανηϸκι, Middle Chinese: 迦腻色伽 was a king of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia, ruling an empire extending Kashgar or Kashi (officially transliterated as Kaxgar in Uyghur; قەشقەر/K̡ǝxk̡ǝr, is an Oasis Yarkent (Yarkand County ( Chinese 莎車县 Pinyin: Shāchē; يەكەن|Yerkent|Yərkənt; Turkish: Yerkent which means 'ground city' also The Tarim Basin ( is a large Endorheic basin occupying an area of more than 400000 km² Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk They introduced the Brahmi script, the Indian Prakrit language for administration, and expanded the influence of Greco-Buddhist art which developed into Serindian art. Prakrit (also transliterated as Pracrit) ( Sanskrit: prākṛta प्राकृत (from pra-kṛti प्रकृति according to one Greco-Buddhist art is the artistic manifestation of Greco-Buddhism, a cultural Syncretism between the Classical Greek culture and Buddhism Serindian art is the art that developed from the 2nd through the 11th century A

The Kushans are again recorded to have sent presents to the Chinese court in 158–159 during the reign of the Chinese emperor Han Huan. Family background and ascension Liu Zhi was born in 132 to Liu Yi (劉翼 the Marquess of Liwu and his Concubine Yan Ming (匽明

Following these interactions, cultural exhanges further increased, and Kushan Buddhist missionaries, such as Lokaksema, became active in the Chinese capital cities of Loyang and sometimes Nanjing, where they particularly distinguished themselves by their translation work. Lokaksema ( Ch: 支婁迦讖 Zhī Lóujiāchèn ， sometimes abbreviated 支讖 Zhī Chèn) born around 147 CE The name Lokakṣema translates Luoyang ( is a Prefecture-level city in western Henan province, People's Republic of China. ( Chinese: 南京 Romanizations Nánjīng ( Pinyin) Nan-ching ( Wade-Giles They were the first recorded promoters of Hinayana and Mahayana scriptures in China, greatly contributing to the Silk Road transmission of Buddhism. The Silk Road transmission of Buddhism to China started in the 1st century CE with a semi-legendary or quasi-historical account of an embassy sent to the West by the

Decline

Gold dinar of Kushan king Kanishka II (200–220)

Late Kushan ruler Shaka I (325-345). Kanishka II was one of the emperors of the Kushan Empire from around 200 - 222 CE Events By Place World Human population reaches about 257 million Events By Place Roman Empire The Goths invade Asia Minor and the Balkans. Shaka I was one of the last rulers of the Kushan Empire around 325 - 345.

After the death of Vasudeva I in 225, the Kushan empire split into western and eastern halves. Vasudeva I ( Kushan: ΒΑΖΟΔΗΟ "Bazodeo" Chinese: 波調 "Bodiao" was a Kushan /Bactrian emperor last of the "Great Events By Place Roman Empire Roman Emperor Alexander Severus marries Sallustia Orbiana, and possibly raises her father The Western Kushans (in Afghanistan) were soon subjugated by the Persian Sassanid Empire and lost Bactria and other territories. The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty or Sassanian Dynasty (ساسانیان) is the name used for the third Iranian dynasty and the second Persian empire "Bactrian" redirects here For the camel see Bactrian camel. In 248 they were defeated again by the Persians, who deposed the Western dynasty and replaced them with Persian vassals known as the Kushanshas (or Indo-Sassanids). Events By Place Roman Empire The revolts of Pacatianus in Moesia and Iotapianus in Syria are put down by The Indo-Sassanids, Kushano-Sassanids or Kushanshas (also Indo-Sassanians) were a branch of the Sassanid Persians who established their

The Eastern Kushan kingdom was based in the Punjab. Around 270 their territories on the Gangetic plain became independent under local dynasties such as the Yaudheyas. Events By Place Roman Empire Quintillus briefly holds power over the Roman Empire and is succeeded by Aurelian. Yaudheya or Yaudheya Gana was an ancient tribal confederation who lived in the area between the Indus river and the Ganges river. Then in the mid 4th century they were subjugated by the Gupta Empire under Samudragupta. The Gupta Empire ( Hindi: गुप्त राजवंश was ruled by members of the Gupta dynasty from around 320 to 550 C Samudragupta, ruler of the Gupta Empire (cAD 335 &ndash 380 and successor to Chandragupta I, is considered to be one of the greatest military geniuses in

In 360 a Kushan vassal named Kidara overthrew the old Kushan dynasty and established the Kidarite Kingdom. This article is about the year 360 For other uses see 360 (number. There are two different theories regarding the Kidarite kingdom either it is created in the second half of the 4th c There are two different theories regarding the Kidarite kingdom either it is created in the second half of the 4th c The Kushan style of Kidarite coins indicates they considered themselves as Kushans. The Kidarite seem to have been rather prosperous, although on a smaller scale than their Kushan predecessors.

These remnants of the Kushan empire were ultimately wiped out in the 5th century by the invasions of the White Huns, and later the expansion of Islam. The 5th century is the period from 401 to 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in Anno Domini / Common Era. The Huna (also known as Indo-Hephthalites or Alchon) as they were known in South Asia, seem to have been part of the Hephthalite group who For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation.

In fiction

The Kushan Empire was used to represent a dystopian demonic empire within the hugely popular Berserk manga. A dystopia (from the Greek δυσ- and τόπος alternatively cacotopia, kakotopia, cackotopia, or anti-utopia) is the vision of a society |} is a long-running Dark fantasy Manga by Mangaka Kentarō Miura. ˈmɑŋgə is the Japanese word for Comics (sometimes called komikku コミック and print Cartoons In their modern form manga date from shortly Its culture is based on that of ancient and medieval India, which was the cultural centre of the real Kushan Empire, including Indian weapons such as chakrams, katars and urumis, and martial arts similar to Kalarippayattu, but adapted for the nihilistic setting. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The chakram ( Devanāgarī: चक्रम is a throwing Weapon that was used by the ancient Indians it is a flat Metal disc with a sharp outer A katar ( Devanāgarī: कटार also known as a Bundi Dagger, is a type of short punching Sword that is native to the Indian subcontinent The urumi (ഉരുമി or Surul Pattai (Tamil is a long Sword made of flexible Steel, sharp enough to cut into flesh but flexible enough to be rolled Kalarippayattu or kalaripayattu ( Malayalam കളരിപയറ്റ് kaɭəɾipːajətːɨ̆ is a Martial art with origins in Kerala In this fictional setting it is ruled by the Emperor Ganishka, a name based upon the real Kushan Emperor Kanishka. This is a listing of characters in the Berserk universe All subsequent names should be taken from the Dark Horse Comics translation when the relevant volumes Kanishka (Kushan language Κανηϸκι, Middle Chinese: 迦腻色伽 was a king of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia, ruling an empire extending

Main Kushan rulers

• Heraios (c. Heraios (often read as Heraus Heraos Miaos was a clan chief of the Kushans (reign 1-30 CE one of the five constituent tribes of the Yuezhi confederacy in 1 – 30), first Kushan ruler, generally Kushan ruling period is disputed
• Kujula Kadphises (c. Year 1 ( I) was a Common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Year 30 was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Kujula Kadphises, reigned (30-80 CE (Kushan language Κοζουλου Καδφιζου, also Κοζολα Καδαφες, Pali: Kujula Kasasa 30 – c. Year 30 was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. 80)
• Vima Takto, (c. Year 80 was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Vima Takto or Vima Taktu was a Kushan emperor around 80-90 AD 80 – c. Year 80 was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. 105) alias Soter Megas or "Great Saviour. "
• Vima Kadphises (c. Vima Kadphises (Kushan language Οοημο Καδφισης, Ancient Chinese阎膏珍 was a Kushan emperor from around 90-100 CE 105 – c. 127) the first great Kushan emperor
• Kanishka I (127 – c. Kanishka (Kushan language Κανηϸκι, Middle Chinese: 迦腻色伽 was a king of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia, ruling an empire extending 147)
• Vāsishka (c. Vāsishka was a Kushan emperor who seems to have had a short reign following Kanishka II. 151 – c. 155)
• Huvishka (c. Huvishka (Kushan Οοηϸκι, "Ooishki" was a Kushan emperor from the death of Kanishka (assumed on the best evidence available to be in 140 155 – c. 187)
• Vasudeva I (c. Events By place Roman Empire Septimus Severus, (born Leptis Magna is named legate of Lyonnaise Gaul. Vasudeva I ( Kushan: ΒΑΖΟΔΗΟ "Bazodeo" Chinese: 波調 "Bodiao" was a Kushan /Bactrian emperor last of the "Great 191 – to at least 230), the last of the great Kushan emperors
• Kanishka II (c. Events By Topic Religion Serapion of Antioch becomes Patriarch of Antioch. Events By Place Roman Empire Taxes are increased in order to maintain the unity and defense of the Empire Kanishka II was one of the emperors of the Kushan Empire from around 200 - 222 CE 226 – 240)
• Vashishka (c. Events By Place Asia Cao Rui becomes emperor of the Kingdom of Wei of China. Events By Place Roman Empire The revolt of Sabinianus in Africa is put down Vashishka was a Kushan emperor around 232-246 AD 240 – 250)
• Kanishka III (c. Events By Place Roman Empire The revolt of Sabinianus in Africa is put down Events By Place Roman Empire A group of Franks penetrate as far as Tarragona in Spain (approximate date Kanishka III was a Kushan emperor 255 - 275 ADHe was the son of Vasudeva I and the father of Vasudeva II. 255 – 275)
• Vasudeva II (c. Events Ma Jun, a Chinese mechanical engineer from Cao Wei, invents the South Pointing Chariot, a path-finding directional Compass Events By Place Roman Empire Roman Emperor Aurelian is murdered by troops while preparing to invade Persia. Vasudeva II was a Kushan emperor around 290-310 ADHe was the son of Kanishka III and through him the Grandson of Vasudeva I. 290 – 310)
  • Vasudeva III reported son of Vasudeva III,a King, uncertain. Events By Place Roman Empire Diocletian and Maximian meet in Milan on the five-year anniversary of their rule to discuss Events By Place Roman Empire While Constantine is campaigning against the Bructeri, Maximian attempts to make himself Vasudeva III was the reported son of Vasudeva II and a King He is reported to have had a son Vasudeva IV, who ruled over Kandahar
    • Vasudeva IV reported possible child of Vasudeva III,ruling in Kandahar, uncertain
      • Vasudeva of Kabul reported Possible child of Vasudeva IV,ruling in Kabul, uncertain. Vasudeva IV was reportedly a Kushan King ruling in Kandahar. He was the possible father of Vasudeva of Kabul. Vasudeva of Kabul was a reported Kushan Kingwho was said to be a son of Vasudeva IV.
• Chhu (c. Chhu was a Kushan emperor around 310-325 AD 310? – 325?)
• Shaka I (c. Events By Place Roman Empire While Constantine is campaigning against the Bructeri, Maximian attempts to make himself Events By Place Roman Empire Gladiatorial combat is outlawed in the Roman Empire Shaka I was one of the last rulers of the Kushan Empire around 325 - 345. 325 – 345)
• Kipunada (c. Events By Place Roman Empire Gladiatorial combat is outlawed in the Roman Empire Events St Thomas visits Malayalam and assists the church there 350 – 375)

Gallery

Kushan devotee (Mathura). Events By Place Roman Empire January 18 — Magnentius is proclaimed emperor by the army in Autun. Events By Place Roman Empire Valentinian I leaves Trier to repress the rebellious Quadi in Slovakia. Middle kingdoms of India refers to the political entities in India from the 2nd century BC since the decline of the Maurya Empire, and the corresponding Magadha (मगध formed one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas ( Sanskrit, "great countries" or regions in ancient India. According to tradition the Shishunaga dynasty founded the Magadha Empire in 684 BC, whose capital was Rajagriha, later Pataliputra, near the The Nanda dynasty ruled Magadha during the 5th and 4th centuries BC. Kalinga was a Kingdom in central-eastern India, which comprised most of the modern state of Orissa, as well as some northern areas of the bordering state The Maurya Empire ( 322 – 185 BCE) ruled by the Mauryan dynasty was a geographically extensive and powerful political and military For other uses of the term Sunga see Sunga (disambiguation The Sunga Empire (or Shunga Empire) is a Magadha The Kingdom of Kuninda (or Kulinda in ancient literature was an ancient central Himalayan kingdom from around the 2nd century BCE to the 3rd century The Western Satraps, or Western Kshatrapas ( 35 - 405) were Saka rulers of the western and central part of India ( Saurashtra The Gupta Empire ( Hindi: गुप्त राजवंश was ruled by members of the Gupta dynasty from around 320 to 550 C Harsha or Harshavardhana (हर्षवर्धन or "Harsha vardhan" ( 590 &ndash 647) was an Indian emperor who ruled Northern India The Pala Empire was a dynasty in control of the northern and eastern Indian subcontinent, mainly the Bengal and Bihar regions from the 8th to The Solanki (from Chalukya, an ancient Indian dynasty are a Hindu clan who ruled parts of western and central India between the 10th The Sena dynasty ( Bengali সেন Shen) ruled Bengal through the 11th and 12th centuries. Origin The origin of the word “Pandya” has been a subject of much speculation History In early Tamil literature the great Chera rulers are referred to as Cheral Kuttuvan Irumporai Kollipurai and Athan The Sātavāhanas ( Marathi: सातवाहन Telugu:శాతవాహనులు were a Dynasty which ruled from Junnar ( Identification Kalabhras The identification of the Kalabhras is difficult The Kadamba Dynasty ( Kannada:ಕದಂಬರು (345 - 525 CE was an ancient royal family of Karnataka that ruled from Banavasi in present Origins See also Origin of Pallava The exact origin of the Pallavas is shrouded in mystery The Chalukya dynasty ( Kannada: ಚಾಲುಕ್ಯರು ʧaːɭukjə was an Indian royal dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and Central The Rashtrakuta Dynasty ( Sanskrit: राष्ट्रकूट rāṣṭrakūṭa, Kannada: ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಕೂಟ was a royal The Western Chalukya Empire ( Kannada: ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಚಾಲುಕ್ಯ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯ) ruled most of the western Deccan, South The Hoysala Empire ( Kannada: ಹೊಯ್ಸಳ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯ ( pronunciation: in Kannada was a prominent South Indian Kannadiga Gandhāra ( Sanskrit: गन्धार Urdu: گندھارا Gandḥārā; also known as Waihind in Persian is the name of an ancient The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenid Persian Empire ( haχɒmaneʃijɒn (558–330 BC was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over significant portions of In ancient times trade between India and Greece flourished with Silk, Spices and Gold being traded The Indo-Greek Kingdom (or sometimes Graeco-Indian Kingdom) covered various parts of the northwest and northern Indian subcontinent during the last two centuries The Indo-Scythians are a branch of the Indo-Iranian Sakas ( Scythians) who migrated from southern Siberia into Bactria, The Indo-Parthian Kingdom was established during the 1st century by Gondophares, and at its greatest extent extended into areas that are in present-day Afghanistan The Indo-Sassanids, Kushano-Sassanids or Kushanshas (also Indo-Sassanians) were a branch of the Sassanid Persians who established their There are two different theories regarding the Kidarite kingdom either it is created in the second half of the 4th c The Huna (also known as Indo-Hephthalites or Alchon) as they were known in South Asia, seem to have been part of the Hephthalite group who The Muslim conquest in the Indian subcontinent mainly took place from the 11th to the 17th centuries though earlier Muslim conquests made limited inroads into the region beginning For a town in Bareilly District India see Shahi Uttar Pradesh. During the late Middle Ages, several Islamic Empires were established in South Asia.

See also

• Gujjar
• Yuezhi
• Pre-Islamic period of Afghanistan
• Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
• Indo-Greek Kingdom
• Indo-Scythians
• Indo-Parthian Kingdom
• Indo-Sassanid
• Greco-Buddhism
• Kushanshahr

Notes

References

• Avari, Burjor (2007). India: The Ancient Past. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-35616-9.  
• Bopearachchi, Osmund (2003). Osmund Bopearachchi is an historian and numismatist who has been specializing in the coinage of the Indo-Greek and Greco-Bactrian kingdoms De l'Indus à l'Oxus, Archéologie de l'Asie Centrale (in French). Lattes: Association imago-musée de Lattes. ISBN 2-9516679-2-2.  
• Faccenna, Domenico (1980). Butkara I (Swāt, Pakistan) 1956-1962, Volume III 1 (in English). Rome: IsMEO (Istituto Italiano Per Il Medio Ed Estremo Oriente).
• Falk, Harry. 1995-1996. Silk Road Art and Archaeology IV.
• Falk, Harry. 2001. "The yuga of Sphujiddhvaja and the era of the Kuṣāṇas. " Silk Road Art and Archaeology VII, pp. 121–136.
• Falk, Harry. 2004. "The Kaniṣka era in Gupta records. " Harry Falk. Silk Road Art and Archaeology X , pp. 167–176.
• Goyal, S. R. "Ancient Indian Inscriptions" Kusumanjali Book World, Jodhpur (India), 2005.
• Hill, John E. 2004. The Western Regions according to the Hou Hanshu. Draft annotated English translation. [3]
• Hill, John E. 2004. The Peoples of the West from the Weilue 魏略 by Yu Huan 魚豢: A Third Century Chinese Account Composed between 239 and 265 CE. Draft annotated English translation. [4]
• Keay, John (2000). India: A History. New York: Grove Press. ISBN 0-8021-3797-0.  
• Lebedynsky, Iaroslav (2006). Les Saces. Paris: Editions Errance. ISBN 2877723372.  
• Rosenfield, John M. (1993). The Dynastic Art of the Kushans. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal. ISBN 8121505798.  
• Sivaramamurti, C. (1976). Śatarudrīya: Vibhūti of Śiva's Iconography. Delhi: Abhinav Publications.  

Further reading

• Foucher, M. A. 1901. "Notes sur la geographie ancienne du Gandhâra (commentaire à un chaptaire de Hiuen-Tsang). " BEFEO No. 4, Oct. 1901, pp. 322–369.
• Hargreaves, H. (1910–11): "Excavations at Shāh-jī-kī Dhērī"; Archaeological Survey of India, 1910–11, pp. 25–32.
• Harmatta, János, ed. János Harmatta (1917- 2004 was a Hungarian linguist. He taught as a professor at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. , 1994. History of civilizations of Central Asia, Volume II. The development of sedentary and nomadic civilizations: 700 B. C. to A. D. 250. Paris, UNESCO Publishing.
• Konow, Sten. Editor. 1929. Kharoshthī Inscriptions with Exception of those of Asoka. Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol. II, Part I. Reprint: Indological Book House, Varanasi, 1969.
• Litvinsky, B. A. , ed. , 1996. History of civilizations of Central Asia, Volume III. The crossroads of civilizations: A. D. 250 to 750. Paris, UNESCO Publishing.
• Liu, Xinru 2001 "Migration and Settlement of the Yuezhi-Kushan: Interaction and Interdependence of Nomadic and Sedentary Societies. " Journal of World History, Volume 12, No. The Journal of World History is a refereed Scholarly journal that presents historical analysis from a global point-of-view focusing especially on forces that 2, Fall 2001. University of Hawaii Press, pp. 261–292. [5].
• Sarianidi, Viktor. Viktor Ivanovich Sarianidi or Victor Sarigiannides ( Russian: Виктор Иванович Сарианиди Greek: Βίκτωρ Σαρηγιαννίδης 1985. The Golden Hoard of Bactria: From the Tillya-tepe Excavations in Northern Afghanistan. Harry N. Abrams, Inc. New York. Harry N Abrams Inc is a book publishing company in New York City, New York founded in 1949 by Harry Nathan Abrams to publish high-quality art and illustrated books
• Sims-Williams, Nicholas. 1998. "Further notes on the Bactrian inscription of Rabatak, with an Appendix on the names of Kujula Kadphises and Vima Taktu in Chinese. " Proceedings of the Third European Conference of Iranian Studies Part 1: Old and Middle Iranian Studies. Edited by Nicholas Sims-Williams. Wiesbaden. 1998, pp. 79-93.
• Spooner, D. B. 1908–9. "Excavations at Shāh-jī-kī Dhērī. "; Archaeological Survey of India, 1908–9, pp. 38–59.
• Watson, Burton. Trans. 1993. Records of the Grand Historian of China: Han Dynasty II. Translated from the Shiji of Sima Qian. The Records of the Grand Historian, also known in English by the Chinese name 史記 or Shiji, written from 109 BC to 91 BC Early life and education Sima Qian was born and grew up in Longmen, near present-day Hancheng Shaanxi. Chapter 123: "The Account of Dayuan," Columbia University Press. The Dayuan or Ta-Yuan ( lit “Great Yuan” were a people of Ferghana in Central Asia, described in the Chinese historical works of Revised Edition. ISBN 0-231-08166-9; ISBN 0-231-08167-7 (pbk. )
• Zürcher, E. (1968). "The Yüeh-chih and Kaniṣka in the Chinese sources. " Papers on the Date of Kaniṣka. Basham, A. L. , ed. , 1968. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 346-393.

External links

• Metropolitan Museum capsule history
• New documents help fix controversial Kushan dating
• Antique Indian Coins
• Brief Guide to Kushan History
• Article on Kushana Art