Kushan Empire

The Kushan Empire (c. 30–c. 375 CE) was a syncretic empire formed by the Yuezhi in the Bactrian territories in the early 1st century. It spread to encompass much of what is now Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The Kushans were most probably one of five branches of the Yuezhi confederation, an Indo-European nomadic people of possible Tocharian origin, who migrated from northwestern China and settled in ancient Bactria.

The Kushans were great patrons of many religions, including Hinduism and Buddhism, and played an important role in the spread of Buddhism to Central Asia and China. They created a period of peace lasting around 200 years, sometimes called the "Pax Kushana". The empire had important trade links between the Roman Empire and China, making it a central point for many civilizations at the time.

Origins

Chinese records talk about the Guìshuāng, also known as the Kushans, as one of the five tribes of the Yuezhi people. Many believe the Yuezhi were from an Indo-European background. They lived in the grasslands of eastern Xinjiang and northwestern Gansu in China until they were forced to move west around 176–160 BC.

The Yuezhi eventually reached the area known as Greco-Bactria around 135 BC. They settled in parts of what are now Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. The Kushan emperors used names like ΚΟϷΑΝΟ ("Koshano") on their coins. Some later Indian writings called them Turushka, which later got mixed up with the word "Turk," but they were actually from Central Asia.

Early Kushans

The Kushan Empire started when a group of people called the Yuezhi moved into a place called Bactria, now part of Uzbekistan. They built forts and temples and made many sculptures. Some of these sculptures show people with special head shapes, which was common for nomadic people from Central Asia at that time.

The Chinese writers first called these people the Yuezhi and said they formed the Kushan Empire. One of the first leaders to call himself a Kushan ruler was Heraios. He made coins and may have worked with Greek rulers. Later, a king named Kujula Kadphises grew very powerful. He took over many lands, including parts of modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. When he died, his son took over and kept making the Kushan Empire strong and rich.

Diverse cultural influences

The Kushan Empire grew from a group of tribes led by a commander named Kujula Kadphises. They took control of lands from groups called the Scythians and set up capitals in two places: Kapisa and Pushkalavati.

The Kushans mixed many different cultures. They used the Greek way of writing but changed it to fit their own language. They also made coins with Greek designs and words. They believed in many different religions, including Buddhism and Hinduism, and their rule helped connect trade routes from the Indian Ocean to the Silk Road. This brought many goods and ideas to many places far away.

Territorial expansion

The Kushan Empire grew to cover many lands. It stretched across parts of what are now Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Under the rule of Emperor Kanishka the Great, the empire reached its largest size. Important cities such as Purushapura (now Peshawar), Taxila, and Mathura were part of the empire. The Kushans also had influence in areas far to the east and west, showing their wide reach.

The Kushans built strong fortresses, especially in areas like Bactria. These forts were often built on old Greek-style defenses and had special openings for archers to shoot from.

History

The Kushan Empire lasted for about three centuries, from around 30 CE to around 375 CE. During this time, they ruled alongside other powerful groups like the Western Satraps, the Satavahanas, and the early Gupta Empire rulers.

Kujula Kadphises started the Kushan Empire by defeating several local rulers and expanding their lands. His descendants continued to grow the empire, reaching far into parts of modern-day Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and Central Asia. One of the most famous Kushan rulers was Kanishka the Great, who ruled from about 127 to 150 CE. Under his leadership, the empire stretched across much of northern India. Kanishka ruled from two main cities: Purushapura (now Peshawar in Pakistan) and Mathura in northern India. His reign was marked by great building projects and the creation of a calendar that was used for about a century.

After Kanishka, later rulers like Huvishka and Vasudeva I helped keep the empire strong, though it began to shrink over time. Eventually, the empire weakened and was taken over by other groups, marking the end of the Kushan rule.

Kushan deities

The Kushan Empire had many gods and goddesses shown on their coins. These coins were made from gold, silver, and copper and had pictures of more than thirty different gods. The gods came from the people's own Iranian background, as well as from Greek and Indian traditions.

Some of the gods shown on the coins include Buddha, Zeus, Helios, and Shiva. The coins also showed kings and important spiritual figures from different cultures. The coins changed over time, with some later ones showing mainly two gods: Ardoxsho and Oesho.

Kushans and Buddhism

The Kushans supported Buddhist traditions that they inherited from the Indo-Greek Kingdom, which helped them grow as a trading power. During their rule from the mid-1st century to the mid-3rd century, Buddhism spread to China and other parts of Asia through the Silk Road.

Kanishka is famous in Buddhist history for holding a large meeting of Buddhist leaders in Kashmir. Along with other important rulers like Menander I, Ashoka, and Harsha Vardhana, he is remembered as a great supporter of Buddhism. In the 1st century AD, Buddhist books were written and carried by monks and traders. Monasteries were built along trade routes from China and other Asian lands. This helped create a new written language called Gandhara, used in eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. Scholars have found many Buddhist scrolls written in this language.

Kushan art

Main articles: Kushan art, Greco-Buddhist art, and Art of Mathura

The art of the Kushan Empire, especially in the area known as Gandhara, mixed many different styles. Artists there created special kinds of art that combined Greek, Persian, and Indian ideas. Many pictures from this time show people from the Kushan Empire as followers of Buddha, wearing clothes like tunics and trousers.

One important place for early Kushan art is Khalchayan, where artists started making portraits that look very similar to later works in Gandhara. These pictures show faces and styles that appear in both Gandhara art and the art of the Kushan rulers.

During the time of the Kushan Empire, artists in Gandhara often showed figures with curly hair and heavy clothing, mixing many different cultures into their work. When the Kushans ruled the area of Mathura, they helped create many standing statues of Buddha, which was a big change from earlier Buddhist art that avoided pictures of Buddha.

• Dated Buddhist statuary under the Kushans

Kanishka I:
Kosambi Bodhisattva, inscribed "Year 2 of Kanishka" (AD 129).

Kanishka I:
Bala Bodhisattva, Sarnath, inscribed "Year 3 of Kanishka" (AD 130).

Kanishka I:
Kimbell seated Bodhisattva, with inscription "Year 4 of Kanishka" (AD 131). Another similar statue has "Year 32 of Kanishka".

Kanishka I:
Buddha from Loriyan Tangai with inscription mentioning the "year 318" of the Yavana era (AD 143).

Vasudeva I:
Hashtnagar Buddha and its piedestal, inscribed with "year 384" of the Yavana era (c. AD 209).

Vasudeva I:
Mamane Dheri Buddha, inscribed with "Year 89", probably of the Kanishka era (AD 216).

Kanishka II:
Statue of Hariti from Skarah Dheri, Gandhara, "Year 399" of the Yavana era (AD 244).

Kushan monetary system

Main article: Kushan coinage

The Kushans used gold pieces as money. These gold pieces were found in Dalverzin Tepe and came in different shapes. Some were round and could be cut into smaller parts for trading, while others were shaped like blocks and were kept whole as stored wealth. These block-shaped pieces had writing on them in Kharoshthi, showing their weight and mentioning the god Mitra, who protected agreements.

The Kushans made many coins, which were important for sharing messages about their rulers. Their coins were used far away, influencing coin designs in places like the west and east. Even later empires, such as the Gupta Empire, started by copying Kushan coins before developing their own styles.

Scientists have studied the gold from Kushan coins and found it contains certain elements that suggest it did not come from Rome, as once thought. The exact origin of the Kushan gold is still a mystery.

Contacts with Rome

Main article: Indo-Roman trade relations

Long ago, the Kushan Empire had important contacts with the Roman Empire. Roman coins have been found together with coins from the Kushan emperor Kanishka the Great. Some Kushan coins even show a symbol of Rome, showing that they knew about each other and traded.

Ambassadors from the kings of Bactria, which was part of the Kushan Empire, visited Roman emperors like Hadrian and Antoninus Pius. Goods from Rome, such as glassware, were found in the Kushan summer capital of Kapisa. Chinese records also mention Roman goods like fine cotton cloths, perfumes, sugar candy, pepper, ginger, and black salt being present in the Kushan lands. Trade between the Kushan Empire and Rome happened by sea and through the Indus River.

Contacts with China

During the 1st and 2nd century AD, the Kushan Empire grew stronger to the north and became important in Central Asian trade. They worked together with the Chinese, especially with the Han dynasty general Ban Chao, to protect against attacks from nearby groups. For example, they helped fight against a group trying to support a rebellion in Kashgar in 84 AD. Later, around 85 AD, they also helped in an attack on Turpan, east of the Tarim Basin.

Even though the Kushans helped the Chinese, when they asked for a Han princess in return, their request was refused. In 86 AD, they tried to attack Ban Chao with a large force but were defeated by a smaller Chinese army. After this, the Kushans retreated and showed respect to the Chinese Empire during the time of emperor He of Han (89–106).

Later, in 158–159 AD, the Kushans sent gifts to the Chinese court again. These meetings led to more cultural sharing. Kushan Buddhist teachers, like Lokaksema, traveled to Chinese cities such as Luoyang and sometimes Nanjing. They helped translate important Buddhist writings, playing a big role in spreading Buddhism along the Silk Road transmission of Buddhism.

Decline

Kushano-Sassanians

Main article: Kushano-Sasanians

After the Kushan empire split in 225, the western part was taken over by the Persian Sasanian Empire. The Sasanians set up rulers called the Kushano-Sasanians to govern these lands. These new rulers kept many Kushan traditions, especially in their coins and titles.

"Little Kushans" and Gupta suzerainty

The eastern part of the Kushan empire, called the "Little Kushans", was based in the Punjab area. By the mid-4th century, this area was taken over by the Gupta Empire under Samudragupta. The Kushans had to accept Gupta rule and lost much of their power and wealth.

Sasanian, Kidarite and Alchon invasions

In the 350s, the Sasanian Empire took back control of parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan from the Kushano-Sasanians. Later, the Kidarite Huns took over from the Kushano-Sasanians. Finally, the Alchon Huns ended what was left of Kushan culture in the northwest.

Rulers

Here is a list of some of the rulers of the Kushan Empire with their approximate dates:

• Heraios (around 1 – 30), the first king to call himself "Kushan" on his coins
• Kujula Kadphises (around 50 – around 90)
• Vima Takto (around 90 – around 113), also known as Soter Megas or "Great Saviour."
• Vima Kadphises (around 113 – around 127) The first great Kushan Emperor
• Kanishka the Great (127 – around 151)
• Huvishka (around 151 – around 190)
• Vasudeva I (around 190 – around 230) The last great Kushan Emperor
• Kanishka II (around 230 – 247)
• Vashishka (around 247 – 267)

"Little Kushans";

• Kanishka III (around 267 – 270)
• Vasudeva II (around 270 – 300)
• Mahi (around 300 – 305)
• Shaka (around 305 – 335)
• Kipunada (around 335 – 350)