Kushan Empire

Kushan Empire: The Kushanas (Kuei-shang) Empire was one of the five Great Yueh-chi principalities and was part of a series of tribal movements that began in Central Asia. The Kushana Empire was unified and founded by Kujuka Kadphises in the early 1st century C.E., and this empire continued to reign until 230 C.E. The empire expanded into the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent, establishing control over the Indus Valley and the Mathura region.

The empire reached its zenith during the reign of Kanishka. The empire developed its notion of kinship and acknowledged the religious diversity that existed within the empire. Historians have referred to various archaeological and literary sources to understand the importance of this empire and its contribution to shaping ancient Indian history.

Read below to learn about the Kushana Empire in depth.

Kushan Empire

Emergence of Kushan Empire and its consolidation

Yueh-chi and Hiung-ni were two factions of the tribal movement, which came about as a result of a series of tribal movements that began in central Asia. One fraction of Yueh-chi was split into sections, i.e., Little Yueh-chi and Great Yueh-chi. The Great Yueh-chi was split into two principalities, and the Kuei-shang became one of the principalities that went east and consolidated their control over the Indus Valley and the Mathura region. The Kushana Empire began as a central Asian kingdom, with Bactria being the center of this empire. Kujula Kadphises, in the early 1st century C.E., amalgamated the five principalities and laid the foundation of a unified Kushana empire. His son Vima Kadphises went on to rule independently, conquer Kandahar from the Parthians, and control the Indus Valley.

The Kushana empire consisted of various tiers of control. Some areas are under the direct control of the kings, and others are under subordinate rulers with the title kshtrapa or mahakshatrapa. Some of the subordinate rulers merely acknowledged Kushana paramountcy and paid tribute. Others, such as the Kshatrapa Chastana, recognized the suzerainty of the Kushana emperor but remained more or less autonomous.

Kushan Empire and its expansion under Kanishka

It was during Kanishka’s reign that the Kushana empire reached its zenith. Scholars have considered his reign to have begun in 78 C.E. Kanishka was the son of Vima Kadphises and the grandson of Saddashkana. The Rabatak inscription states that during Kanishka’s reign, the Kushana empire expanded further east into the Ganga valley and extended to Pataliputra and Champa in the east. Kaudinyapura (Kaudinya) in the Amaravati district of Maharashtra marked the southern border of the empire. Kanishka’s empire included most of Afghanistan, parts of Sindhu, parts of Parthia, Punjab, Kashmir, parts of Magadha (including Pataliputra), Malwa, Benaras, perhaps parts of Bengal, Khotan, Kashgar, and Yarkhand (the last three in modern China), and covered Gandhara, Peshawar, Oudh, and Pataliputra. His kingdom also included the eastern part of Xinjiang in China and extended till north of the Oxus river in central Asia.

Kanishka’s Religious Contributions

Kanishka has been considered a great patron of Buddhism in Buddhist texts; he enshrined the Buddha’s relics in a stupa at Purushapura, and it became the center of a major monastery. Kanishka is believed to have patronized Buddhist scholars such as Ashvaghosha and Vasumitra. Missionaries were sent to Kashgar, China, and Yunan. Kushanas and their Notion of Divine Kingship. The title Devaputra has been used to refer to the Kushana kings. This can be referred to as how the position of the king has been exalted to the extent of projecting him as divine, which was an idea common in various ancient empires. In one inscription called the Rabatak inscription, the emperor Kanishka was considered a ruler who had obtained kingship from Nana (a West Asian goddess) and was described as ‘the great deliverer, the god, the just, the autocrat, one who was worthy of worship.

Significance of the Kushana Empire

Historian B.N. Mukherjee has referred to the presence of diamond mines in Akara (eastern Malwa) and the expansion of the empire into regions of lower Indus due to its trade potential. The Hou Han-shu also states that the Kushanas became wealthy and powerful as a result of their conquest of Shen-tu (the lower Indus region). Kanishka was a patron of art and architecture, and the Gandhara School of Art flourished under him.

The Hou Han-shu also states that the Kushanas became wealthy and powerful as a result of their conquest of Shen-tu (the lower Indus region). Kanishka was a patron of art and architecture, and the Gandhara School of Art flourished under him.

• The Kushanas controlled large parts of the Silk Route, which contributed to the propagation of Buddhism into China.

• The Kushanas controlled large parts of the Silk Route, which contributed to the propagation of Buddhism into China.

Many towers, chaityas, towns, and beautiful sculptures were built under the patronage of the Kushana kings. Along with their direct political and military control of this enormous realm, the Kushans also exerted significant influence upon much of ancient Eurasia by playing a crucial role in facilitating cross-cultural exchange that characterized the first Silk Roads Era.

Successors of Kanishka and the Decline of the Empire

The successors of Kanishka were Kanishka I (127–150 CE), Huvishka (155–189 CE), Vasudeva I (195-225 CE), Kanishka II (227–247 CE), Vasishka (247–255 CE), Kanishka III (268 CE), and Vasudeva II (c. 275-297). The reign of Huvishka (150 CE–180 CE) was a period of consolidation for the Empire. His reign seems to have been peaceful, consolidating power in northern India and moving the center of the Kushan Empire to the southern capital city of Mathura. Vasudeva I (190 CE–230 CE) was the last of the Great Kushans. He was the last great Kushana emperor, and the end of his rule coincided with the invasion of the Sasanians as far as northwestern India. The decline of the Kushana Empire started during his reign.

The decline of the Kushanas led to the resurfacing of several polities that had been subdued by the Kushanas. Some of these polities that resurfaced were the Shaka Kshatrapas in western and central India and the Arjunayanas located in the Bharatpur and Alwar areas. The monarchies of this period included a number of kings ruling parts of north and central India, who were referred to collectively as Naga kings due to the ‘naga’ suffix in their names. The invasions of the White Huns in the fifth century, and later the expansion of Islam, ultimately wiped out the remnants of the Kushan empire.

Literary and archaeological sources of Kushana Empire

The Rabatak inscription was a valuable record that belonged to Kanishka’s reign. The 23-line inscription was written in Bactrian and Greek script. According to this inscription, Kanishka commanded an officer named Shaphara to construct a bago-laggo (temple) wherein images of the goddess Nana and several other deities were to be installed.

Several direct depictions of Kushans from Gandhara have been discovered. 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. Stone statues of Kushana kings have been found in temples at Surkh Kotal in Afghanistan and Mat near Mathura, and similar images were discovered at Rabatak. The coins that were minted during his reign depicted motifs that were drawn from a variety of Indian, Greek, and West Asian religious traditions. Apart from Buddhist and Hindu gods, there were representations of Persian gods such as Atash (fire god) and Mithra (sun god) and Greek deities such as Helios (sun god) and Selene (moon goddess).

The variety of religious motifs depicted on the coins reflect the king’s personal religious eclecticism or his attitude of religious tolerance. This can be considered an attempt by the empire and the king to connect themselves with the dieties worshipped in and around their area of authority. Many of the coins of King Huvishka depict motifs drawn from a great variety of Indian, Greek, and West Asian religious traditions. Many gold and copper coins have been excavated during the reigns of Huvishka and Kanishka II.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Kushana Empire has made a significant contribution to Indian ancient history. The empire was founded by Kujuka Kadphises. In the above article, we have provided complete information about the Kushana Empire’s emergence, expansion, and significance. Also explore literary sources and religious contributions during Kanishka’s reign.

FAQs on Kushana Empire

1. Where did the Kushanas originate from?

The Kushana Empire originally began as a central Asian kingdom and expanded into Afshanistan and north-western India. The center of this huge empire was Bactria.

2. Why did the kings use the title Devaputra?

This title was used in order to project the king as being divine and as the king who has obtained kingship from their gods and who can be considered a son of God.

3. Who defeated Kushanas?

The Gupta Empire took over the eastern part, while the Sassanid Empire took over the western part of the Kushana Empire.