Kushan Empire

The Kushan Empire (Sanskrit: कुषाण राजवंश (Kuṣāṇ Rājavaṃśa), BHS: Guṣāṇa-vaṃśa, Parthian: Kušanxšaθr[2]) was first formed in the early 1st century AD. It was in eastern and northern Afghanistan and the north-west of India[3] established by people of Turkic origin who had earlier migrated from Central Asia.[4]

Kushan Empire
कुषाण राजवंश
<span title="Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Language/data/ISO 639 override' not found. transliteration" class="Unicode" style="white-space:normal; text-decoration: none">Kuṣāṇ Rājavaṃśa
30–375
Kushan territories (full line) and maximum extent of Kushan dominions under Kanishka (dotted line), according to the Rabatak inscription.[1]
Kushan territories (full line) and maximum extent of Kushan dominions under Kanishka (dotted line), according to the Rabatak inscription.[1]
CapitalPeshawar
Begram
Taxila
Mathura
Common languagesPali Prakrit
Bactrian
Sanskrit
Greek
Religion
Hinduism
Buddhism
Zoroastrianism
Greco-Buddhism
Ancient Greek religion
GovernmentMonarchy
Emperor 
• c. 60-c. 80
Kujula Kadphises
• 350–375
Kipunada
Historical eraClassical Antiquity
• 
30
• 
375
CurrencyKushan Drachm
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Maurya Empire
Indo-Scythians
Gupta Empire
Sassanid Empire
Today part of Afghanistan
 India
 Iran
 Pakistan
 Tajikistan
 Uzbekistan

The Kushan were a branch of the Yuezhi confederation.[5][6] Previously a nomadic people living in eastern Central Asia, the Yuezhi moved southwest and settled in ancient Bactria.[6]

Kushan Empire Media

Notes

  1. "The Rabatak inscription claims that in the year 1 Kanishka I's authority was proclaimed in India, in all the satrapies and in different cities like Koonadeano (Kundina), Ozeno (Ujjain), Kozambo (Kausambi), Zagedo (Saketa), Palabotro (Pataliputra) and Ziri-Tambo (Janjgir-Champa). These cities lay to the east and south of Mathura, up to which locality Wima had already carried his victorious arm. Therefore they must have been captured or subdued by Kanishka I himself." "Ancient Indian Inscriptions", S. R. Goyal, p. 93. See also the analysis of Sims-Williams and J.Cribb, who had a central role in the decipherment: "A new Bactrian inscription of Kanishka the Great", in "Silk Road Art and Archaeology" No4, 1995–1996. Also Mukherjee B.N. "The Great Kushanan Testament", Indian Museum Bulletin.
  2. The Dynasty Arts of the Kushans, University of California Press, 1967, p. 5
  3. Hill (2009), pp. 29, 318–350
  4. Keown, D. (2004): A Dictionary of Buddhism - Kuṣāṇa. Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780198605607 10.1093
  5. Runion, Meredith L. (2007). The history of Afghanistan. Westport: Greenwood Press. p. 46. ISBN 9780313337987. The Yuezhi people conquered Bactria in the second century B.C.E. and divided the country into five chiefdoms, one of which would become the Kushan Empire. Recognizing the importance of unification, these five tribes combined under the one dominate Kushan tribe, and the primary rulers descended from the Yuezhi.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Liu, Xinrui (2001). Adas, Michael (ed.). Agricultural and pastoral societies in ancient and classical history. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. p. 156. ISBN 9781566398329.