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Kushan Empire

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The Kushan or Kaswan Empire was first formed in the early 1st century AD. It was located in Afghanistan, most of Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and parts of northwest India.[13][14]

Kushan Empire
Κοϸανο  (Bactrian)
Βασιλεία Κοσσανῶν  (Ancient Greek)
कुषाणसाम्राज्यम्  (Sanskrit)
30–375
Map of Kushan empire at its greatest extent.[1][2]
Map of Kushan empire at its greatest extent.[1][2]
CapitalPuruṣapura
Takṣaśilā
Mathura[3]
Common languagesGreek (official until c. 127)[note 1]
Bactrian[note 1] (official from c. 127)[note 2]
Gandhari Prakrit[6]
Religion
Hinduism[7]
Buddhism[8]
Zoroastrianism[9]
Demonym(s)Kushanas
GovernmentMonarchy
Emperor 
• 30–80
Kujula Kadphises (first)
• 350–375
Kipunada (last)
Historical eraClassical Antiquity
• 
30
• 
375
Area
200 (low-end estimate of peak area)[10]2,000,000 km2 (770,000 sq mi)
200 (high-end estimate of peak area)[11]3.5–4,000,000 km2 (1.4–1,544,408.6 sq mi)
CurrencyKushan drachma
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Indo-Greek Kingdom
20px Indo-Parthian Kingdom
File:Map of the Indo-Scythians.png Indo-Scythians
File:Map of the Northern Satraps (Northern Sakas).jpg Northern Satraps
20px Western Satraps
File:Map of the Maha-Meghavahanas.png Maha-meghavahanas
Sasanian Empire File:Derafsh Kaviani flag of the late Sassanid Empire.svg
Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom
Nagas of Padmavati
Kidarites
Nagas of Vindhyatabi

The Kushan were a branch of the Yuezhi or tibetian confederation.[15][16] Previously a nomadic people living in eastern Central Asia, the Yuezhi moved southwest and settled in ancient Bactria.[16]

Kushan Empire Media

  • Yuezhi nobleman and priest over a fire altar. Noin-Ula.

  • Koshanoy.jpg

    The ethnonym "KOϷϷANO" (Koshshano, "Kushan") in Greek alphabet (with the addition of the letter Ϸ, "Sh") on a coin of the first known Kushan ruler Heraios (1st century AD).

  • Kushan script.jpg

    Greek alphabet (narrow columns) with Kushan script (wide columns)

  • Bengal. Samatata. Coin of Vira Jadamarah imitative of Kushan coinage of Kanishka I. Circa 2nd-3rd century CE.jpg

    Eastern reach as far as Bengal: Samatata coinage of king Vira Jadamarah, in imitation of the Kushan coinage of Kanishka I. The text of the legend is a meaningless imitation. Bengal, circa 2nd-3rd century AD.

  • Rectangle (plain).svg

    A rectangle

  • Kumara, The Divine General LACMA M.85.279.3.jpg

    Kumara/Kartikeya with a Kushan devotee, 2nd century AD

  • Gandhara, omaggio di un re kushana al bodhisattva, II-III sec.JPG

    Kushan prince, said to be Huvishka, making a donation to a Boddhisattva.

  • Relief Showing Shiva Linga Worshipped by Saka Devotees - Kushan Period - Dampier Nagar - ACCN 36-2661 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-23 5614.JPG

    Shiva Linga worshipped by Kushan devotees, circa 2nd century AD

  • Kanishka I with Manaobago.jpg

    Kanishka I with Manaobago.

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Kushans at first retained the Greek language for administrative purposes but soon began to use Bactrian. The Bactrian Rabatak inscription (discovered in 1993 and deciphered in 2000) records that the Kushan king Kanishka the Great (c. 127 AD), discarded Greek (Ionian) as the language of administration and adopted Bactrian ("Arya language").[4]
  2. ↑ The Pali word vaṃśa (dynasty) affixed to Gushana (Kushana), i.e. Gushana-vaṃśa (Kushan dynasty) appears on a dedicatory inscription at Manikiala stupa.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
  2. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
  3. ↑ Rosenfield, John M. (1993). The Dynastic Art of the Kushans. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal. ISBN 81-215-0579-8.
  4. ↑ Falk 2001, p. 133.
  5. ↑ Rosenfield 1967, pp. 7 & 8.
  6. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
  7. ↑ Bopearachchi 2007, p. 45.
  8. ↑ Liu 2010, p. 61.
  9. ↑ Golden 1992, p. 56.
  10. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
  11. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
  12. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
  13. ↑ Hill (2009), pp. 29, 318–350
  14. ↑ The Dynasty Arts of the Kushans, University of California Press, 1967, p. 5
  15. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
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