Overview

• The Kushans (Kuei-Shang) were one of the five principalities of the Great Yueh-chi (Yuezhi) tribe.
• They were nomadic people from the north Central Asian steppes (near China).
• The empire stretched broadly from the Oxus to the Ganges and from Khorasan (Central Asia) to parts of North India.
• They shaped the region’s political, economic, and cultural landscape.
• Known patrons of Buddhism and developers of Gandhara art.

About the Kushan Empire

• A powerful Central Asian empire (roughly 1st to 3rd centuries CE).
• Played a key role in trade, diplomacy, and cultural exchange across regions.
• Contemporary to:
  • Western Satraps (Sakas)
  • Satavahanas
  • Early Guptas

History and Expansion

• The Kushans were descendants of the Yuezhi.
• 2nd century BCE: Yuezhi conquered Bactria and divided it into five chiefdoms; one was Kushan.
• About a century later: Kujula Kadphises unified the Yuezhi chiefdoms under Kushan control.
• Expansion pattern:
  • Occupied Bactria / North Afghanistan, displacing the Sakas
  • Moved to Kabul valley
  • Conquered Gandhara by crossing the Hindu Kush
  • Replaced Greek and Parthian rule in parts of the northwest
  • Controlled lower Indus basin and a significant part of the Gangetic basin
• Political legitimacy:
  • Many rulers adopted Devaputra (“son of god”), possibly influenced by the Chinese idea of “sons of heaven”.
• Literary reference:
  • Kalhana’s Rajatarangini describes Kushan rule and their benevolence towards Buddhism.

Famous Kushan Rulers

1) Kujula Kadphises (Kadphises I)

• Founder figure who consolidated Kushan power by displacing Sakas.
• Occupied Kabul valley.
• Minted copper coins in a Roman-style pattern.
• Coins suggest links with Buddhism.
• Titles adopted:
  • dharmathida
  • sachadharmathida

2) Wima Kadphises (Kadphises II)

• Succeeded Kadphises I.
• Took Gandhara from the Parthians.
• Expanded east of Indus up to the Mathura region.
• Minted gold coins.
• Used titles like “Lord of the Whole World”.
• Follower of Shaivism.

3) Kanishka (Most Powerful)

• Often placed around 78–101/102 CE (traditional dating used in many notes).
• Expanded rule from Central Asia to North India, including Kashmir.
• Patron of Buddhism and scholars:
  • Vasumitra
  • Asvaghosha
  • Nagarjuna
• Religious tolerance:
  • Coins depict Buddha along with Greek and Hindu gods.
• Fourth Buddhist Council:
  • Held at Kundalvan (Kashmir)
  • Presided by Vasumitra
  • Linked (in many notes) to doctrinal crystallisation and later Mahayana prominence
• Capitals:
  • Mathura (important)
  • Purushapura (Peshawar) as a major capital centre
• Campaigns:
  • Notes mention expeditions towards China with mixed outcomes.
• Inscription:
  • Rabatak inscription mentions Kanishka’s lineage/ancestors including Kujula Kadphises.

4) Huvishka

• Expanded the empire.
• Promoted Buddhism and Zoroastrianism.
• Credited with building Buddhist monasteries and stupas.

5) Vasudeva I

• Period marked by territorial expansion and internal conflict.
• His reign shows declining Kushan power in some areas.

Administration

• Mixed system with centralised authority and decentralised provincial control.
• Provincial setup:
  • Empire divided into Satraps (provinces)
  • Each ruled by a Mahakshatrapa (military governor)
• Local administration:
  • Gramika and Padrapala acted as village-level heads for:
    • Collecting royal dues
    • Investigating crimes in their area
• Succession:
  • Notes mention dual hereditary rule (two rulers ruling concurrently).
• Titles and polity:
  • “King of Kings” suggests tribute from subordinate rulers.
  • Devaputra central to Kushan political ideology.
• Military administration:
  • Satraps used semi-military officers:
    • dandanayaka
    • mahadandanayaka
• Key officials mentioned:
  • bakanpati (religious affairs)
  • danapati (donations)
  • padrapala (also linked in some notes with uncultivated land around villages)

Economy

• Primarily trade-driven, agriculture relatively secondary.
• Sources for studying economy:
  • Numismatics
  • Literature
  • Epigraphy
  • Archaeology

Agriculture

• Minor role compared to trade.
• Emphasis on irrigation to boost output.
• Earliest evidence of extensive irrigation (in Pakistan–Afghanistan belt) is linked to Kushan period in some archaeological notes.

Coinage

• Coins of high quality; aligned with Roman weight standards in many descriptions.
• Titles on coins include:
  • king of kings
  • Caesar
  • lord of all lands

Trade

• Controlled key parts of the Silk Route.
• Internal trade reflected through sites like:
  • Begram
  • Ahichchhatra
  • Kausambi
• External trade:
  • Strong links with the Roman Empire
  • Roman demand for Chinese silk; Silk Road connected these markets.

Merchant Classes

• vanik (petty merchant)
• sarthavaha (caravan trader)
• vyavahari (trader)
• sreshthi (rich trader; leader of guild)

Crafts and Occupations (Terms)

• Construction superintendent: navakarmikah
• Actors: sailakah
• Carpenters: vaddhaki
• Perfumers: gamdhika
• Goldsmith: suvarnakara
• Clothmakers: pravarika
• Jewellers: manikara

Religion

• Pluralistic and multicultural religious environment.
  
• Practised and represented traditions:
  
  • Zoroastrianism
  • Buddhism
  • Hindu/Brahmanical traditions
  • Iranian, Greek, Buddhist, and Zoroastrian deities appear on coinage.
• Under Kanishka:
  
  • Iranian ideas prominent; Nana noted as presiding deity in some descriptions.
  • Also strong patron of Buddhism; associated with the fourth Buddhist council.
  • Linked with rise/spread of Mahayana Buddhism.
  • Missions sent towards China and Central Asia for Buddhist spread.
• Under Huvishka:
  
  • Wider inclusion of Greek, Brahmanical, Buddhist, and even Roman deities on coins.

Art, Architecture, Literature

Art and Architecture (General)

• Major artistic traditions patronised:
  • Gandhara Art (Greek/Hellenistic influence)
  • Mathura Art (more indigenous)
• Architecture:
  • Growth of chaityas and viharas
  • Expansion of rock-cut religious spaces; western India cave tradition mentioned in many notes.

Literature and Scholars

• Asvaghosha:
  • Buddhacharita
  • Saundarananda
  • SariputraPrakaran
• Nagarjuna:
  • Paramita Sutras
• Vasumitra:
  • Mahavibasha Shastra
• Charaka:
  • Charaka Samhita

Gandhara Art (Key Features)

• Also called Indo-Greek art due to Hellenistic influence.
• Material:
  • Early: bluish-gray sandstone
  • Later: mud and stucco
• Mostly Buddhist imagery, with Greco-Roman pantheon influence.
• Developed in North West Frontier.
• Buddha shown with wavy hair and a spiritual posture.

Mathura Art (Key Features)

• Developed indigenously without major outside influence.
• Material: spotted red sandstone
• Influenced all three religions:
  • Hinduism
  • Jainism
  • Buddhism
• Developed around:
  • Mathura
  • Kankalitila (noted for Jain sculptures)
  • Sonkh
• Buddha often shown with a joyful expression; attire depiction linked to masculinity in some notes.

Decline

• Decline begins in the 3rd century CE due to:
  • Internal strife
  • Economic challenges
  • Pressure from rising powers
• After Kanishka, successors ruled for about 150 years (as mentioned in many notes).
• Post Vasudeva I (c. 225 CE):
  • Empire split into western and eastern halves
• Mid-3rd century:
  • Sassanian power (Iran) replaced Kushans in Afghanistan and west of the Indus.
• Kushan remnants survived in:
  • Kabul valley
  • Kapisa
  • Bactria
  • till about the 4th century
• Their decline paved the way for the rise of the Gupta Empire in India.