It was in eastern and northern afghanistan and the northwest of india. The kushans fostered a mixed culture that is best illustrated by the variety of deitiesgrecoroman. Kushan heraios,tyrant of the kushan circa 5 bcad5 or later. The kushan people who moved into afghanistan in the 1st century ad were originally a nomadic group found in central asia around the ferghana valley in central asia then moved into afghanistan. Jul 01, 2015 the kushan language differed from bactrian but was similar to khotanese saka sourcelanguages and literature of kushan empire it also seems that kushans carried with them chinese astronomical elements known from their gansu days sourcelanguages and literature of kushan empire of course, we have chinese sources confirming their yuezhigansu origins.
Over the ruins of the empire, in central asia and the west, rose the sassanian empire of persia and in india. Kushan empire in the early 2nd century bc, a tribe on the central asian frontier of china called hsiungnu defeated a neighboring one known as yuehchih. The kushan empire and buddhism a kanishka and the fourth council in kashmir according to buddhist wisdom, kanishka was a cruel and impious person, who later turns to buddhism through the marvelous teachings of the buddha. Oct 10, 2015 the art of mathura both precedes and postdates kushan art over a total span of about 1,000 years, but the mathura workshops were most active and productive during the rule of the kushan emperors. That empire would make a profound decision, and that decision would revolutionize all of asia.
Kushanas are considered to be one of the five branches of the yuezhi tribe who. The sasanian ruler ardashir led his forces from the plateau of iran into kushan territory soon after 226, and the northwestern areas of the former kushan empire were incorporated into the sasanian state of kushanshar. The kushan empire survived for about 90 years after kanishkas death. The kushans spread from the kabul river valley to defeat other central asian tribes that had previously conquered parts of the northern central iranian. Fate of empires university of north carolina at wilmington.
The kushanas had originally belonged to the regions of western china. The contribution of the kushan empire to buddhism essay cram. Shapur is inscription on the kacbe of zoroaster at naqshi rustam claims to have incorporated the kingdom of the kushans up to peshawar in the sasanian empire. Especially kanishka, huvishka and vasudeva second and third centuries a. The yuezhi conquered bactria in the 2nd century bce and divided the country into five chiefdoms, one of which was that of the kushans guishuang. He played the key role in establishing the kushan empire and his coins are very numerous in the finds. Given their central location between the mediterranean and china, the kushans linked europe and asia and helped connect parthia persia, rome. At the beginning of our era, the powerful kushan empire appeared on the historical stage. Developments were made in irrigation, cropraising and breeding, building and handicrafts. However, for proper understanding and appreciation of the kushan art, it must be. Ncert notes on important topics for the ias aspirants. One of the successors of kanishka was vasudeva who is considered to be a shiva worshipper and the figures of shiva is found on his coins had.
The history of the kushan empire presents many difficulties, given the paucity and heterogeneity of the grecoroman, syrian, indian, and chinese sources. It spread tae encompass much o afghanistan, an then the northren pairts o the indian. Most historians consider the empire to have variously extended as far east as the middle ganges plain, to varanasi on the confluence of the ganges and the jumna, or probably even pataliputra. Kusansahr represented a major world power in central asia and northern india. Kushan empire coins for sale buy kushan empire coins. Under the rule of the kushans, northwest india and adjoining regions participated both in seagoing trade and in commerce along the silk road to china. Explore the history of kushan empire which was a part of immense cultural, economic, political and geographical growth. Kushan control fragmented into semiindependent kingdoms as the sassanians attacked from the west and the guptas attacked from the east, collapsing the kushan empire around 375 ce. From the kushans to the western turks 200 the kushan empire in east iran the. Kushan territories full line an maximum extent o kushan dominions unner kanishka the great dottit line, accordin tae the rabatak inscription. The kushan empire was a vast inland empire that stretched across central and south asia during the first to fourth centuries ad.
History of india, indian history, kamasutra about the wives of other people chapter 1. Kushan dynasty, kushan also spelled kusana, ruling line descended from the yuezhi, a people that ruled over most of the northern indian subcontinent, afghanistan, and parts of central asia during the first three centuries of the common era. One of five branches of the yuezhi, who invaded bactria in 5 bce, and spread southeast to form the kushan empire around 30 ce. Advisor of chandragupta who wrote ancient political handbook known as the arthashastra, a manual offering detailed instructions on the uses of power and the principles of government. The kings of the kushana empire had assumed eloquent titles such as maharaj, rajatiraj king of kings etc. The kushan language differed from bactrian but was similar to khotanese saka sourcelanguages and literature of kushan empire it also seems that kushans carried with them chinese astronomical elements known from their gansu days sourcelanguages and literature of kushan empire of course, we have chinese sources confirming their yuezhigansu origins. Ninety years may be a short period of time in the grand scale of all things historical but it isnt so for me. The kushans played an important role in the trade along the silk roads. The first mention of the yuchi the tribal confederacy the kushans came to dominate is in the second century bc, under pressure from the nomadic hsiungnu they are pushed westwards into the greek kingdom of bactria, which they conquer before 129 bc. What was the kushan empire a prosperous participant in. The kushanas defeated the shakas and the pahlavasparthinians and went on to create a big empire in afganistan, pakistan and northern parts of india. The gandhara region at the core of the kushan empire was home to a multiethnic society tolerant of religious differences. The kushan empire chapter 7 empires of ancient eurasia. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
The kushan religious pantheon is extremely varied, as revealed by their coins and their seals, on which more than 30 different gods appear, belonging to the hellenistic, the iranian, and to a lesser extent the indian world. The kushan empire began in the early 1st century as a branch of the yuezhi, a confederation of ethnically indoeuropeans nomads who lived in eastern central asia. Pdf the mint cities of the kushan empire robert bracey. Pdf the mint cities of the kushan empire researchgate. The kushan empire reached its greatest extent during the reign of kaniska, whose legacy as a powerful emperor is preserved in inscriptions, textual traditions, archaeological remains, and coins. Sep 11, 2009 kushan empire in the early 2nd century bc, a tribe on the central asian frontier of china called hsiungnu defeated a neighboring one known as yuehchih. As the kushan empire was situated in a crucial geographical region.
During the first to midthird centuries ce, the empire of the kushans mid. The art of mathura both precedes and postdates kushan art over a total span of about 1,000 years, but the mathura workshops were most active and productive during the rule of the kushan emperors. The cities and towns of khorezm during the kushan period were fortified. Role of kushana empire in buddhism and hinduism by adesh katariya plast. The rise of the empire of the kushans is an important landmark in the history of central. These notes will also be useful for other competitive exams like banking po, ssc, state civil services exams and so on. Kesaro, alleging a mistake in the writing of k that is zshaped, a suggestion i. Kushana empire and the silk route their capital was purushpura currently peswar in pakistan 3. Following the death of vasudeva around 228, kushan history entered a period of decline. Can the kushan empire be considered as one the great. These coins became the model for the kushan dynasty succesive dynasties in.
Free research papers are not written by our writers, they are contributed by users, so we are not responsible for the content of this free sample paper. Yu taishan, the origin of the kushans, sinoplatonic papers, 212 july 2011 3 distant by 5,962 li. Kushan empire coins for sale buy kushan empire coins from. They had diplomatic contacts with rome, sassanian persia and china, and. A brief overview the kushan or kushano of the epigraphical and numismatic sources of india and central asia, and kueishauang of the chinese sources1 2 was the name of a tribe which together with other tribes formed a tribal confederacy of rather mixed origin. The yuezhi people conquered bactria in the second century b. Kushan, kushanosasanian, and kidarite coins oxbow books. Like asoka, he regretted his misdeed and took refuge in the triple gems buddha, dharma, and sangha.
Speaking in general about the achievement of the kushans, the first is the economic prosperity. Follows a statement regarding the writing of the inscription itself. The empire was created by the kushan tribe of the yuezhi, a people from modern xinjiang, china, possibly related to the tocharians. Jan 09, 2012 the kings of the kushana empire had assumed eloquent titles such as maharaj, rajatiraj king of kings etc. Kushan seen on existing coins and in the inscriptions found in central asia and the northwest subcontinent. Bactrian writing was widely used throughout the kushan empire both for official pur poses and for everyday life. It spread to encompass much of afghanistan, and then the northern parts of the. Indian history kushans and kanishkas,iasips free study. Kabul city, was probably a summer palace of the kushan empire after the.
The only samples of kushangenerated writing we possess are coin legends and a small number of inscriptions, mostly fragmentary, that have. Notes on the yuezhi kushan relationship and kushan chronology. The kushans spread from the kabul river valley to defeat other central asian tribes that had previously. Propecia cost per pill fda approved pharmacy canada. Economy and social systems in central asia in the kushan age the kushan age the first to the fourth century ad was a time of great innovation for the economy of central asia. The kushanas defeated the shakas and the pahlavasparthinians and went on to create a big empire in. Kusan, bactrian kosano of the 1st3rd centuries ce i. Kushan empire simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Pdf kushan coins do not have mint names on them so the attribution of coins to particular mints is difficult. It was in eastern and northern afghanistan and the northwest of india the kushan were a branch of the yuezhi confederation. The yuezhi conquered bactria in the 2nd century bce and divided the country into five chiefdoms, one of. However interpreted, the sasanian conquest of the western kushan provinces is a further. This sample kushan empire research paper is published for educational and informational purposes only. The kushan were a branch of the yuezhi confederation. After more conflict, the survivors of the yuehchih were dislocated west, passing down the ili river valley and along the southern shore of lake issyk kul. The kushan empire was a syncretic empire, formed by yuezhi, in the bactrian territories in the early 1st century. Some scholars connect the kushans with the tocharians of the tarim basin in china, caucasian people whose blonde or redhaired mummies have long puzzled observers. Kharoshthi inscriptions with exception of those of asoka. Notes on the yuezhi kushan relationship and kushan. Eventually, the kushan empire divided into two halfs, and one half was conquered by the sassanid empire of persia while the other was taken over by the guptas of india. Previously a nomadic people living in eastern central asia, the yuezhi moved.
Kushan art, art produced during the kushan dynasty from about the late 1st to the 3rd century ce in an area that now includes parts of central asia, northern india, pakistan, and afghanistan. Expansion and decline of the kushan empire the kushan empire was an empire in south asia originally formed in the early 1st century ce in the territories of ancient bactria around the oxus river. Sep 15, 2016 the kushan empire was a syncretic empire, formed by yuezhi, in the bactrian territories in the early 1st century. The fact remains, however, that the kushans fell to the sassanians. Economy and social systems in central asia in the kushan age. Economy and social systems in central asia in the kushan. Desirable for its strategic location, with direct access to the overland silk routes and links to the ports on the arabian sea, gandhara had suffered many conquests during its long history by the achaemenid persians, by. Recognizing the importance of unification, these five tribes combined under the one dominate kushan tribe, and the primary rulers descended from the yuezhi.
Chapter 6 art and architecture art kushan empire, which emerged as a major civilizing force in the orient during the first three centuries of christian era, made remarkable contribution towards the development of art and architecture1. The yuchi undergo a number of changes in the next century or so and come to be dominated by one tribe, the. Kushan empire bactrian greek 30375 a map of india in the 2nd century ce showing the extent of the kushan empire during the reign of kanishka. The origin of the guishuang is one of the weak links in research on kushan history. If you want to buy a high quality research paper on history topics at affordable price please use custom research paper writing services. Although this empire ruled a significant part of the southern central asia, khorezm remained an independent kingdom. Notes on the yuezhi kushan relationship and kushan chronology by hans loeschner professor michael fedorov provided a rejoinder1 with respect to several statements in the article2 a new oeshoshiva image of sasanian peroz taking power in the northern part of the kushan empire. Koves, margit 2001, stein the hungarian scholar pdf, himalayan and central asian studies. Up to now there seems to be no hypothesis that is internally consistent. However, for proper understanding and appreciation of. Kushana origin kushana was a gotra subtribe of yuezhi guzar, also called tushar.