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Kushana Empire
Kushanas are revered for their contribu on in economic, social and cultural prosperity in classical
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Kanishka (2) Later Kushanas Downfall of Kushana Empir...

Society and Civiliza on ... Kujala Kadphises I Origin of Kushanas

The Kushanas were a tribe who exercised their power on the North-West region of the ancient India. Vima
Kadphises was said to be the founder of the Kushana Empire and under him grew the Kushana Empire. It reached
its height of prosperity in the due course. Their empire extended ll the Ganges river valley in northern India. The
most important centers of the Kushana Empire were Purushapura, near modern Peshawar, and Mathura. The
Kushanas have a lot of Greek inuences in their culture as well as language.

Origin of Kushana Empire

The Kushanas are generally regarded as a branch of the nomadic Yue-chi tribe. In the early part of second century
B.C. The Yue-chi lived in the west of the Huang-ho river in the provinces of Kan-su, Ning-hsia, and Western China.
The name "Kushan" is derived from the Chinese term Guishang, which was used in historical wri ngs to describe
one branch of the Yuezhi. The Yuezhi was a loose confedera on of Indo-European people who had been living in
northwestern China un l they were driven out in 176-160 B.C. The Kushans built a strong territory encompassing
huge tracts of land in the foreign region as well. Especially under Kanishka, there was an extensive cultural exchange
with foreign countries, not only in terms of language, culture but also religious developments. Myths have it that the Kushana Empire
represented a 'dystopian' demonic empire.

Kushana Emperors
Kujula Kadphises (30-80 AD) established the Kushana dynasty in 78 AD by taking advantage of the feud exis ng between Pahalava
(Parthian) and Scytho-Parthians. His origins are pre y obscure, though it is considered that he was a descendant of the Kushan ruler
Heraios. He shares his name with some of the last Indo-Scythian rulers, such as Liaka Kusulaka or his son Pa ka Kusulaka. A family
connec on might be possible. During Kujula's reign coins with hellenis c tendencies have been discovered. Representa ons of Greek
demi-god Heracles along with the name of Kujala are pre y common. In the later years, he had been referred to as "Maharaja"or "Great
King" in the coins. Some of the Kujala coins can also be traced to the Roman origins.

There is uncertainty about Kanishka's rising to power, or accession to the throne. His reign is believed to have lasted 23 years in the
Kushana Empire. Kanishka's kingdom consisted of inheritance and some his own conquests, that extensively covered an area extending
from Bukhara in the west to Patna in the Ganges Valley in the east, and from the Pamirs in the north to central India in the south. Kanishka
set up his capital at Purusapura. It might be considered that he had crossed the Pamir Knot and subdued the kings of the city-states of
Khotan, Kashgar, and Yarkand who had previously been tributaries of the Hun emperors of China. This exchange with the foreign lands
precipitated the transference of Buddhism for the rst me in China in 2nd century under Kanishka. Kanishka was a devotee and a follower
of Lord Buddha and he convened the fourth great Buddhist council in Kashmir that marked the beginnings of Mahayana Buddhism. Here
the commentaries on the Buddhist canon were prepared and engraved on copper plates. The coins discovered show the prevalence of
Zoroastrian, Greek, and Brahmanic dei es along with the Buddha. The Saka era that was a system of da ng, is believed to have been
ini ated by Kanishka.

Administra on of Kushana Empire

The Kushana Empire was one of the most powerful Empires in ancient India. Kushanas were turbulent tribes, who established their Empire
in ancient India a er confron ng several obstacles. The Kushanas were mighty conquerors and the Kushana Empire stretched to a vast
extent including the en re parts of Northern and northwestern India. Kushana Empire not only extended within the limits of India, But also
to the countries of Central Asia. A chain of vibrant rulers belonging to the Kushana dynasty ruled ancient India and during their me India
a ained a thriving progress in the elds of art, architecture, literature and sciences.

The Kushana kings generally used exalted tles like Maharaja -raja (king of kings), Daivaputra (son of heaven), Soter (Saviour) and Kaisara
(Caesar). The rulers of the Kushana Empire were given the status which was almost parallel to that of a deity.

As per as the governance of the rulers are concerned, although they had an extensive territories they did not ruled in an imperialis c
 manner. The pa ern of rule diered from one place to another. Some places were directly governed by
the Kushana rulers while others were under the control of the local satraps. Some of the Kushana
territory was also ruled by exis ng rulers who had accepted Kushana supremacy.

Society, Religion and Economy of Kushana Empire

The Kushana rulers had ini ated the spirit of poli cal unity in India. They induced mul -ethnicity by
breaking the isolated character of Indian poli cs. Consolida ng their supremacy in Northern India, the
Kushanas established close poli cal and commercial rela onship with China, Central Asia and Roman
Empire in Western Asia. Epigraphic and numisma cs evidences of the Kushana Age, tes es the fact that
the Indian merchants during the me of the Kushanas carried brisk trade with the countries of Western
and Central Asia. Historians have opined that the rst Kushana king Kadphises II had issued gold coins
perhaps due to the inux of Roman gold in India. Besides bringing about major poli cal as well as
commercial changes in the Indian sub-con nent, the Kushana rulers had also closely inuenced the
dressing style and food habits of the people. Dho and chaddar was replaced with ghtly sewn garments
and onion and garlic made an important place in Indian dishes.

Kushana religious pantheon is widely expanded. It includes more than 30 dierent dei es belonging to the Hellenis c, the Iranian, the
Greek and the Indian order. As a whole it can be said that the en re religious and spiritual life of the Indians were inuenced by the alien
Saka-Kushanas. As per as religious belief is concerned, Kushanas were believed to have been Zoroastrian in the beginning but Buddhism
took them over later on. There are even undertones of associa ons of earliest Kushan Kings with Shaivism.

Even economic developments were at its heights during the Kushana rule. Trade along the silk route brought immense wealth and
prosperity to India and helped in socio-cultural exchanges in the Kushana Empire.

Art of Kushana Empire

India made rapid progress in the elds of art and sculpture during the Kushana age. Four schools of art namely--Sarnath, Mathura,
Amarava and Gandhara developed during this period. However, the most ourishing one was the Gandhara art. It was during the me of
Kushana that Buddha for the rst me was shown in human form because previously. He had been represented either in the form of lotus
or footsteps. The trend of assimila ng and harmonising the Buddhist and Hellenis c ideas with the na ve and original indigenous material
or concept was considered the principal sculptural idiom of Gandhara art. The headless statue of Kanishka was the epitome of it. Various
images of Buddha belonging to the Mathura School of Art, which have been excavated ll date, represent the blending of Hellenis c style
with Indian concept.

Decline of Kushana Empire

Finally, the Kushana Empire declined due to the weak successors of Kanishka or the later Kushanas.
A er the death of Vasudeva, forces of disintegra on set within the Kushana Empire, which was already
in the verge of downfall. The Kushana Empire was succeeded by the Sassanians.

Hence, it can be concluded saying that the Kushana Empire had brought about a lot of posi ve
changes in the Indian sub-con nent but nally the glory of the Kushana dynasty declined due to an
ineec ve governance.

(Last Updated on : 04/05/2015)

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