Introduction

Kushan Empire is one of the most interesting Dynasties which ruled over the land of Jammu & Kashmir.
The Kushans ruled from first to second century AD, extending its reach to each and every corner of the valley.
The chapter of Kushan Empire is truly a glorious one in the Jammu & Kashmir history. During the reign of Kushans in Jammu Kashmir the influence of Buddhism was at its peak. Later the Kushans attained predominance over the other and the leader was Kadphises. And then began the history of Kushans.

Coin of Kushan Dynasty Kadphises attacked the southern region of Hindu Kush, conquered Kabul and defeated Gandhara including the kingdom of Taxila.Later the leader Kadphises died in 78 AD. By then Kushans had supplemented the prince of Indo-Greeks Saka and Indo-Parthian communities along the frontiers of India.

The successor of Kadphises was Vima Kadphsis who conquered large parts of North India. The coins of Kadphises show that his authority extended upto Banaras and also till Indus basin. The valour of this king extended from Narmada to Saka Satraps in Malwa and Western India acknowledged his sovereignty.

The next ruler after Kadphises was his son Kanishka, a prominent ruler of the Kushan Dynasty who achieved remarkable milestones in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. His decendants called him as Devaputra which means son of gods. The empire of Kanishka constituted Bactria (modern Afghanistan), Part of Central Asia (Tajikistan), northwestern India (modern Pakistan) and northern India till Pataliputra. Under the supervision of the ruler Kanishka the historical division between two versions of Buddhism, namely Mahayana and Hinayana, took place through the great Buddhist council that was organized.

Kushan head of Bodhisattva Kanishka belonged to little Yuehi-Chi section of the horde. The capital during his period was Purusyapura where he built many Buddhist buildings. In the Initial dayshe managed Kashmir and consolidated Indus and the Gangetic basin. His army defeated Chinese by crossing the Pamirs. Kanishka was the active patron of Buddhist Church during the later part of his reign. The coins during his rule prove that he honoured a medley of Gods -Zoroastrian, Greek, Mitraic and Indian. The prominent Indian deity was God Shiva. This kushan king also convened a council of Buddhist theologians to settle disputes relating to Buddhist faith and practices.

The conclusions of Kaniskha council were engraved on copper sheets and preserved in the stupa of the capital. Delegates to the council primarily belonged to the Hinayana sect. Soon the Kushan power declined. Within the Kingdom Nagas and Yaudheyas troubled Kushans. During the period of Kushan Dynast,y Naga ruler probably performed ten ashvamedha sacrifices and few other tribes also like Malavas and Kunindas probably regained their importance at the expense of Kushan kings. Brisk trade prevailed as the area covered by the Kushan Empire helped the flow of trade between the east and the west

Kushan Dynasty

Place : Jammu & Kashmir
Language : Pali Prakrit Bactrian Sanskrit Greek
Religion : Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Greco-Buddhism Ancient Greek religion
Kings : Kujula Kadphises, Vima Taktu or Sadashkana, Vima Kadphises, Kanishka I, Huvishka, Vasudeva I

Gold coins issued by the Kushans were of great complexity . The coins speak about the prosperity of people and show the figure of Kanishka standing and sacrificing at altar and deities belonging to various religions. The coins also signify that Kushans were in direct contact with the Romans. The greatest contribution of Kushan Dynasty was Gandhara art. Stone images of the Buddha and Bodhisattavas were carved out and the chief feature was blending of Buddhist subjects with Greek forms.

It was quite commendable that effectiveness and efficiency with which the Kushan Rulers dictated the land of Jammu & Kashmir. The multi-dimensional importance of this Dynasty is described by the historical archives. In fact the imprints of Kushan Dynasty are still found in Jammu & Kashmir in the form of names.

Huvishka ascended the throne of Kanishka I. He was founder of a city Hushka in Kashmir named after him (described by Kalhan in Rajatarangini). During Kanishka's and Huvishka's reign the Kushana Empire was at its zenith. After Huvishka's reign, Vasudeva I took over the control of Kushana dynasty which by then had lost control over regions beyond Bactria or perhaps the Bactria itself. The Kushan dynasty had been totally assimilated in Indian culture. Vasudeva I was the last greatest king of the dynasty when Kushana empire was at it's height of splendor and prosperity.

Gandhara Art After Vasudeva's death, the Kushan empire had started its decline . Vasudeva was followed by his son Kanishka II who lost all the territories west of river Indus to Sassanians. Vasudeva II, Vashishka, and Shaka are the kings who managed the dynasty after Kanisha II. After Vashishka the Kushan Empire had completly disintegrated into small kingdoms. By fourth century AD this dynasty went into total obscurity with advent of mighty Gupta emperors.

Administration & Society

Kushans were turbulent tribes in ancient India after confronting the several obstacles. The empire extending its limit not only in India but also in central Asia. The dynasty had vibrant rulers and India attained thriving progress in the fields of Art, Literature, Architecture and sciences.The Kushan Dynasty kings generally gave titles such as Maharajati-raja(king of kings), Daivaputra(son of heaven), soter(savior) and Kaisara(Caesar).During Kushan Dynasty four schools of art namely Sarnath, Mathura, Amaravati and Gandhara developed. The headless statue of Kaniskha is the epitome for the sculpturous art.

Kanishka I

The rule of Kanishka the Great, fifth Kushan king,Kanishka ruled a huge territory (virtually all of northern India), south to Ujjain and Kundina and east beyond Pataliputra

His territory was administered from two capitals:
Purushapura (now Peshawar in northwestern Pakistan)
and Mathura, in northern India.

He is also credited for building the massive, ancient Fort at Bathinda (AKA Qila Mubarak), in the modern city of Bathinda, Indian Punjab.
Buddhism was divided into Mahayana and Hinayana during the reign of Kanishka
The first image of Buddha was carved out during the reign of Kanishka

Kushans and Buddhism

"The Kushans inherited the Greco-Buddhist traditions of the Indo-Greek Kingdom they replaced, and their patronage of Buddhist institutions allowed them to grow as a commercial power.Between the mid-1st century and the mid-3rd century, Buddhism, patronized by the Kushans, extended to China and other Asian countries through the Silk Road. Kanishka is renowned in Buddhist tradition for having convened a great Buddhist council in Kashmir. Along with his predecessor in the region the Indo-Greek king Menander I (Milinda) and the Indian emperors Ashoka and Harsha Vardhana, Kanishka is considered by Buddhism as one of its greatest benefactors.
During the 1st century AD, Buddhist books were being produced and carried by monks, and their trader patrons. Also, monasteries were being established along these land routes that went from China and other parts of Asia. With the development of Buddhist books, it caused a new written language called Gandhara. Gandhara consists of eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. Scholars are said to have found many Buddhist scrolls that contained the Gandhari language.
The reign of Huvishka corresponds to the first known epigraphic evidence of the Buddha Amitabha, on the bottom part of a 2nd-century statue which has been found in Govindo-Nagar, and now at the Mathura Museum. The statue is dated to ""the 28th year of the reign of Huvishka"", and dedicated to ""Amitabha Buddha"" by a family of merchants. There is also some evidence that Huvishka himself was a follower of Mahāyāna Buddhism. A Sanskrit manuscript fragment in the Schøyen Collection describes Huvishka as one who has ""set forth in the Mahāyāna"

Kushan Rulers

Heraios
Kujula Kadphises
Vima Takto
Vima Kadphises
Kanishka the Great
Vāsishka
Huvishka
Vasudeva I
Kanishka II

Summary :

Aka Yuechis or Tocharians
Kadphises was the first king
Kanishka is the most famous ruler
Started the Shaka era in 78 AD
Held the Buddhist council in Kashmir where the doctrines of Mahayana form were finalized
Patronized Ashvaghosa
Kushan inscriptions and coins found at Toprak Kala in Khorezm
Kushanas were the first rulers to issue gold coins on a large scale
Introduced the Satrap system of government
They controlled the Silk Route
Worshipped both Shiva and Buddha. Some worshipped Vishnu too.
Kanishka built a large number of Stupas
Greek ambassador Heliodorus set up a piller in honor of Vasudeva near Vidisa.
Appointed governors were called strategos