Kushan Empire: Map & History
The Kushan Empire was a syncretic empire formed by the Yuezhi in the early 1st century CE.
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The Kushan Empire was a syncretic empire formed by the Yuezhi in the early 1st century CE. Initially based in the Bactrian territories, it spread to encompass much of what is now Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Kushan territory in India extended at least as far as Saketa and Sarnath near Varanasi, where inscriptions have been found dating to the era of the Kushan emperor Kanishka the Great.
Modern Countries Once Part of Kushan Empire
At its mapped extent, Kushan Empire covered territory in 6 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Tajikistan43–237 CE · nearly all
- Pakistan91–237 CE · most
- Afghanistan43–237 CE · most
- Uzbekistan43–237 CE · most
- India91–237 CE · a large part
- China117–183 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Kushan Empire's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Kushan Empire in Depth
History
Some traces remain of the presence of the Kushans in the area of Bactria and Sogdiana in the 2nd–1st century BC where they had displaced the Sakas, who moved further south. Archaeological structures are known in Takht-i Sangin, Surkh Kotal (a monumental temple), and in the palace of Khalchayan. On the ruins of ancient Hellenistic cities such as Ai-Khanoum, the Kushans are known to have built fortresses. Various sculptures and friezes from this period are known, representing horse-riding archers, and, significantly, men such as the Kushan prince of Khalchayan with artificially deformed skulls, a practice well attested in nomadic Central Asia. Some of the Khalchayan sculptural scenes are also thought to depict the Kushans fighting against the Sakas.
Origins
Chinese sources describe the Guìshuāng (貴霜, Old Chinese: *kuj-s raŋ), i.e. the Kushans, as one of the five aristocratic tribes of the Yuezhi. Many scholars believe that the Yuezhi were a people of Indo-European origin. A number of scholars have suggested a specifically Tocharian origin of the Yuezhi. An Iranic Saka origin has also been suggested by some scholars.
The Yuezhi were described in the Records of the Great Historian and the Book of Han as living in the grasslands of eastern Xinjiang and northwestern part of Gansu, in the northwest of modern-day China, until their King was beheaded by the Xiongnu (匈奴) who were also at war with China, which eventually forced them to migrate west in 176–160 BC.
Culture
The Kushans adopted elements of the Hellenistic culture of Bactria. They adopted the Greek alphabet to suit their own language (with the additional development of the letter Þ "sh", as in "Kushan") and soon began minting coinage on the Greek model. On their coins they used Greek language legends combined with Pali legends (in the Kharosthi script), until the first few years of the reign of Kanishka. After the middle of Kanishka's reign, they used Kushan language legends (in an adapted Greek script), combined with legends in Greek (Greek script) and legends in Prakrit (Kharoshthi script).
Interestingly there is evidence for the collaboration between Greek populations and the Kushans in the 2nd century AD.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Kushan Empire (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kushan Empire: Key Facts
| Capital | Bagram |
|---|---|
| Official language | Bactrian |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Form of government | monarchy |
| Currency | Kushan coinage |
| Founded | 30 CE |
| Dissolved | 375 CE |
Succeeded by
Facts from Wikidata Q25979 (CC0).
Kushan Empire Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Kushan Empire appears, with the other states of the time.
Kushan Empire Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 2,267,303 km² in 140 CE.
Kushan Empire: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Kushan Empire exist?
The Kushan Empire is dated to 43 CE – 237 CE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
What was the capital of the Kushan Empire?
The capital of the Kushan Empire was 1st Century BCE: Kapisa/Pushkalavati;, from 1st century CE: Purushapura/Mathura, 3rd and 4th centuries CE: Taxila.
How large was the Kushan Empire at its peak?
At its peak in 140 AD the Kushan Empire covered about 2,267,303 km².
How did the map of the Kushan Empire change over time?
The Kushan Empire appears on 2 dated world maps in the atlas, from 117 CE to 200 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.