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Ancient Kushana Empire of gurjars

By

Adesh katariya

(plast.adesh@gmail.com)

Kushan Carnelian seal representing the "ΑΔϷΟ" (adsho Atar), with triratana symbol left, and Kanishka's dynastic mark right

Kushana Empire

• In 176 BC, the Yuezhi were driven from Tarim Besin to westward by the Xiongnu, a fierce people of Magnolia.

• The Yuezhi under the leadership of the Kushana came down from Central Asia and swept away all earlier dynasties of the Northwest in a great campaign of conquest.

• They established an empire which extended from Central Asia right down to the eastern Gangetic basin.

Originally, they were aryans and follow Hinduism, but Emperor Kanishka become

Buddhist

Peshawar and Mathura were two capitals of Kushana kingdom, now Kushana found in

majority near both places known as Gujjartribe and Kushana is a sub-tribe of Gujjars.

Early Kushana Coinage

• The Kuṣaṇas started their ruling under KujulaKadphises in central asia and centre of power was Gandhara .

• The Kuṣaṇas apparently introduced the very first anthropomorphic representations of Indian gods for their coins in Gandhara, even before an iconographical canon for these deities became standardised.

In the coinage of Kushan Empire the main coins issued were gold, weighing 7.9g., and

base metal issues of various weights between 12g and 1.5g.

Actually, Kushana got very high qty gold from silk route through toll taxes .

Little silver coinage was issued, but in later periods the gold used was debased with

silver.

• The coin designs usually broadly follow the styles of the preceding Greco-Bactrian rulers in using Hellenistic styles of image, with a deity on one side and the king on the other.

• Kings may be shown as a profile head, a standing figure, typically officiating at a fire altar in Zoroastrian style, or mounted on a horse.

• The artistry of the dies is generally lower than the exceptionally high standards of the best coins of Greco-Bactrian rulers.

Continuing influence from Roman coins can be seen in designs of the late 1st and 2nd century CE, and also in mint practices evidenced on the coins, as well as a gradual reduction in the value of the metal in base metal coins, so that they become virtual tokens.

Iranian influence, especially in the royal figures and the pantheon of deities used, is even stronger.

Under Kanishka the royal title of "King of kings" changed from the Greek "ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΝ" to the Persian form "ϷAONANOϷAO" (Shah of Shahs).

• Much of what little information we have of Kushan political history derives from coins.

• The language of inscriptions is typically the Bactrian language, written in a script derived from Greek.

• Many coins show the tamga symbols (see table) as a kind of monogram for the ruler.

• There were several regional mints, and the evidence from coins suggests that much of the empire was semi-independent.

Skanda and Visakha

Gold coin of Kanishka I, with a depiction of the Buddha, with the legend "Boddo" in Greek script;Ahin Posh

Kushan deities

• 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.

• Greek deities, with Greek names are represented on early coins. During Kanishka's reign, the language of the coinage changes to Bactrian (though it remained in Greek script for all kings).

• After Huvishka, only two divinities appear on the coins: Ardoxsho and Oesho.

Representation of entities from Greek mythology and Hellenistic syncretism

• Ηλιος (Helios), Ηφαηστος (Hephaistos), Σαληνη (Selene), Ανημος (Anemos).

• Further, the coins of Huvishka also portray the demi-god erakilo Heracles, and the Egyptian god sarapo Sarapis.

The Indic entities represented on coinage include

• οδδο (boddo, Buddha)• Μετραγο Βοδδο (metrago boddo,

bodhisattava Maitreya)• Mαασηνo (maaseno, Mahasena)• Σκανδo koμαρo (skando

komaro, Skanda Kumara)• þακαμανο Βοδδο (shakamano

boddho, Shakyamuni Buddha)

The Iranian entities depicted on coinage include:

• Μιθρο, Μιιρο, Μιορο, Μιυρο (mithro and variants, Mithra)• Μοζδοοανο (mozdooano, Mazda vana "Mazda the

victorious?")• Νανα, Ναναια, Ναναϸαο (variations of pan-Asiatic nana,

Sogdian nny, in a Zoroastrian context Aredvi Sura Anahita)• Οαδο (oado Vata)• Oαxþo (oaxsho, "Oxus")• Ooρoμoζδο (ooromozdo, Ahura Mazda)• Οραλαγνο (orlagno, Verethragna)• Τιερο (tiero, Tir)

The Iranian entities depicted on coinage include:

• Αρδοχþο (ardoxsho, Ashi Vanghuhi)• Aþαειχþo (ashaeixsho, Asha Vahishta)• Αθþο (athsho, Atar)• Φαρρο (pharro, Khwarenah)• Λροοασπο (lrooaspa, Drvaspa)• Μαναοβαγο, (manaobago, Vohu Manah)• Μαο (mao, Mah)

• Οηϸο (oesho), long considered to represent Indic Shiva, but more recently identified as Avestan Vayu conflated with Shiva.

• Two copper coins of Huvishka bear a 'Ganesa' legend, but instead of depicting the typical theriomorphic figure of Ganesha, have a figure of an archer holding a full-length bow with string inwards and an arrow.

• This is typically a depiction of Rudra, but in the case of these two coins is generally assumed to represent Shiva.

Mahasena on a coin of Huvishka

Four-faced Oesho

Rishti

Manaobago

Pharro

Ardochsho

God Shiva (Oesho)

Oesho (God Shiva) with bull

MacDowell (1968) identified three regional copper issues of Kajula Kadphises and Vima Taktu of

separate coinage in their first issue, which would correspond to the three previous realms making

up the Kushan empire.

The northern area, Bactria which had the largest sized coins of 12g (tetradrachms) and

1.5g, Gandhara whose coinage weighed 9-10g for large and 2g for small, and the Indian area, where

coins are 4g each.

Bronze coin of Vima Takto. Corrupted Greek legend ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΩΝ ΣΩΤΗΡ [ΓΗΕ.]: "The King of Kings,

Saviour"

Tetradrachm of Kujula Kadphises in the style of Hermaeus.

MacDowell (1960) proposed a gradual reduction of all three issues starting with Huvishka, while

Chattopadhyay (1967) proposes a rapid devaluation of the issue by Kanishka.

It seems that there were two reductions based on the coinage of the rulers just named. Later

issues were unified into a central coinage system of weights.

Vima Kadphises issued three denominations of for this metal, a two

of 15.75 grammes, a one of 7.8 grammes and a quarter dinar piece

of 1.95 grammes

Gold dinar of Kushan king Kanishka II (200–220)

Thanks“The motive of this this presentation is, to attract good scholers to discuss and research on the great contribution of Kushana of Yuezhi/Gurjar Tribes.”

-Adesh Katariya