KANISHKA AND THE KUSHANA DYNASTY
KANISHKA AND THE KUSHANA DYNASTY
Yueh-Chihs, originally from the pastoral nomad state of what is now the inner Mongolia were driven away by the Xiongnu around 140 BC. Eventually they mixed with Hepthalites, Saka and the Tocharian of central asia, and got united under the leadership of Kueh Shen (around first century BC) to lay the foundation of the Kushan state. The successive ruler Kujula Kadphises established the greatest empire of India in 165 BC which is called KUSHANA. As of now historians/scholars have not figured out if it was Kujula Kadphises or his predecessor Heraios who founded this dynasty. But it is true that the empire was glorious under the reign of Kanishka-I. Around 233 AD, they lost their rigid control of the empire to the Sassanians and Guptas replaced the last king Vasudeva-III.Kushana dynasty was in the peak during Kanishka's reign, the Buddhist monk Asvaghosha was the poet, musician, scholar who lived during his reign. Charaka was the other most celebrated personality of India, who was the court physician of Kanishka. India's monitory system was revolutionized by the Kushanas through the induction of GOLD as a currency for the first time! Buddha appeared on the coins for the first time in the history. The image of the Goddess of wealth - Lakshmi became the standard symbol in the coinage of successive rulers and the dynasties such as Kidarites, Rajputs, Delhi Sultanates ... till about 13th century. Successive coinage depicted Indian Gods/Goddesses and soon replaced the Greek deities.
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