The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

COINS OF THE TOCHARI, KUSHANS, OR YUE-TI. 269
notices of other Chinese writers. According to them the
Great Yue-ti on being driven across the Jaxartes by the
Hiong-nu, occupied Sogdiana in B.C. 163, at which time
the king of the Yue-ti was killed, and his skull made into
a drinking-cup, that was still in use one hundred and fifty
years later.3 The Yue-ti, under their widowed queen,
gradually extended their dominions until they reached
the south side of the Oxus, where they were found in full
possession by the Chinese general Chang-Kian in B.C. 116.
But their wars with the Hiong-nu were known in China
before B.C. 126, when Chang-Kian's embassy was dis-
patched. This date is confirmed by the deaths of two
Parthian kings in battle with the Scythians and Thogarii
the first, Phraates II. in B.C. 126, and the second, Arta-
banus in B.C. 123.
About one hundred years later, or say about 16 B c.,
the chief of the Kushans, having conquered the other four
tribes of the Yue-ti, assumed the title of King of the
Kushans, and advancing to the south occupied Kao-fu, or
Kabul. The name of this king was Kieu-tsieu-khio*
He must therefore be the Kujula Kadphises of the coins,
on which he takes the title of king of the Korsan, or the
Kushans, as written in the native legends of his coins.
At first he would appear to have reigned jointly with the
Greek king Hermseus, as both of their names are found
together on one very numerous series of copper- coins of
the Kabul valley.
Kieu-tsieu-khio is said to have reached eighty-four years
of age, and the great abundance of his coins bears ample
testimony to a very long reign. He probably reigned for
3
Remusat, Nouv. Melanges Asiat., i. 205.
4
Julicu's translation in Let Huns Blancs, p. 48.