Wishesh December Magazine 2015

Indian History
84
Kushan Dynasty under
Vima-Kadphises
Vima-Kadphises had been
the successor of Kadphises.
He conquered several parts
of northern India. Meanwhile,
the Chinese reasserted their
authority in the north and this
led to the collusion with the
Kushans.
The Chinese general
Pan-Chao had conquered
Chinese Turkistan, and thus
established, the Chinese
authority in Parthia, on
the south territory of the
Caspian sea.
Kushans were threatened by
these advances. Kadphises
II, had claimed the hand of
a Chinese princess in 87
AD, an acknowledgement
of his equality with the
son of Heaven. But the
proposal was rejected and
Kadphises, then dispatched
a large army. However, the
army was decimated because
of the difficult terrain and
was defeated easily, by the
Chinese.
Kushans gold
coins were of great
complexity
Gold coins issued by the
Kushans were of great
complexity. The coins exposes
the people’s prosperity, and
show the figure of Kanishka,
standing and sacrificing at altar
and deities, belonging to the
several religions.
The coins act as the
remembrance that, Kushans
were in direct contact with
the Romans. Gandhara art
is considered as the greatest
contribution of Kushan
Dynasty. Buddha and
Bodhisattavas’s stone images
were carved out and the chief
feature was blending of the
Buddhist subjects with Greek
forms.
Kushan Dynasty
imprints in J&L till
date
The imprints of Kushan
Dynasty are still found in
Jammu & Kashmir state, which
proves the effectiveness and
efficiency of Kushan’s ruling in
the place.
Kanishka I throne was
ascended by Huvishka. He
was the founder of a city
Hushka in Kashmir, named
after him (described by Kalhan
in Rajatarangini). The
Kushan empire was in the
zenith, during Kanishka’s
and Huvishka’s reign.
After Huvishka, Vasudeva
I led the Kushan dynasty.
In Indian culture, Kushan
dynasty had been totally
assimilated. Vasudeva I
was the last greatest king
of the dynasty, when the
Kushan empire saw new
heights in its prosperity.
But after the death of
Vasudeva, the Kushan
empire has started collapsing.
Kanishka II, the son of
Vasudeva, came to lead
dynasty, but had lost all
the territories. Vasudeva
II, Vashishka, and Shaka,
managed to rule Kushan
dynasty, after Kanishka
II.After Vashishka reign
was completed, the Kushan
Empire was disintegrated into
small kingdoms. When Gupta
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