The document discusses the role of the Kushana Empire in shaping Buddhism and Hinduism, emphasizing its origins, rulers, and influence on religious practices. The empire served as a key trading hub, facilitating cultural exchanges between various regions, and promoted both Hindu and Buddhist iconography through coinage and art. Notable figures like Kanishka played a significant role in advancing Mahayana Buddhism and the fusion of different religious beliefs during the Kushana period.

1. Role of Kushana Empire in
BUDDHISM AND HINDUISM
By
Adesh katariya
(plast.adesh@gmail.com)

2. Kushana Empire and the Silk Route
Their Capital was Purushpura – Currently Peswar in Pakistan

3. Kushana Origin
• Kushana was a Gotra ( sub-tribe ) of Yuezhi( Guzar),
also called Tushar.
• In the epic Mahabharata, tocher called as Tushar were
descendents of ancient Suryabanshi.
• In Hindu mythology, the Lunar dynasty (also known
as Somavansha, Chandravansha and as Ailas) was one
of the four principal houses of the Kshatriya varna, or
warrior–ruling caste.

4. Migration of Aryans to Tarim Basin
• The Vedic Vayupurana describes a battle waged among the ancient
Aryans. It was as a result of this war that Anavs part of the
Chandravanshi clan and Gurtar ( Guzar ) of suryabanshi had to
immigrate to wester Aryabart area of modern Iran (Iran means
"land of Aryans") to Tarim basin.
• It was in these regions, where the fertile soil of the mountainous
country is surrounded by the Turanian desert, that the prophet
Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) was said to have been born and gained his
first adherents. Avestan, the language of the oldest portions of
the Zoroastrian Avesta, was once called "old-iranic" which is related
to Sanskrit.
• Chandravansi known as Sythians and Suryabanshi known as Guzar
by Tibbetian , Yuezhi by Chineese , Tocharian by Romans and
Tushara by Indians.

5. Formation of 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 Kushanas 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.
• In Bactria, they conquered the Scythians and the local Indo-
Greek kingdoms, the last remnants of Alexander the Great's
invasion force that had failed to take India.
• From this central location, the Kushan Empire became a
wealthy trading hub between the peoples of Han China,
Sassanid Persia and the Roman Empire.
• Roman gold and Chinese silk changed hands in the Kushan
Empire, at a very tidy profit for the middle-men.

6. Kushana Empire Map

7. Main Kushan Rulers
 Heraios ,who was probably the first of the Kushan kings. He may have
been an ally of the Greeks, and he shared the same style of coinage.
 Kujula Kadphises who set himself up as king of a kingdom called
Guishuang. He invaded Anxi (Parthia) and took the Gaofu (modern day
Kabul)
 Vima Taktu, seems to have been a devotee of the Hindu god Shiva,
because some of his coins clearly show an image of Shiva.
 Vima Kadphises , issued an extensive series of coins and inscriptions and
expend his empire upto Panjab.
 Kanishka I, the second great Kushan emperor, fifth Kushan king, who
started Shaka Era in 78AD.
 Vāsishka rulled for 20 year reign following Kanishka. His rule is recorded
as far south as Sanchi (near Vidisa), where several inscriptions in his
name have been found.
 Huvishka, rule was a period of retrenchment and consolidation for the
Empire. In particular he devoted time and effort early in his reign to the
exertion of greater control over the city of Mathura.

8. Cont..
 Vasudeva I was the last of the "Great Kushans." Named inscriptions
dating from year 64 to 98 of Kanishka’s era.
 Kanishka II
 Vashishka
 Kanishka III is known from only one inscription, known as the Ara
inscription for the place where it was found, near the town of Attock
in what is now Pakistani Punjab.
 Vasudeva II
 Vasudeva III
 Vasudeva IV reported possible child of Vasudeva III,ruling in Kandahar,
uncertain.
 Vasudeva of Kabul reported possible child of Vasudeva IV,ruling in
Kabul, uncertain.
 Chhu
 Shaka I
 Kipunada

9. Early religions of Kushana
• When the Kuṣāṇas entered Gandhāra, they were Sanatani but they
respect other religions also.
• The originally Sumerian goddess Nānā, the Persian gods Wād (Bactrian
OAΔΟ), and Athš (spelled AΘÞΟ in Bactrian script), the Indian Buddha
and Skanda and a hybrid local god Wēś (Bactrian OHÞO), Heracles of the
Greek and Zoroastrian fire worship are depicted by their symbols and
images.
• The Kuṣhaṇas apparently introduced the very first anthropomorphic
representations of Indian gods for their coins in central asia.
• Hindu mythology was endorsed and shaped by the Kuṣāṇas through
their coinage and by representing gods in sculptures. They depicted less
known local deities for the first time on their coins and frequently
added their names .
• The emergence of Gandhāran Hinduism can be observed by the rise
and change of deities on Kuṣāṇa coins.

10. The religious policy of Kujula Kadphises
• Kujula Kadphises was the one who introduced the term “King
of the Kuṣāṇas” in his legend.
• Kujula retained the Greek style of the coinage in certain
developmental stages, and used the same few Greek deities
(i.e. Zeus, Nike and Heracles) on reverses.
• Hence, from his coinage we cannot deduct any new
developments in the Gandhāran religious scenario.
• Most probably, he respect the cultures of central Asia to gain
the support of local religious leaders.

11. Religions under Vima Taktu and Vima
Kadphises
• Vima Takto seems to have been a devotee of the Hindu god Shiva,
because some of his coins clearly show an image of Shiva.
• Vima Kadphises issued an extensive series of coins and inscriptions
based on hinduism and greek religions. He was the first to introduce
gold coinage in India, in addition to the existing copper and silver
coinage. His coins are of such high quality that some historians
believe that they must have been made by Roman mint masters in
the service of the Kushana kings.
• He issued his Wēś type coins both in gold and in copper in different
varieties, i.e. Wēś standing alone, holding attributes, Wēś standing
in front of a bull with his attributes and one type shows him with
attributes only, i.e. liṅga, trident and aṅkuśa (Göbl 1984: nr. 1-20).

12. Kanishka- Hindu but protector of all
religions
• Kaniṣka's coinage shows gods of the Iranian sphere on its reverse,
indicating their names in Graeco-Bactrian instead of the previously
used Kharoṣṭhī .
• In spite of Kaniṣka’s promotion of deities from the Iranian religion,
Wēś remained an important god.
• Now, the iconography of Wēś became more and more elaborate with
multiple hands holding a broad variety of attributes that reminded of
other deities that used to habitually keep those items. This multiplicity
being an Indian feature resulted in a transition that saw Wēś becoming
more of an indigenous Indian deity.
• In his time, he started minting of Buddhist coins in much qty.
• God Shiva with Nandi and reverse side Buddha on Kanishka’s coins
indicate that Buddhism and Hinduism were common religions.

13. Cont.
• They comprise Iranian deities of Athš (spelled AΘÞΟ in Bactrian
script), Māh (Bactrian MAO), Mithra/Mihira (Bactrian MIIPO), Wād
(Bactrian OAΔΟ) etc.
• Forth Buddhist council held during Kanishka region.
• Like Asoka, Kanishka converted to Buddhism, employing 500 monks
to regulate Buddhist teachings in his empire.Kanishka’s monks’
meetings resulted in the creation of Mahayana Buddhism, more
closer to Hinduism.
• Kanishka's reliquary casket, for example, features cast
representations of Buddha as well as Hindu dieties Brahma and Indra,
Persian sun and moon gods on the sides of the container and a
garland, supported by cherubs in typical Hellenistic style.
• Kanishka attacked over Patliputra for in-tolerence nature of Brahmin
king
• The multiplicity of gods that are shown backing the Emperor Kaniṣhka
added to his status and importance and do not seem to indicate any
of his personal religious preferences.

14. Religion policy of Huviṣka
• While Kaniṣka’s religious suppositions were based on Bactrian
creeds, Huviṣka followed more innovative religious strategies and
admitted a wide range of Greek, Brahmanical, Buddhist and
Zoroastrian gods for his numismatic pantheon
• This innovative phase was mainly restricted to the beginning of his
reign, when a great number of variant gods were depicted on the
reverse of his coins. Somewhat later towards the middle of this
reign Wēś became his main and favourite god.
• Huviṣka initiated coins of MAACHNO (Mahāsena), Hindu god,
popularly known today as Skanda or Kārttikeya. Skanda, Kumāra,
Viśāka and Mahāsena were four different gods to Huviṣka, which
later on merged into one deity that became known under the name
Kārttikeya in Hinduism

15. Hinduism of Huvishka
• King Huviṣka demonstrated his innovative approach with a variety of
deities and also introduced a new form of Wēś .Before the time of
Huviṣka, Wēš was shown with one or three heads (Perkins 2007) and
two or four arms holding varying attributes.
• The Wēš of Huviṣka appears regularly with three heads, four arms and
hands, holding a vase, a thunderbolt, a trident, and a club. The central
face has a third eye, the hairs are knotted. This form of Wēś became
the model for Śiva in Gandhāra.
• Huviṣka introduced divine couples on his coins. In the pair Wēś-Nānā
(Göbl 1984: nr. 167) both deities assimilate their Indian counterparts:
Wēś assumes characteristics of Śiva and Nānā takes on features of
Parvatī. Accordingly, this earliest representation of the divine couple
influenced depiction of the Śiva-Parvatī iconography in Gandhāra.
Similarly, the pair Wēś-Omm (spelled OHÞΟ, ΟΜΜΟ) (Göbl 1984: nr.
310) influenced the idea of Umā-Maheśvara in Gandhāra.

16. Wes (Shiva) on Vima Kadphesis coins

17. Wes( Shiva) on Huvishka’s coins

18. Wes ( Shiva)on Vasudeva’s coins

19. Kushan Shiva – Peshawar Musiuam

20. Shiva-Parvati in Kushan Time

21. Garuda- Gandhara Art

22. Shiva and Buddha on Kushana Coins

23. Buddhism
• Buddhists texts are full of praise for the Kushan Kanishka, "King of Kings" (circa 100 AD),
whose benevolent patronage supported Buddhism like no one else during his lifetime.
• Buddhist Patronage. Kanishka's reputation in Buddhist tradition began with convening
the 4th Buddhist Council in Kashmir, circa 100 AD, which became essential to the
development of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition.
• Kanishka provided encouragement to both the Gandhara school of Greco-Buddhist Art
and the Mathura school of Hindu art.
• His greatest contribution to Buddhist architecture was the Kanishka stupa at Peshawar.
Archaeologists who rediscovered the base of thes stupa in 1908-1909 ascertained that
this stupa had a diameter of 286 feet.
• Reports of Chinese pilgrims such as Xuan Zang indicate that its height was roughly 600 to
681 feet high and was covered with jewels.
• This immense multi-storied building must have ranked among the wonders of the ancient
world.
• Buddhist monks from the region of Gandhara during Kanishika's lifetime played a key
role in the development and the transmission of Buddhist ideas from India and Gandhara
to China.
• For example, the Kushan monk, Lokaksema (c. 178 AD), became the first translator of
Mahayana Buddhist scriptures into Chinese and established a translation bureau at the
Chinese capital Loyang.

24. First Sermon

29. Tucker, p.
48
Birth of the Buddha
Grey schist frieze
Gandhara
2nd-3rd centuries AD

30. Standing
Buddha
Grey schist
Gandhara
2nd-3rd centuries
AD

31. Head of the
Buddha
Grey schist
Gandhara
2nd-3rd centuries
AD

32. Tucker, p.
46
Standing Bodhisattvas
Grey schist
Kushana -Gandhara, 2nd-3rd century AD

33. Tucker, p.
207
Buddha in
meditation
Limestone
Bactria
2nd century AD

34. Tucker, p.
39
Head of the
Buddha
Stucco
Gandhara

35. Maitreya Buddha, Kushana Gandhara, 1st-2nd

36. Big Buddha at Bamiyan

37. 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