Early History of the Kushan Empire

Playlist on Kushan Empire - • Kushan Empire
The Kushan Empire which emerged around the mid of first-century CE played an important role in the history of Ancient India. In this video, we will talk about how the Kushanas founded their Empire and how Mathura emerged as an important centre of Kushana power.
Sources
1. Empires of Ancient Eurasia: The First Silk Roads Era, 100 BCE - 250 CE by Craig Benjamin
2. Mathurā: The Cultural Heritage
3. History of Civilization of Central Asia, Vol - II
4. The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia by René Grousset, Naomi Walford
5. The Dynastic Arts of the Kushans by John M. Rosenfield
6. India under the Kushanas by B.N. Puri
Pictures are from commons.wikimedia.org/
but the Maps are made by me and are subject to copyright.
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[@hariunnithan9]

Fab. Yes, the Kushanas were known as Tusharas/Tukharas which is why I said (in a previous question) that they were not iranic but Tocharian (derived from Tukhara) and from Tibet/Southwest chinese regions. Well presented.

[@spacebunny4335]

Just recently around 60% of the Kushan script was deciphered. The paper only goes so far as to say that it’s a middle Iranian language, but we now know what language the Kushans/Yuezhi originally spoke.

[@ayushsingh4574]

Good as always!

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Glad you think so!

[@afsanaahmed7262]

so helpful

[@sairajdesai3897]

The good thing about your videos is the simple English language (pertaining to Indian masses) that you use!

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Thanks! 😃

[@vibhu2327]

Great video

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Thanks!

[@kishansingh-nr6xk]

Very good information Thanks

[@JayVardhanSingh]

thank you, I am glad you found this video informative

[@meditatingbeastunleashed]

Ur content is so amazing, hope u reach so high, Your great fan 👍👍

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Thank you for the support, Tarang. It really means a lot.

[@victorv8332]

@@JayVardhanSingh How much Central Asia did Kushan cover ? They were just south of Caspian Sea right ? That means a large part of Kazakhstan and Xinjiang was not under their rule ? I am learning history of Central Asia , your reply will be helpful.

[@raginisingh2251]

Nice video

[@one1oneisme]

Excellent video, bhai 👍

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Thanks

[@jaybharat1479]

Excellent

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Thanks

[@skbarua70]

More informative & clear describe.

[@debdas9414]

Unity in diversity came through many many wars and challenges. It is still going on in a different manner.

[@eklavyagl]

Good

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Thanks

[@sagarpraveen3794]

Can you do overviews of the major Indian kingdoms and then continue doing these elaborate videos. Your content has been good value addition for my UPSC preparation

[@parjanyashukla176]

UPSC is overrated. Try becoming a politician.

[@joydeeproy1580]

Any genetic footprint flow of kushans into indo gangetic plain?

[@roopaligangopadhyay5690]

@JayVardhanSingh I am a student of history and learning Indian classical arts, also studying the Natya shastra, Well Indo greeks, scithians, parthians, which means north west India was mostly under foreign rule, After mauryans

[@muhammadadeel8639]

This recorded history just proves the Aryan migration theory i.e. Aryans spread from Caucasus region into both Europe and East into Iran and India from 1500 BC - 500 BC - Perhaps the caste system in India was also created by incoming Aryans who would make up the top caste Moreover Sanskrit and Persian languages are also similar - which proves they are both Aryans originally

[@muhammadadeel8639]

After mauryans - Indo greeks dominated North-west India But eventually the Mongolian tribes started migrating and conquering regions in central asia, North-west india, caucasus etc. Sakas, kushans, Huns and later Turkic tribes were all from Mongolian steppes In short, India was first conquered by Aryans and then Mongolian steppe Nomads from roughly 0AD to 1500 AD-Mughals/Mongol descendants. Middle East was also conquered by Turks in 1000 AD by Seljuks Turk, at the same time when Ghazni and Ghuri was conquering India - Ghazni was also a Turk, Delhi Sultanate was also turkic

[@rahuls8764]

Uncle Anant Pai introduced a lot of us to indian history.... then there is Wikipedia which is a great source on indian history.. On KZbin i think ur channel is on par with those sources....especially on ancient india. Thanks for the great content.... wish more indians would be interested in their history.

[@JayVardhanSingh]

You're too kind. Thank you for these words. I am really grateful. In the coming months I will also start doing videos on Medieval and Modern Indian history.

[@rahuls8764]

@@JayVardhanSingh polite request.... if possible please cover the southern kingdoms too ...chera, pandya, chola.... very little content about that on the net

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Thanks for the suggestion, I will do a video on this in the near future.

[@abcdidgh879]

Please make video on the diet of Vedic people

[@JayVardhanSingh]

thanks for the suggestion, I will certainly make a video on this topic in the future.

[@kavanpuranik98]

If I recall correctly, the Kushans installed their own vassals in the kingdoms they defeated. So how did this indianization of the Kushan kings begin?

[@JayVardhanSingh]

What we know is that the later Kushan rulers were Indianized but how this process unfolded can't be answered in a precise manner. This has to do with the lack of sources.

[@zshan4445]

are these kushan related to the kushansha caste in pakistan?

[@champabenchandrothiya6793]

Always interested to know more about Kanishka,a king who has spread Buddhism all over Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan etc...But Bhaiya how was it possible that they chose the path towards Buddhism...Is there any special reason for it??

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Apart from Buddhism, the Kushanas also supported other religions. For example, in Vima Kadphises's coins Shiva is depicted. It was only under Kanishka, that Buddhism became much more associated with the Kushanas. One reason could be that it was during Kanishka reign that the Kushana Empire truly became an Indian empire. With the conquest of the Ganga Valley, large portion of Indian subcontinent were under the Kushana control. So it is natural that the religious tradition of India that were prevalent during this period also influenced the Kushanas.

[@champabenchandrothiya6793]

@@JayVardhanSingh Agreed...But why Buddhism only?? As we have seen that Kanishka and his priors have always tried to depict themselves as "Devaputta" so after their conquest to Ganga valley it could be the reason that they want to show that how we accept other traditions(talking about your argument)...But why Buddhism only he can even go for Puranism,Jainism or any contemporaneous to it...

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Maybe it was due to the missionary nature of Buddhism. Other religions particularly Puranic Hinduism didn't have that aspect. The missionary aspect of Buddhism also helped Kanishka to align his imperial conquest with the spread of Buddhism. That is what I think. What are your views about this? I am interested in how you would explain this.

[@champabenchandrothiya6793]

@@JayVardhanSingh Bhaiya could you pls eloborate in what sense it was missionary?

[@JayVardhanSingh]

Missionary aspect of Buddhism means the propagation of Buddhism by monks and kings alike. The element of propagation has always been a fundamental element of Buddhism. Whether we look at the fact that Ashoka send his son and daughter to Sri Lanka for the propagation of Buddhism or the spread of Buddhism that happened during this period. All of this couldn't have happened if buddhism didn't encourag it. Compare this to Vedic or even Puranic Hinduism which didn't saw any need for this.

[@asfaquealam7030]

Please making the video in Hindi

[@saurabhlimbad7634]

Mathura is closely connected with Shri Krishna..but surprisingly it was hub for Buddha sculpture..mathura school.of art became famous along side Gandhar school....jay ji..do u feel krishna stories are later addition..when india was under rule of Saka and Indo greek..

[@JayVardhanSingh]

I don't think that is the case because one of the early Indo-Greek king had issued a coin depicting Balarama. And even Megasthenes mention that Indian worshipped Herakles in Mathura( he used Methora) and the description which Megasthenes provide is similar to Krishna. Then we have the famous Heliodorus column. But I think it could be that the other stories attached to Krishna were later additions.

[@saurabhlimbad7634]

@@JayVardhanSingh hi Jay...just out of curiosity...if Megasthenes has mentioned in Indika tha people worshipped Herakles, then why he did not used the word Vasudev...but instead used herakles.. is it bcz they story of little Krishna is similar to herakles? Or Herakles is derived from "Hari-Kul-Ish"

[@JayVardhanSingh]

that is a great question. I have never thought about this. But if I have to guess and here I am speculating, Megasthenes used Heracles because he as a greek was familiar with the Greek hero Heracles. He would have found some aspects of Krishna/Vasudev similar to Heracles so he didn't bother to use the original name. By the way, in Alexander's account we are told that the Indian worshipped Dionysus, the Greek god of wine. Some scholars have suggested that these Indian worshipers of Dionysus were Shaivites.

[@shakta_]

sir....whats your view on Out of India Theory and Aryan invasion Theory Personal I believe out of India is the genius ....

[@JayVardhanSingh]

I am currently reading about this. I will publish an article about the Aryan migration question. Will let you know once it's live. And you can call Jay. :-)

[@shakta_]

@@JayVardhanSingh Ok jay 😁

[@sandeepjohari2023]

@ 7.17 it's mentioned that the ramayan and Mahabharat have mention of the kushanas as tukharas........are you sure about this......I believe these epics are much much ancient than the kushanas...pl clarify

[@JayVardhanSingh]

There's no doubt that the Mahabharata and Ramayana both are old texts but these texts have evolved over time. New information was added in these texts and the description of Kushans in these texts is one example of later interpolations.

[@girishg414]

@@JayVardhanSingh Isn’t it also true that the Tusharas/Tokharas were Indian tribes who settled in Tarim river basin/Sinkiang during Mahabharata times & then reverse migrated back into India proper as the Kushanas?

[@kc4276]

Please use metric units when describing distances and not imperial ones (or put imperial units in parenthesis if you must). Literally only the US, Myanmar, and Liberia use that system. 7.7 billion people use the metric system - including your own country of residence/citizenship.

[@faujdar021]

My mausi is married in Mant only. I have heard about these inscriptions.

[@greatindus]

Tocharians

[@pmishra786]

How did Buddhism die in the Indian sub continent ? Could you Pls make a video on this bhai. And wonderful content , keep it up. 👌👌

[@zachariahm.m1763]

I would like to have more information about this.Mathura is said to be the biblical Misraim, present day Egypt.

[@BackfootPunch]

Use Bharatiya nomenclature for the kings & locations .. not the greek or european or parthian or any other nomenclature. When we are looking at things from our perspective, it is imperative that we use our nomenclature for it. Ex: Bharatiya name for 'Alexander' is 'Alakshendra' .. & it should be used as such IMO. We dont need to conform to foreign norms. We should use our own norms .. or establish our own norms. The foreign nomenclature can be used as an addition in the form of 'also called as' by greeks, or central asians or parthians as the case may be. Otherwise, a sober presentation ..

[@sonarbangla8711]

Indian historians never quote the Puranas where valuable historical information. For example the Vishnu Purana records that Krishna died when the sea level rose and submerged the city of Dwarka, confirming that he died when the ice age (9500 bc). Long after that the Kuru destroyed the Yadava tribe and massacred the women and children and blamed Krishna and Arjun for the massacre 1500-1200 bc, when under the Babylonians the Kuru replaced Sanatan religion with Hinduism with Rama as god (when Ramses II became a savior of the Levant against the Sea Peopls devastation during the Egyptian King.

[@notorious9278]

Kushans and scynthians are Jaat people today

[@georgeghazaryan]

Not only Jat but Gujjars and Rajputs also.

[@notorious9278]

@@georgeghazaryan no rajput and gochar are huns

[@georgeghazaryan]

@@notorious9278 rajput are huns but gujjar is kushan

[@notorious9278]

@@georgeghazaryan kahaa se haag Diya Miya gochar hun hey. Gochar word huno ke baad he Aya hain. Kushan jaat hai scythians and kushans mixed and become bishnoi jat and other jats. Huns pushed kushans in modern day haryana and Punjab now they're jat.

[@maku8075]

@@notorious9278 lol you guys aren't kushan 😂 you guys are brown Indians.

[@tusharsawkar9731]

Please don't move your hands. It is disturbing.

[@rajakc1514]

Jay Vardhan Singh, are Khas people of Nepal related to this Khushans?

[@ujjainsharma9796]

From what I've learned Early khas people were western pahadi speaker that evolved from early Punjabi language, these early people migrated to east and became khas They aren't related to kushans, kushans were outsiders that were sanskritized