Successors of Kanishka and the Decline of the Empire
The successors of Kanishka were Kanishka I (127–150 CE), Huvishka (155–189 CE), Vasudeva I (195-225 CE), Kanishka II (227–247 CE), Vasishka (247–255 CE), Kanishka III (268 CE), and Vasudeva II (c. 275-297). The reign of Huvishka (150 CE–180 CE) was a period of consolidation for the Empire. His reign seems to have been peaceful, consolidating power in northern India and moving the center of the Kushan Empire to the southern capital city of Mathura. Vasudeva I (190 CE–230 CE) was the last of the Great Kushans. He was the last great Kushana emperor, and the end of his rule coincided with the invasion of the Sasanians as far as northwestern India. The decline of the Kushana Empire started during his reign.
The decline of the Kushanas led to the resurfacing of several polities that had been subdued by the Kushanas. Some of these polities that resurfaced were the Shaka Kshatrapas in western and central India and the Arjunayanas located in the Bharatpur and Alwar areas. The monarchies of this period included a number of kings ruling parts of north and central India, who were referred to collectively as Naga kings due to the ‘naga’ suffix in their names. The invasions of the White Huns in the fifth century, and later the expansion of Islam, ultimately wiped out the remnants of the Kushan empire.
Kushan Empire
Kushan Empire: The Kushanas (Kuei-shang) Empire was one of the five Great Yueh-chi principalities and was part of a series of tribal movements that began in Central Asia. The Kushana Empire was unified and founded by Kujuka Kadphises in the early 1st century C.E., and this empire continued to reign until 230 C.E. The empire expanded into the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent, establishing control over the Indus Valley and the Mathura region.
The empire reached its zenith during the reign of Kanishka. The empire developed its notion of kinship and acknowledged the religious diversity that existed within the empire. Historians have referred to various archaeological and literary sources to understand the importance of this empire and its contribution to shaping ancient Indian history.
Read below to learn about the Kushana Empire in depth.
Table of Content
- Emergence of Kushan Empire and its consolidation
- Kushan Empire and its expansion under Kanishka
- Significance of the Kushana Empire
- Successors of Kanishka and the Decline of the Empire
- Literary and archaeological sources of Kushana Empire
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