In the early 2nd century B.C., a tribe on the Central Asian frontier of China called Hsiung-nu defeated a neighboring one known as Yueh-chih. After more conflict, the survivors of the Yueh-chih were dislocated west, passing down the Ili river valley and along the southern shore of lake Issyk Kul. This movement also pushed Saka tribes (and others) ahead of them. Sometime between 145 and 125 B.C., these nomad invaders burst into Bactria and Parthia. A generation later, they were pressing into the Kabul valley and onto the Punjab plain. At around the beginning of the Christian era, one of the five Yueh-chih chiefs, K'iu-tsiu-k'io, attacked and defeated the others, leaving his clan in control; the Kuei-shang (Kushans).


The dating of the reign starts and lengths of the Kushan kings is based on inscriptional evidence that no one seems to agree upon. The 'lynch pin' is year 1 of Kanishka I's reign and has been set as early as the middle of the 1st and as late as the middle of the 3rd century A.D. Below, I'm going to use circa 115 A.D. (+ or - 10 years) as Kanishka I, year 1, as this seems to be the latest consensus (sort of; see CAC, J. Cribb, 'The Early Kushan Kings: New Evidence For Chronology'). From inscriptions there are references to Kanishka years 2 through 98, this last date being somewhere toward the end (?) of the reign of Vasu Deva I (98 = circa 215 A.D.). It was within 15 years or so that the Sasanian king Ardashir I invaded the western part of the Kushans' kingdom and installed Sasanian princes (the Kushanshahs) as governors. New evidence from recently found Bactrian documents supports the date of 233 A.D. as being the beginning of a 'Kushanshah Era'; the date of the collapse of Kushan hegemony in the western part of their kingdom. In the east, the Kushans and their descendants struggled on for another 100+ years.

KABUL (SANA)—An underground ancient city, dating backto about 1,700 years ago, has recently been found inLowgar Province in east of Afghanistan.The citybelongs to the age of Kushan empire. Covering an area of 30 square kilometers, it is buriedunder a great heap of earth and stones. Lots of ruins of buildings can be found in the citywhich is located in the mountain areas of the province, reports Xinhua.

The towers, walls and irrigation system of the city show its grandeur in the ancient time, said Minister of Information and Culture Sayed Mohammad Raheen who visited the ancient city severaldays ago. Raheen said the ancient city has buildings and templesof several stories. his is one of the most important historical sites found in Afghanistan. It is deserved to be excavated with the assistance of UNESCO and neighboring countries.

The possible donors may help us build a museum at the site of the city, said Raheen.

Khalitullah Enayat, an expert from the National Museum of Afghanistan, told Xinhua that the ancient city has very important academic value. And there is no other relic site like this in Asia. Some experts believe that if it is excavated, some Buddha statues may be found. And the value of the city can be compared with the Bamiyan Buddha that was destroyed by Taliban last year. The city was first discovered by some relics robbers and smugglers.

Police have arrested some robbers, and the culturalrelics, including some Buddha figures that the robberswanted to smuggle out of Afghanistan, have been submitted to the Ministry ofInformation and Culture.

The traces of illegal excavation can be seen in different partsof the city. In a dome-shaped room, the feet of a large statue hasbeen damaged as the result of illegal excavation. Measures have been taken to protect the relic site of the city and policemen have been sent to guard the city against robbers.

Located at the crossroads of east and west exchange in the ancient times, Afghanistan is famous for its rich cultural heritage. However, during the two decades of conflicts and the Taliban regime, most of the historical sites have been destroyed, and a large number of cultural heritage have been stolen and smuggled out of the country.

The Kushan Empire

The Kushans originated from the Turkistan region of China. They moved towards Afghanistan in the 1st century ad and after displacing the Indo-Greeks, the Parthians and the Sakas, they established themselves in Taxila and Peshawar. In the course of time, they occupied entire Punjab and took parts of the western Gangetic plains beyond Mathura. Mathura was an important city at the time of the Kushans. Soon the Kushan Empire spread from Central Asia in the north to the plains near Mathura.

Two successive Kushan dynasties ruled the Kushan Empire. Kanishka was an important king, who belonged to the second Kushan dynasty. He extended the Kushan Empire to the north to such an extent that he came into open conflict with the Chinese armies of the Hun Empire, in Central Asia. Kanishka was a great patron of Mahayana Buddhism and during his reign, a large number of Buddhist monasteries, sculptures, and stupas were built in the Gandhara region. He also took active part in religious debates, which went on at that time. The fourth Buddhist Council was held during his reign, where many important decisions pertaining to the future of Buddhism were taken. In the fourth Buddhist Council, the division of Buddhist faith into two branches, namely Mahayana (the greater vehicle) and Hinayana (the lesser vehicle), was recognized and accepted.

Origin

The age of the Mauryans (322-185 bc) in ancient India is remembered for the greatness of the empire. However, weak rulers and the subsequent weakening of the highly centralized administrative structure caused the decline of the Mauryan Empire. The post-Mauryan period from 185 bc to ad 300 saw the emergence of a number of kingdoms all over the Indian subcontinent. Some of these states were small, while others like that of the Kushans were large. This period witnessed a spurt in migrations into India, rise in foreign trade, and development of art. In short, the time scale between 1st century bc and 3rd century ad was a period of flux.

Migrations

A number of foreigners came to India in successive waves of migrations between 200 bc and ad 100. These people settled down in different parts of India. They brought with them their own distinct cultural flavor, which, after mixing with the local cultures, enriched the cultural ethos of India. The foreigners who came into India were the Bactrian Greeks (also called the Indo-Greeks), the Parthians, the Sakas, and the Kushans. With the exception of the Greeks, all others came from Central Asia.

Indo - Greeks

The Bactrian Greeks or the Indo-Greeks were the generals of Alexander, who had stayed back in Persia and parts of Central Asia. With the disintegration of the Mauryan Empire, the Indo-Greeks moved towards India and captured parts of Punjab, Kabul valley, and the province of Gandhara. They ruled their state from Gandhara or Bactria. We get to know more about the Indo-Greeks from the coins issued by them. They were the first ones in India to issue gold coins. Some of these rulers became Buddhist, while the others became Hindu, a pointer to the fact that their culture was assimilated into Indian traditions.

The Sakas

The Saka people settled down in the western part of India, including Gujarat and Malwa. The Saka rulers were constantly at war with the Satvahanas, who ruled central and parts of Deccan India. On the other hand, the Sakas could not expand their rule to the north, as the Kushans held them back.

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