THE KUSHANAS

(FIRST CENTURY A.D. TO THE THIRD CENTURY A.D.)

 INTRODUCTION
• THE KUSHANAS WERE MEMBERS OF THE YUEH-CHI TRIBE AND
SPOKE THE TOCHARIAN LANGUAGE
• THEY ORIGINALLY LIVED IN CENTRAL ASIA AND INVADED INDIA IN
THE FIRST CENTURY A.D.
• THE FIRST KUSHANA KING KUJALA KADPHISES ESTABLISHED HIMSELF
IN KABUL AND KASHMIR AFTER DEFEATING THE LAST OF THE INDO-
GREEK KINGS
• HIS SON AND SUCCESSOR VIMA KADPHISES ISSUED GOLD COINS
• HE WAS SUCCEEDED BY KANISHKA, THE GREATEST OF THE KUSHANA
RULERS
KANISHKA (CONTD.)
• KANISHKA PROBABLY ASCENDED THE THRONE IN 78 A.D.
• HE INTRODUCED THE ‘SAKAKALA’ OR SAKA ERA TO MARK HIS ACCESSION
• HE EXTENDED HIS EMPIRE IN THE NORTH INTO CENTRAL ASIA AND IN THE
SOUTH UP TO SANCHI AND EAST UP TO VARANASI
• HE HAD TWO CAPITALS AT PURUSHAPURA (PESHAWAR) AND MATHURA
• HE CONVERTED TO BUDDHISM AND CONVENED THE FOURTH BUDDHIST
COUNCIL
• HE ALSO CONSTRUCTED A STUPA AT PESHAWAR
• THE SUCCESSORS OF KANISHKA WERE VASISHKA, HUVISHKA AND
VASUDEVA
• KUSHANA POWER DECLINED AFTER VASUDEVA IN THE THIRD CENTURY A.D.
SIGNIFICANCE OF KUSHANA RULE
• THE KUSHANAS GREATLY PROMOTED TRADE AND COMMERCE AND
DEVELOPED THE SILK ROAD BETWEEN CHINA AND ROME
• THEY ISSUED THE LARGEST NUMBER OF GOLD COINS IN INDIAN
HISTORY
• UNDER THEM, BUDDHISM SPREAD TO CENTRAL ASIA AND CHINA
• THE RULERS WERE GREAT PATRONS OF ART AND LITERATURE
• THE GANDHARA SCHOOL AND MATHURA SCHOOL OF SCULPTURE
DEVELOPED DURING THEIR REIGN
• THE CHARAKA SAMHITA IS ALSO SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN WRITTEN
DURING THIS TIME
• THEY ALSO INTRODUCED THE CAP, THE RIDING HELMET AND BOOTS
AND TROUSERS WHICH WERE USED BY WARRIORS OF LATER
DYNASTIES
ART AND ARCHITECTURE
• THE MAIN SCHOOLS OF ART THAT FLOURISHED IN THE POST-
MAURYAN PERIOD INCLUDE THE GANDHARA SCHOOL, THE
MATHURA SCHOOL AND THE AMARAVATI SCHOOL
• THE GANDHARA SCHOOL OF SCULPTURE FLOURISHED FROM THE
FIRST CENTURY B.C. TO THE FOURTH CENTURY A.D.
• THIS SCHOOL ATTAINED A HIGH DEGREE OF REFINEMENT THROUGH
THE AMALGAMATION OF PERSIAN, GREEK AND ROMAN STYLES
• THIS SCHOOL WAS PATRONISED BY THE SHAKAS AND KUSHANAS
• THE MAIN EXAMPLES OF THIS SCHOOL ARE BUDDHIST IN CHARACTER
• THE SCULPTURES WERE ORIGINALLY MADE IN LIMESTONE BUT LATER
IN STUCCO AND THEN IN GYPSUM
ART AND ARCHITECTURE-GANDHARA STYLE
• THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF GANDHARA STYLE OF SCULPTURE
ARE AS FOLLOWS
• THE IMAGES WERE PRODUCED IN A VERY AESTHETIC MANNER WITH
ATTENTION TO DETAIL
• THE CLOTHES DEPICTED IN THE IMAGES ARE FOLDED IN THE GREEK
AND ROMAN MANNER
• THERE WERE ELABORATE CARVINGS AND DECORATIONS IN THE
SCULPTURES WHICH HAD COMPLEX SYMBOLISM
• HOWEVER, THE PHYSICAL FEATURES ARE NOT CLEARLY DELINEATED
IN THE STATUES; AND HENCE THE GANDHARA STYLE IS DESCRIBED AS
HAVING A ‘VEILED LOOK’
CONTD.
THE BUDDHA IS REPRESENTED IN GANDHARA SCULPTURE IN FOUR
WAYS OR IN FOUR MUDRAS (HAND GESTURES):
a.) ABHAYA (FEAR NOT) : ONE HAND IS HELD UP TO WARD OFF FEAR
b.) DHYANA (MEDITATION): THE HANDS ARE FOLDED ON THE LAP
c.) DHAMMACHAKRA: THE BUDDHA IS PREACHING TO HIS DISCIPLES
d.) BHUMISPARSHA: HERE THE HANDS TOUCH THE GROUND
GANDHARA BUDDHA AT TAXILA
 MATHURA SCHOOL
• THE MATHURA SCHOOL OF ART EMERGED AROUND THE FIRST
CENTURY A.D. IN THE GANGA PLAINS
• THE SCULPTURES ARE USUALLY OF SPOTTED RED SANDSTONE
• IT SHOWS STRONG INFLUENCES OF THE EARLIER MAURYAN PERIOD
• THE MATHURA SCHOOL INCLUDES NOT ONLY BUDDHIST EXAMPLES
BUT ALSO JAINA AND HINDU SCULPTURES
• THE DISTINGUISHING FEATURE OF THE MATHURA SCHOOL IS THE
ATTENTION GIVEN TO FACIAL DETAILS AND PHYSICAL FEATURES
• ANOTHER IMPORTANT FEATURE IS THAT THE HALO IS RICHLY
DECORATED IN THIS STYLE
MATHURA BUDDHA
AMARAVATI SCHOOL
• THE AMARAVATI SCHOOL OF SCULPTURE FLOURISHED IN SOUTH
INDIA UNDER THE SATAVAHANAS AND THE SUCCEEDING DYNASTIES
• THIS SCHOOL MAINLY INVOLVED RELIEF SCULPTURE, MAINLY ON
WHITE MARBLE
• IMPORTANT EXAMPLES OF THIS SCHOOL INCLUDE THE STUPA
SCULPTURE AT AMARAVATI AND NAGARJUNAKONDA AND
JAGGAYAPETA
• THEY MOSTLY DEPICT SCENES FROM THE JATAKAS REPRESENTING
THE LIFE OF THE BUDDHA
• OTHER IMPORTANT EXAMPLES INCLUDE THE STANDING BUDDHA
SCULPTURES MADE OF STONE OR BRONZE
BRONZE BUDDHA
FROM AMARAVATI JAGGAYAPETA RELIEF
STUPA AND CHAITYA ARCHITECTURE
• OTHER IMPORTANT FORMS OF ARCHITECTURE INCLUDED THE
STUPAS AND CHAITYAS
• THE STUPAS OF ASHOKA AT SANCHI AND BHARHUT WERE EXPANDED
AND NEW ‘TORANAS’ (GATEWAYS) WERE ADDED
• THE STUPA BUILT BY KANISHKA AT PESHAWAR HAD A HEIGHT OF 191
METRES
• EXAMPLES OF CHAITYAS INCLUDE THOSE OF BEDSA, NASIK, KANHERI
ETC.
• THE LARGEST CHAITYA HALL WAS AT KARLE AND WAS BUILT BY THE
SATAVAHANAS
LITERATURE AND SCIENCE
• THERE WAS A GREAT DEVELOPMENT OF CLASSICAL SANSKRIT LITERATURE
BASED ON PANINI’S ASHTADHYAYI DURING THE EARLY CENTURIES A.D.
• SEVERAL HINDU AND BUDDHIST WORKS WERE WRITTEN DOWN DURING
THIS PERIOD
• THE MANAVADHARMASHASTRA OF MANU, ALSO CALLED MANUSMRITI,
WAS WRITTEN BETWEEN 200 B.C. AND 200 A.D.
• IT SET THE RULES FOR BEHAVIOUR IN SOCIETY
• THE YAJNAVALKYASMRITI WAS ALSO WRITTEN DURING THIS PERIOD
• OTHER IMPORTANT WORKS INCLUDE THE YOGASUTRAS AND
MAHABHASHYA OF PATANJALI
• BHARATA’S NATYASHASTRA DEALS WITH POETICS AND DANCE
• THE GARGI SAMHITA DEALS WITH ASTROLOGY
CONTD.
• THE PERIOD SAW THE RISE OF SANSKRIT DRAMA AND THE EARLIEST
KNOWN PLAYWRIGHT WAS BHASA
• HIS PLAYS WERE LOST FOR CENTURIES AND WERE REDISCOVERED IN
1912 IN TRIVANDRUM
• THIRTEEN OF HIS PLAYS ARE STILL EXTANT, THE MOST FAMOUS
BEING ‘SVAPNAVASAVADATTA’, ‘PRATIJNAYAUGANDHARAYANA’ AND
‘DARIDRA CHARUDATTA’
• THE IMPORTANT BUDDHIST WORKS DURING THIS PERIOD INCLUDE
ASHVAGHOSHA’S ‘BUDDHACHARITA’ AND NAGARJUNA’S
‘MULAMADHYAMAKAKARIKA’ AND ‘PRAJNAPARAMITA SUTRAS’
• PRAKRIT WORKS OF THE PERIOD INCLUDE THE ‘MILINDA PANHA’,
THE ‘GATHASAPTASATI’ AND THE ‘BRIHATKATHA’
CONTD.
• SEVERAL IMPORTANT SCIENTIFIC WORKS ARE ALSO DATED TO THIS PERIOD
• THE CHARAKA SAMHITA, A TREATISE ON MEDICINE, WAS WRITTEN
• THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA IS A TREATISE ON SURGERY
• THE BHELA SAMHITA IS ANOTHER WORK ON MEDICINE WHICH
INCORPORATES ELEMENTS OF BOTH CHARAKA’S AND SUSHRUTA’S WORKS
• THE NAVANITAKA IS YET ANOTHER WORK ON MEDICINE
• PINGALA’S CHHANDA SASTRA IS ON METRICS AS WELL AS MATHEMATICS
• THE BAKSHALI BIRCH-BARK MANUSCRIPT CONTAINS THE FIRST USE OF
ZERO
• THE BOWER MANUSCRIPT FOUND IN CHINA SHOWS DETAILS OF INDIAN
MEDICINE
ECONOMY
• THE TWO IMPORTANT TRADE ROUTES OF THE PERIOD WERE THE
SILK ROAD AND THE SPICE ROUTE
• THE SILK ROAD WAS AN OVERLAND ROUTE WHICH ORIGINATED IN
CHINA AND PASSED THROUGH INDIA, PERSIA, EGYPT AND FINALLY
REACHED ROME
• THE SPICE ROUTE WAS A SEA ROUTE WHERE ARABIAN, GREEK AND
ROMAN TRADERS WOULD ARRIVE WITH THE ONSET OF THE
MONSOON AND WOULD LEAVE WITH THE RETREAT OF THE
MONSOON
• ACCORDING TO TRADITION, THE MONSOON WINDS WERE
DISCOVERED BY A SAILOR NAMED HIPPALUS
SILK ROAD AND SPICE ROUTE
CONTD.
• THE CHIEF EXPORTS OF THE PERIOD COULD BE CLASSIFIED UNDER
THREE CATEGORIES- INORGANIC PRODUCTS, ORGANIC PRODUCTS
AND HUMAN EXPORTS
• THE FIRST CATEGORY INCLUDED SILK AND COTTON, GEMS LIKE
DIAMONDS AND SAPPHIRES, AND IRON AND STEEL PRODUCTS
• THE SECOND CATEGORY INCLUDED ‘YAVANAPRIYA’ (PEPPER), GINGER,
IVORY, EXOTIC ANIMALS ETC.
• THE THIRD CATEGORY INCLUDED FEMALE SLAVES, MERCENARIES,
COOKS, ELEPHANT DRIVERS ETC.
• THE MAIN IMPORTS INCLUDED GOLD COINS, LINEN, GLASSWARE,
LAMPS, POTTERY AND FEMALE SLAVES
• THERE WAS ALSO CROSS-CULTURAL INTERACTION BETWEEN INDIA
AND THE WESTERN WORLD