Kushan Empire
E52143
The Kushan Empire was a powerful ancient Central Asian and South Asian empire (1st–3rd centuries CE) that controlled key segments of the Silk Road and fostered a cosmopolitan blend of Hellenistic, Persian, Indian, and Buddhist cultural influences.
Observed surface forms (3)
| Surface form | As subject | As object |
|---|---|---|
| Kushan period | 0 | 2 |
| Kushan | 0 | 1 |
| Kushan Dynasty | 0 | 1 |
Statements (56)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Central Asian empire
→
South Asian empire → ancient state → historical empire → |
| alternativeName |
Kushan Empire
→
surface form:
Kushan Dynasty
|
| capital |
Mathura
→
Purushapura → |
| continent | Asia → |
| culture |
Buddhist influences
→
Hellenistic influences → Indian influences → Persian influences → |
| currency |
bilingual coinage
→
copper coins → gold coins → |
| endTime | 3rd century CE → |
| ethnicGroup | Yuezhi → |
| followedBy |
Gupta Empire
→
Sasanian Empire → |
| follows |
Indo-Greek Kingdoms
→
Indo-Scythian Kingdoms → Yuezhi →
surface form:
Yuezhi tribal confederation
|
| hasInfluenceOn |
Gandhara civilization
→
surface form:
Gandharan art
Indian Ocean trade network →
surface form:
Indian Ocean trade
spread of Mahayana Buddhism → |
| knownFor |
Gandhara civilization
→
surface form:
Greco-Buddhist art
control of key Silk Road routes → cosmopolitan culture → patronage of Buddhism → syncretic religious iconography → |
| languageUsed |
Bactrians
→
surface form:
Bactrian
Gandhari Prakrit → Prakrit → |
| locatedIn |
Central Asia
→
South Asia → |
| notableEvent |
Fourth Buddhist Council (Kanishka)
→
reign of Kanishka I → |
| partOf |
Silk Road routes
→
surface form:
Silk Road regions
|
| religion |
Buddhism
→
Greek religion → Hinduism → Zoroastrianism → local Iranian cults → |
| ruler |
Huvishka
→
Kanishka I → Kujula Kadphises → Vasudeva I → Vima Kadphises → |
| startTime | 1st century CE → |
| territoryIncludes |
Bactria
→
Gandhara civilization →
surface form:
Gandhara
northwestern Indian subcontinent → parts of Tarim Basin → |
| writingSystem |
Brahmi script
→
Greek script → Kharoṣṭhī script →
surface form:
Kharosthi script
|
Referenced by (17)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
Kushan Dynasty
this entity surface form:
Kushan period
this entity surface form:
Kushan
this entity surface form:
Kushan period
subject surface form:
Northern India