When did the Eastern Kushans exist?

The Eastern Kushans existed c. AD 238–346. On this map they are drawn AD 238–346.

How large were the Eastern Kushans?

At their greatest extent drawn on this map, the Eastern Kushans covered about 1.2 million km². That is the largest area the border data gives them across the years they are drawn, not necessarily their greatest extent in history.

South Asia · Ancient and classical

Eastern Kushans

Monarchy (remnant kingdom) · c. AD 238–346

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Type: Monarchy (remnant kingdom)
Existed: c. AD 238–346
Shown on the map: AD 238–346
Heartland: the eastern Kushan remnant was centred on Punjab with its capital at Taxila
Peak area: ~1.2 million km² at the Kushan Empire's peak (c. 200 CE estimates range 2.0–2.5 million km²)
Region: South Asia

Origins and founding

The Kushan Empire was formed c. 30 CE by the Yuezhi confederation, nomads driven west from Gansu/Xinjiang by the Xiongnu (176–160 BC). Kujula Kadphises (c. 50–90) united the five Yuezhi tribes, conquered Kabul, Kapisha-Gandhara and Indo-Parthian lands; Vima Takto and Vima Kadphises (c. 113–127) expanded into India. Under Kanishka I (c. 127–151) the empire reached its zenith from the Oxus to Pataliputra, as the Rabatak inscription attests (Ujjain, Saketa, Kausambi, Pataliputra, Champa). The empire split after Vasudeva I (c. 190–230): the western half fell to the Sasanian Kushanshahs by c. 240–250, leaving an eastern remnant — the "Little Kushans" — in Punjab.

Capitals and territory

Earlier capitals were Kapisa/Pushkalavati, then Purushapura (Peshawar) and Mathura; in the 3rd–4th centuries Taxila became the capital of the eastern kingdom. By c. 270 the Gangetic plain had been lost to local dynasties (Yaudheyas, Nagas) and Mathura to the rising Guptas; Little Kushan authority was confined to the Punjab.

Major rulers and key events

The eastern line comprised Kanishka II (c. 232–247) and Vāsishka (c. 247–267, attested in Sanchi inscriptions), followed by the Little Kushans: Vasudeva II (270–300), Mahi (300–305), Shaka (305–335) and Kipunada (335–350). Samudragupta's Allahabad pillar inscription claims the "Devaputra-Shahi-Shahanushahi" (the last Kushans) surrendered, offered daughters in marriage and accepted Gupta suzerainty; coins imitating Kipunada bear the name "Samudra" in the Punjab. In 360 the Kidarite Huns under Kidara overthrew both the Kushano-Sasanians and the last Kushans, ending the dynasty.

Government, economy and culture

The Kushans had ruled through satraps (Kshatrapa/Mahakshatrapa) and used Greek, then Bactrian in Greek script; their coins displayed a uniquely syncretic pantheon (Buddha, Shiva/Oesho, Zoroastrian and Greek gods). Kanishka's era patronized the Gandhara and Mathura art schools and the Fourth Buddhist Council in Kashmir tradition, while the "Pax Kushana" linked Silk Road and Indian Ocean trade. In the eastern remnant, silver coinage vanished and gold was debased, showing lost control of trade routes — yet Gandharan Buddhist art and cities like Sirsukh near Taxila still flourished.

Decline and end

Pressure from the Sasanians (west) and Guptas (east) reduced the Kushans to Punjab vassals by the mid-4th century; the Kidarites destroyed the last remnants c. 360–375, and Hephthalites followed.

Legacy and significance

The Kushans spread Mahayana Buddhism to Central Asia and China, fused Greek, Iranian and Indian art, and dominated Silk Road commerce; the eastern phase shows the transition from the classical Kushan world to the Gupta age.

Common questions

What were the Eastern Kushans?: The Kushan Empire was formed c. 30 CE by the Yuezhi confederation, nomads driven west from Gansu/Xinjiang by the Xiongnu (176–160 BC). Kujula Kadphises (c. 50–90) united the five Yuezhi tribes, conquered Kabul, Kapisha-Gandhara and Indo-Parthian lands; Vima Takto and Vima Kadphises (c. 113–127) expanded into India.
When did the Eastern Kushans exist?: The Eastern Kushans existed c. AD 238–346. On this map they are drawn AD 238–346.
How large were the Eastern Kushans?: At their greatest extent drawn on this map, the Eastern Kushans covered about 1.2 million km². That is the largest area the border data gives them across the years they are drawn, not necessarily their greatest extent in history.
Where were the Eastern Kushans?: Earlier capitals were Kapisa/Pushkalavati, then Purushapura (Peshawar) and Mathura; in the 3rd–4th centuries Taxila became the capital of the eastern kingdom. By c. 270 the Gangetic plain had been lost to local dynasties (Yaudheyas, Nagas) and Mathura to the rising Guptas; Little Kushan authority was confined to the Punjab.
Who ruled the Eastern Kushans?: The eastern line comprised Kanishka II (c. 232–247) and Vāsishka (c. 247–267, attested in Sanchi inscriptions), followed by the Little Kushans: Vasudeva II (270–300), Mahi (300–305), Shaka (305–335) and Kipunada (335–350). Samudragupta's Allahabad pillar inscription claims the "Devaputra-Shahi-Shahanushahi" (the last Kushans) surrendered, offered daughters in marriage and accepted Gupta suzerainty; coins imitating Kipunada bear the name "Samudra" in the Punjab.
How did the Eastern Kushans end?: Pressure from the Sasanians (west) and Guptas (east) reduced the Kushans to Punjab vassals by the mid-4th century; the Kidarites destroyed the last remnants c. 360–375, and Hephthalites followed.
How were the Eastern Kushans governed?: The Kushans had ruled through satraps (Kshatrapa/Mahakshatrapa) and used Greek, then Bactrian in Greek script; their coins displayed a uniquely syncretic pantheon (Buddha, Shiva/Oesho, Zoroastrian and Greek gods).
Why do the Eastern Kushans still matter?: The Kushans spread Mahayana Buddhism to Central Asia and China, fused Greek, Iranian and Indian art, and dominated Silk Road commerce; the eastern phase shows the transition from the classical Kushan world to the Gupta age.

Sources

Every source below was consulted while writing this entry.

Wikipedia: Kushan Empire en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kushan_Empire

This entry was written from the sources above and last updated 10 September 2026.

This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made

Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.

Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).

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