Mod 1: Who Were the Kushanas? โ the Yuezhi, Kujula Kadphises, Vima Kadphises and the Rabatak Inscription
Concept
12.1 From the Yuezhi to an empire
๐ซ School level ยท NCERT Class 6โ12 History (the base for UPSC, BPSC, BSSC and other PSC exams)
Origins and the early kings
The Kushanas were one branch of the Yuezhi (Yueh-chi), a nomadic people from the borders of China. Driven west by the Xiongnu in the 2nd century BCE, they settled in Bactria (north Afghanistan). In the 1st century CE Kujula Kadphises united the five Yuezhi clans and crossed the Hindu Kush. His successors built an empire stretching from Central Asia to the Ganga valley.
| King | Known for |
|---|---|
| Kujula Kadphises | Founder; copper coins copying Roman and Indo-Greek types; title โDharmathidaโ (steadfast in dharma) |
| Vima Taktu | Known as โSoter Megasโ (Great Saviour) from coins; identified through the Rabatak inscription |
| Vima Kadphises | Issued large quantities of gold coins; shows Shiva with bull Nandi; called himself โMaheshvaraโ |
| Kanishka | Greatest Kushana; patron of Buddhism; the next module |
- Kushanas = Yuezhi branch; Bactria; Kujula Kadphises founder.
- Vima Kadphises: large gold coinage, Shiva/Nandi.
- Question: Who founded the Kushana empire? Answer: Kujula Kadphises.
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
[School] The Kushanas were a branch of the:
[BPSC level] The founder of the Kushana dynasty was:
[UPSC level] Before entering India, the Yuezhi settled in:
[BPSC level] The Kushana king who first issued gold coins on a large scale was:
[UPSC level] Vima Kadphisesโ coins show which deity, with the bull Nandi?
[BSSC pattern] The Yuezhi were pushed west in the 2nd century BCE by the:
[UPSC level] The title โSoter Megasโ on Kushana coins is now linked with:
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
Who founded the Kushana empire?
Kujula Kadphises.Concept
12.2 The Rabatak inscription
๐ซ School level ยท NCERT Class 6โ12 History (the base for UPSC, BPSC, BSSC and other PSC exams)
A 1993 discovery that rewrote Kushana history
The Rabatak inscription was found in 1993 at Rabatak near Surkh Kotal (Baghlan, Afghanistan). Written in the Bactrian language in Greek script, it is one of the most important discoveries for ancient Indian history in recent decades.
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Genealogy | Kujula Kadphises (great-grandfather) โ Vima Taktu (grandfather) โ Vima Kadphises (father) โ Kanishka |
| A new era | Kanishka proclaims his own year 1 |
| Indian cities | Lists Saketa, Kaushambi, Pataliputra and Shri-Champa (Champa near Bhagalpur) in his campaign โ scholars debate whether Champa was inside or just at the edge of his rule |
| Language policy | Says the king replaced Greek with the โAryanโ language (Bactrian) for official use |
For Bihar, Rabatak is crucial: it is a Kushana kingโs own record naming Pataliputra and Champa. It supports the Buddhist tradition that Kanishka reached Pataliputra, and the many Kushana coins found in Bihar.
- Rabatak (1993): Bactrian in Greek script; Kujula โ Vima Taktu โ Vima Kadphises โ Kanishka.
- Names Saketa, Kaushambi, Pataliputra, Shri-Champa.
- Question: Which Bihar cities does Rabatak name? Answer: Pataliputra and Champa.
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
[BPSC level] The Rabatak inscription was discovered in:
[UPSC level] The Rabatak inscription is written in:
[BPSC level] Which Bihar cities are named in the Rabatak inscription?
[UPSC level] According to Rabatak, Kanishkaโs father was:
[BSSC pattern] Rabatak is in which present country?
[UPSC level] Shri-Champa named in Rabatak is near modern:
[BPSC level] Rabatak says Kanishka replaced Greek for official use with:
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
Which Bihar cities does Rabatak name?
Pataliputra and Champa.Concept
๐ฏ UPSC ยท BPSC ยท BSSC ยท State PSC level: PYQs and traps
| Exam | What it asks from this module |
|---|---|
| UPSC | Rabatak; Kushana coinage; Yuezhi |
| BPSC | Pataliputra and Champa in Rabatak; Kushana founder |
| BSSC / SSC | First Kushana gold coins |
The Rabatak inscription, important for Kushana history, is written in which language? (a) Prakrit (b) Bactrian (c) Sanskrit (d) Aramaic
- It is in Bactrian (an Iranian language) written in Greek script, found in 1993 in Afghanistan.
- First Kushana gold coins on a large scale: Vima Kadphises, not Kanishka.
- Kanishka was the son of Vima Kadphises (Rabatak), not of Kujula.
- Kanishka = son of Vima Kadphises.
- Question: In which script is Rabatak written? Answer: Greek script.
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
[BPSC level] Which pair is correct?
[UPSC level] Why is the Rabatak inscription called a landmark discovery?
[BSSC pattern] The Kushanas entered India across the:
[BPSC level] Kujula Kadphises used the Indian title:
[School] The Kushanas came originally from near:
[UPSC level] How many generations does the Rabatak genealogy list up to Kanishka?
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
In which script is Rabatak written?
Greek script.