Mod 5: Later Kushanas and the Road to the Guptas โ Huvishka, Vasudeva I, the Sasanian Blow, Nagas and Yaudheyas, and the Kushana Legacy
Concept
12.9 The later Kushanas
๐ซ School level ยท NCERT Class 6โ12 History (the base for UPSC, BPSC, BSSC and other PSC exams)
Huvishka, Vasudeva and the Sasanian blow
| King | Known for |
|---|---|
| Huvishka | Very varied gold coins (Greek, Iranian, Indian gods); Mathura a major centre; Huvishka vihara at Mathura |
| Vasishka, Kanishka II | Short reigns known from inscriptions |
| Vasudeva I | Last great Kushana; fully Indian name; coins mainly show Shiva with Nandi |
- Sasanian Persia: Ardashir I and Shapur I (3rd century) conquered Bactria; โKushanshahsโ (Kushano-Sasanians) ruled there.
- Rise of Indian republics and kingdoms: Yaudheyas (coins โYaudheyanam jayahโ), Kunindas, Nagas of Padmavati and Mathura, Maghas of Kaushambi.
- Overstretch: an empire from the Oxus to the Ganga was hard to hold.
- Huvishka (varied coins), Vasudeva I (last great, Shiva coins).
- Decline: Sasanians in Bactria; Yaudheyas, Nagas, Maghas rise.
- Question: Who was the last great Kushana? Answer: Vasudeva I.
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
[BPSC level] The last great Kushana king was:
[UPSC level] Vasudeva Iโs coins mainly show:
[BPSC level] Huvishka is especially known for:
[UPSC level] Which power took Bactria from the Kushanas in the 3rd century CE?
[BSSC pattern] The coins โYaudheyanam jayahโ were issued by the:
[UPSC level] The Nagas who rose after the Kushanas had centres at:
[BPSC level] Kushano-Sasanian rulers are also called:
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
Who was the last great Kushana?
Vasudeva I.Concept
12.10 The road to the Guptas
๐ซ School level ยท NCERT Class 6โ12 History (the base for UPSC, BPSC, BSSC and other PSC exams)
What the Kushanas left behind
The fall of the Kushanas and the weakness of other powers left the Ganga valley open. In Magadha, the Guptas rose in about 319/320 CE, helped by a marriage alliance with the Licchavis of Vaishali. Pataliputra became an imperial capital again.
| Field | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Coinage | Large-scale gold coinage; the Guptas copied the Kushana weight standard and coin types (e.g. king at an altar) |
| Trade | Linked India with the Silk Road, Rome and China |
| Religion | Mahayana Buddhism spread to Central Asia and China; Shaiva and Vaishnava images |
| Art | Gandhara and Mathura schools; first Buddha images |
| Calendar | Saka era (78 CE) โ basis of the Indian National Calendar |
| Dress | Central Asian trousers, boots and long coats in royal dress |
- Guptas c. 319/320 CE with Licchavi help; legacy: gold coins, Silk Road, Mahayana, art, Saka era, dress.
- Question: What did the Guptas borrow from the Kushanas? Answer: Gold coin standards and types.
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
[BPSC level] The collapse of Kushana power helped the rise of which Magadhan dynasty?
[UPSC level] The Guptas copied from the Kushanas their:
[BSSC pattern] The Kushanas linked India with the:
[UPSC level] Kushana royal dress introduced to India included:
[BPSC level] The GuptaโLicchavi alliance was formed through the marriage of Chandragupta I with:
[UPSC level] Mahayana Buddhism spread to China mainly along:
[School] The Indian National Calendar is based on which Kushana-age era?
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
What did the Guptas borrow from the Kushanas?
Gold coin standards and types.Concept
๐ฏ UPSC ยท BPSC ยท BSSC ยท State PSC level: PYQs, traps and mains
| Exam | What it asks from this module |
|---|---|
| UPSC | Kushana legacy; Yaudheyas; Sasanians |
| BPSC | Kushana decline opened way for Guptas |
| BSSC / SSC | Last great Kushana king |
Who was the last great Kushana ruler? (a) Kanishka (b) Huvishka (c) Vasudeva I (d) Kujula Kadphises
- Vasudeva I (c. 190โ230 CE), whose coins show Shiva, was the last powerful Kushana; after him Sasanian pressure broke the empire.
- Vasudeva I (Kushana) โ Vasudeva Kanva (73 BCE).
- The Guptas copied Kushana gold standards โ a link often asked.
Model question: โThe Kushanas were foreigners who became Indian.โ Discuss with reference to their religion, coinage, art and links with Bihar. Points: Yuezhi origin; Shiva and Buddha on coins; Indian names (Vasudeva); Mathura art; Fourth Council; Ashvaghosha from Pataliputra; Rabatak; coins in Bihar; legacy to the Guptas.
- Vasudeva I (Kushana) โ Vasudeva Kanva.
- Question: Which republicโs coins say โYaudheyanam jayahโ? Answer: The Yaudheyas.
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
[BPSC level] Which pair of a Kushana-age name and identity is correct?
[UPSC level] Which statement about the Kushana legacy is correct?
[BSSC pattern] The Maghas, who rose after the Kushanas, ruled at:
[UPSC level] The Kushana empire at its height stretched from the:
[BPSC level] After the Kushanas, Pataliputra became an imperial capital again under:
[School] Which of these is a Kushana-age contribution still used today?
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
Which republicโs coins say โYaudheyanam jayahโ?
The Yaudheyas.