A World between Worlds: Geography, History, andIdentity of The Kušāns (First Century CE)

March 4, 2026 This geographic and historical introduction to the Kušāns focuses on the multiple cultural affiliations and identities of the Kušān rulers and their empire, emphasizing the impact their neighbors had on identity formation and development. Several vectors may have contributed to the development of Kušān identity. First, the historical heritage of the steppes prompts the question of the original language of the Yuezhi confederation, the cradle of the Kušān dynasty. This question is now being informed by the so-called “unknown script,” which has been deciphered and proven to be an early notation of the Bactrian language. Cultural interactions with their steppe neighbor to the north, the Kangju empire, certainly affected the Kušān worldview. This influence may be reflected in evidence such as their self-representation in the Khalchayan reliefs depicting a frontier war with the Kangju, whose own markedly bellicose identity is expressed on the Orlat bone plaque. Second, the Hellenistic background of the Kušāns cannot be overlooked. The Kušāns experienced a unique mixture of steppe heritage (as seen at Tillia Tepe) and western influences through contact with the Roman East via maritime trade (as seen on Kujula Kadphises’s Augustan-style coinage). Third, Hindu cults left a lasting impact on the Kušāns, which can be observed in the coinage of Vima Kadphises. Fourth, the relationship with the Parthians can be defined as one of “peaceful coexistence,” which was disrupted by the Sasanians’ rise to power, leading to territorial and commercial expansion that, however, had only limited effects in the religious sphere. Grenet, Franz. "A World between Worlds: Geography, History, and Identity of The Kušāns (First Century CE)" Ancient Iran and Central Asia: Interactions and Shifting Identities (March 4, 2026). https://yarshater.ucla.edu/media/vide...