Conquests of Kujula Kadphises
Conquest of Kujula Kadphises is a the millitary conquest of Kushan Empire Kujula Kadphises in which he completely defeated the Four Yuezhi Kingdoms and Indo-Parthian Kingdom along with his commerical relations with Roman Empire.These conquests by Kujula Kadphises probably took place sometime between AD 45 and 60 and laid the basis for the Kushan Empire which was rapidly expanded by his descendants.[1]
| Conquests of Kujula Kadphises | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Tetradrachm of Kujula Kadphises (30–80 CE) in the style of Hermaeus. Corrupted legend: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΤΗΡΟΣΣΥ ΕΡΜΑΙΟΥ ("Basileos Sterossy Hermaiou") | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Kushan Empire |
Indo-Parthian kingdom Greater Bactria kingdom Four Yuezhi Kingdoms | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Kujula Kadphises Vima Takto Hermaeus |
Gondophernes Pacores | ||||||||
Conquest
changeDefeat of Yuezhi Kingdoms
changeNot much detail is available on this conquest but Kujula Kadphises of Kushan Empire said to have defeated and overthrown Four Yuezhi Kingdoms.
...the prince [elavoor] of Guishuang, named thilac [Kujula Kadphises], attacked and exterminated the four other xihou. He established himself as king, and his dynasty was called that of the Guishuang [Kushan] King. He invaded Anxi [Indo-Parthia] and took the Gaofu [Kabul] region. He also defeated the whole of the kingdoms of Puda [Paktiya] and Jibin [Kapisha and Gandhara]. Qiujiuque [Kujula Kadphises] was more than eighty years old when he died."
Conquest of Anxi
changeKujula Kadphises' conquests are recorded in Chinese historical texts and seen in his coins and inscriptions from 122 and 136 CE. After defeating local rulers, he invaded Parthia (referred to as "Ansi") and took control of the kingdoms of Kao-fu, Pu-ta, and Ki-pin. "Ansi" likely refers to the Parthian dynasty in the east, to which Gondophernes (or Guduvhara) belonged. Kujula is called a prince or Kumāra in 103 CE, which could correspond to the 26th year of Gondophernes’ reign.
Coins of other Parthian rulers like Abdagases and Pacores have been found in areas such as western Punjab and Kandahar, suggesting the region was still influenced by Parthian kings. Coins of both Pacores and Wima Kadphises were discovered together at Sirkap, alongside coins of Guduvhara, showing Greek and Kharoshthi inscriptions. By Gondophernes' time, governors' loyalty to their suzerains was weakening, and there is no evidence of a strong Parthian presence in northwestern India after Guduvhara. Some scholars also link the 1st-century ruler Phraotes of Taxila to Gondophernes, based on the similarity of their names.[1][3][4]
Kujula Kadphises likely defeated the Parthian king Gondophernes and took control of the Kabul region, possibly between A.D. 45 and A.D. 64. Coins from Gondophernes, Pacores, and Kujula Kadphises found in Sirkap suggest he conquered Taxila from Pacores' weak successor. The Taxila Silver Scroll (A.D. 136-78) mentions "Mahārāja Rājātirāja Deva-putra Kushana," likely referring to Kujula Kadphises. He probably first conquered the western part of Gondophernes' empire before A.D. 122, with Gondophernes' successors likely becoming vassals. Abdagases’ attempt to claim the title of Mahārāja Rājātirāja may have led to his downfall, as the Kushan empire expanded to Taxila. Later records from the Hou-Han-Shu also suggest Kujula Kadphises conquered regions like Taxila, and neighboring areas. Scholars now believe these regions refer to Gandhara, not Kashmir.[1][5]
Relations with Roman Empire
changeThe Kushan ruler, after conquering Parthia and Kabul, likely had closer contact with the Romans. Some of his coins imitate the bust of Hermaeus with a Greek inscription, and others resemble a Roman emperor's bust. Scholars debate which emperor is imitated—many think it's Augustus, but some, like Allan, suggest Claudius due to the design on the reverse. Prof. Basham notes Kujula's coins resemble both Augustus’s and Claudius’s. This imitation likely reflects trade, as Roman coins were used by Western merchants, influencing the Kushan coinage.[1]
References
change- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Puri, B.n (1965). India Under The Kushanas. pp. 15–17.
- ↑ Hill 2009, p. 29.
- ↑ John, Marshall (1975). taxila an illustrated account of archaeological excavations. CUP Archive. p. 66.
- ↑ Ahloowalia, B. S. (2009). Invasion of the Genes Genetic Heritage of India. Strategic Book Publishing. p. 99. ISBN 978-1-60860-691-7.
- ↑ B. N. Mukherjee. The Rise And Fall Of The Kushāṇa Empire.