Pre-modern Indian History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Pre-modern Indian History - Essay Example Taxila commanded the royal road which is the modern Kabul, formerly the valley of river Cophen connecting Gandhara to the kingdom of Magadha in the east. The Taxila town also commanded the Kashmir river valley up to the Indian Ocean in the south (Xinru, 21). Considering the command areas the Taxila held, it is believed that they also had rules over the land between Babylonia in the west and China in The East. During this ancient period, there was the Greek, Achaemenid and Kushan ages. In the Kushan age there were Sirsukh, Jaulian and the Mohra Moradu tribes (Edwin, 4). This paper will explain the establishment of the Kushans Empire and their numerous social, religious, economic and political engagements in the ancient Asian history. The Taxila Kushans In the early days, the Kushans were mainly nomads who belonged to the Yuezhi clan residing on the grasslands of the eastern Tarim Basin region, in present-day Gansu province in China (Xinru, 19). The Yuezhi tribe was believed to be comp rised of jade and horse traders who moved with their herd guarded by an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 military men. They were forcefully evicted from their original residence by the stronger Xiongnu tribe. Reports claim that they first migrated west and then south to Transoxiana a region north of Oxus River which is today referred to as Amu Darua (Xinru, 10). They further migrated to the Bactria region in the northern part of India. The Kushans of the Yuezhi clan were notably dominant creating a supreme rule over others tribes (William, 11). In the 1st century AD in the territories of ancient Bactria on both sides of the middle course of Oxus, the Kushans Empire under the leadership of king Kujula Kadphises was originally established after a successful invasion and control of the Bactria region. This was favored by the then existing rivalry between the Parthians and the scytho-Parthians (Xinru, 12). Through his enormous troops of military men, King Kujula Kadphises comfortably took c ontrol of the southern prosperous region which is the northwest part of ancient India traditionally known as Gandhara. Reports suggest that he rued the empire up to the year78 AD. On his death his able son Vima Taktu succeeded him and expanded the kingdom further in to the northwest part of south Asia. He later appointed and installed generals to these lands who were to exert the Kushan rule on the inhabitants (Smith, 45). Kujula Kadphises grandson Vima Kadphises took the helm of leadership after the death of his father in 95. He is credited with the greatest expansion of the Kushan Empire by acquiring vast lands that were to fall under the Kushan control. Reports claim that he expanded the lands to Afghanistan and North West India. Due to the empire expansion, some Kushans later relocated and settled in central Afghanistan and the northwest of the Indian subcontinent up to the lands of Saketa and Sarnath which are found on the Varanasi or Banares areas. It is also reported that the y held diplomatic relations with the Han of China, the Roman Empire and also the Sassanid Persia. During his reign, the Kushans are believed to have acquired a lot of wealth due to the connections and control they had over the Silk Road (Edwin, 24). His successor Kanishka 1 continued with the rule with records crediting him for his territorial administration from two capitals: