Kushan Coins [30-375 AD]: A Comprehensive Overview for UPSC

Introduction of Gold Coins in India

• The Kushans were the first to introduce gold coins in India, a landmark in Indian numismatics.
• Vima Kadphises minted the first gold coins in India, issued in three denominations: the double dinar, dinar, and quarter dinar.
• These coins typically depicted Hindu deities, most notably Shiva (Oesho) standing on the reverse side with his bull, Nandi. This reflected the influence of Hinduism in the Kushan Empire.

Kushan Gold Coins

Ruler & Period	Obverse Description	Reverse Description & Significance
Vima Kadphises (110-128 AD)	King seated on the throne holding a branch in right hand; Greek legend “Basileus Ooema Kadaphises.”	Lord Shiva standing with a trident, Nandi (bull) beside him. This coin marked the beginning of the gold coinage in India, showcasing Vima’s reverence for Hindu gods.
Vima Kadphises (110-128 AD)	King emerging from clouds wearing a diadem, symbolic of his divine status.	Shiva standing with a trident. Indicative of the integration of divine imagery with royal symbolism, reinforcing the ruler’s status as a god-like figure.
Kanishka I (128-154 AD)	King sacrificing at an altar, flames emerging from the shoulders, symbolizing divine power.	Four-armed Shiva holding a trident and other symbols of power. Reinforces Kanishka’s association with both Hinduism and his divine status, supported by the artistic style of the coins.
Kanishka I (128-154 AD)	King standing, holding a bow and sacrificing at an altar, legends in Bactrian script.	Goddess Nana standing with a scepter. Shows influence from both Hindu and Central Asian religious beliefs, showcasing Kanishka’s vast empire and cultural diversity.
Huvishka (154-192 AD)	Half-length bust of the king emerging from clouds, wearing a decorated helmet and loose tunic, holding a mace in his left hand.	Four-armed Shiva holding a damru (drum), kamandalu (vase), trident, and antelope. This coin reflects Huvishka’s religious patronage, particularly towards Shiva and his role in blending cultures.
Huvishka (154-192 AD)	Bust of the king with flames from shoulders, dressed in royal attire, holding a royal sceptre.	Lunar god Mao with a crescent on his shoulder. Represents Huvishka’s cosmopolitan rule, where deities from various pantheons, including Zoroastrian and Greek gods, were integrated into the coinage.

Significance of Kushana Coin (Coins of Kushan Empire)

Kushan gold coins were significant for multiple reasons:

• Religious Syncretism: The gold coins featured a mix of deities from Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, and Buddhism, reflecting the Kushan’s vast and diverse empire, which spanned across Central Asia and Northern India. The incorporation of various gods also highlighted the cultural and religious tolerance of the Kushan rulers.
• Royal Imagery: The obverse of these coins often depicted the ruler, portraying him with divine attributes like flames or halos, symbolizing their god-like status. This helped solidify their rule as “Devaputra” or “sons of God.”
• Economic Influence: The Kushans established a gold currency standard that was used widely in trade across the Silk Road, facilitating commerce between the Roman Empire, Central Asia, and India. The weight and purity of their gold coins set a standard that influenced later dynasties like the Guptas.

Vima Kadphises Coins

Vima Kadphises (110-128 AD) was an early Kushan emperor whose coins give us valuable information about his rule, religion, and how his empire interacted with other cultures.

Gold Double Dinar (Possibly India’s First Gold Coin):(Coins of Kushan Empire)

• Front (Obverse): This shows Vima Kadphises sitting on a throne with a branch in his hand. There’s a Greek inscription that says “Basileus Ooema Kadaphises,” meaning “King Vima Kadphises.”
• Back (Reverse): Depicts Shiva, the Hindu god, standing with his trident and Nandi, the bull. The inscription in the Kharoshti script calls Vima “King of Kings, Lord of the World, and follower of Shiva.”
• Weight: 15.75 grams.

Gold Dinar:(Coins of Kushan Empire)

• Front: Shows Vima coming out of the clouds.
• Back: Features Shiva holding a trident.
• Weight: 7.8 grams.

Gold Quarter Dinar:

• Front: Shows the king looking out of a window, with a Greek inscription.
• Back: Displays Shiva’s symbols like the trident, drum, and phallus, along with Kushan symbols and an inscription in Kharoshti.
• Weight: 1.95 grams.

Copper Tetradrachm:(Coins of Kushan Empire)

• Front: Shows Vima making a sacrifice at an altar, indicating his role as a religious leader.
• Back: Shows Shiva with Nandi, once again emphasizing the connection to Hinduism.
• Weight: 17.3 grams.

Significance of Kushan Coins:(Coins of Kushan Empire)

• The Kushans were the first to show pictures of rulers on coins. Earlier Indian coins used only symbols. Vima Kadphises introduced it by putting his portrait on the front and a god, usually Shiva, on the back. This style became very popular and was used by many other dynasties, including the Guptas, for hundreds of years.
• His coins often had inscriptions in two languages: Greek (on the front) and Sanskrit (on the back). This shows how the Kushans blended different cultures.
• Vima’s coins were made using Roman gold brought in through trade, as India didn’t have its own gold mines. His system of weights for gold and copper coins was so influential that later empires like the Guptas used the same standards.

Kanishka Gold Coins (127–154 AD)

Kanishka I (127-154 AD) was the greatest ruler of the Kushan Empire. His reign expanded the empire to its peak, covering parts of Central Asia (modern Afghanistan and Tajikistan) and much of northern India and Pakistan.

Gold Dinar (7.9 gm):(Coins of Kushan Empire)

• Front (Obverse): Shows Kanishka making a sacrifice at an altar, highlighting his religious role.
• Back (Reverse): Depicts Shiva with four arms.
• Significance: Kanishka was the first ancient ruler to show flames on his shoulders and a halo (nimbus) around his head on coins, symbolizing his divine status. His descendants even called themselves “Devputra,” meaning “son of god.”

Gold Dinar (7.93 gm):

• Front: Kanishka is shown holding a bow, sacrificing at an altar with flames emerging from his shoulders. The inscriptions are in Bactrian (an ancient Greek script).
• Back: Features Nana, a goddess holding a sceptre, standing to the right.

Copper Tetradrachm (~16 gm):(Coins of Kushan Empire)

• Front: Shows the king sacrificing at an altar.
• Back: Depicts the Buddha Maitreya seated, representing Kanishka’s devotion to Buddhism.
• Rarity: Rare.

Kanishka’s Unique Coins:(Coins of Kushan Empire)

• Buddha Coins: Kanishka was the first ruler to mint coins with the image of Buddha, a groundbreaking contribution to ancient numismatics. These coins are extremely rare and often commemorate the construction of religious sites, like the great stupa at Purushpur.
• Types of Buddha Coins: There are two major designs: one showing the standing Buddha and the other featuring the seated Buddha. These coins are found in both gold (Dinar) and copper denominations, though they are very rare.

Gold Quarter Dinar (1.99 gm):(Coins of Kushan Empire)

• Front: Depicts Kanishka with flames on his shoulder, holding a goad and spear while making a sacrifice.
• Back: Shows Nanashao, a goddess, standing with a sceptre and box.

Gold Quarter Dinar (2.01 gm):(Coins of Kushan Empire)

• Front: Kanishka is shown making a sacrifice with flames on his shoulder, holding a spear.
• Back: Features Athsho, the god of fire, holding a wreath.

Kanishka’s coins reflect his immense power, religious devotion, and cultural influence. They combined images of Hindu, Buddhist, and Zoroastrian gods, showcasing the diversity of his empire. His coinage played an important role in spreading Buddhist symbolism and art across his vast territory.

Huvishka (154–192 AD)

Huvishka (154-192 AD) succeeded Kanishka I and continued to expand the Kushan Empire’s influence. His reign is documented in inscriptions found near Kabul, and he built significant monuments in Mathura. Huvishka even founded a city named after himself, Hushka, in Kashmir. During his and Kanishka’s reigns, the Kushan Empire was at its peak. Huvishka, like many rulers of the time, took the title “Devaputra” (Son of God) and supported the famous Mathura school of art.

Huvishka’s Gold and Copper Coins: (Coins of Kushan Empire)

Gold Dinar (7.9 gm):

• Front (Obverse): Depicts Huvishka in profile, wearing a helmet decorated with antlers and a jeweled tunic, holding a mace and an elephant goad. Flames rise from his right shoulder.
• Back (Reverse): Features a four-armed Lord Shiva holding a drum, vase, goad, and trident, while holding an antelope by the horns.
• Rarity: Very rare.

Huvishka’s coins reflect his cosmopolitan nature, with early coins showing him as a warrior with a beard, while later coins portray him as a more refined king with a crown and elegant clothing. This transition represents a shift from nomadic roots to a more settled, luxurious lifestyle.

Gold Dinar (7.9 gm): (Coins of Kushan Empire)

• Front: Shows Huvishka’s bust.
• Back: Depicts the lunar god Mao with a crescent on his shoulder.
• Rarity: Very rare.

Huvishka’s coinage is remarkable for featuring deities from multiple religions—Hindu, Zoroastrian, and Greek—showing the cultural diversity of his empire. Unlike his predecessors who mostly used Hindu deities, Huvishka expanded the variety of gods represented on his coins, suggesting the continued importance of Bactria (modern Afghanistan) in his rule.

One of the rarest and most historically significant coins of Huvishka shows Skanda-Kumara (also known as Kartikeya, the god of war), marking one of the earliest known depictions of this popular deity. Another rare coin shows both Shiva and his spouse Uma (Parvati), demonstrating the Kushans’ devotion to Hindu gods as well.

Copper Unit (5.65 gm): (Coins of Kushan Empire)

• Front: Shows the king riding an elephant.
• Back: Depicts the lunar god Mao with a crescent on his shoulder.
• Rarity: Common but widely imitated by neighbouring regions.

Vasudeva I (192–228 AD)

Vasudeva I, the last great ruler of the Kushan Empire, marks the complete assimilation of the Kushans into Indian culture. His coins predominantly feature Hindu deities, particularly Shiva and Laxmi. The Kushan standard of an 8-gram gold stater continued under his reign and influenced subsequent Indian dynasties, like the Guptas.

• Gold Stater: Vasudeva is shown sacrificing at an altar, with a three-headed, four-armed Shiva on the reverse, a highly detailed and rare numismatic specimen.

Various Deities on Kushan coins

The Kushan dynasty’s coinage features different deities from various religious traditions which reflect the cosmopolitan nature of their empire. The deities depicted come from Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and other belief systems, showing the Kushan rulers’ connections to both local and foreign traditions.

Deity	Description	Significance of Kushan Coins
Helios	Greek sun god, often depicted with a radiant crown.	Greek sun god, a personification of the Sun, often depicted with a radiant crown.
Hephaistos	Greek god of fire and metalworking, known for his skill as a blacksmith.
Selene	Greek goddess of the moon, often represented with a crescent moon or chariot.	Shown riding a chariot or with lunar symbols.
Mahasena	Mahasena is another name for Skanda or Kartikeya, the Hindu god of war and son of Shiva.	Depicted on Huvishka’s coins as a powerful deity, symbolizing martial prowess and divine protection, often associated with royal authority.
Oesho	Oesho is a syncretic form of the Hindu god Shiva, often portrayed with four faces and holding a trident.	Frequently shown with Nandi, the bull, Oesho symbolizes Shiva’s power and cosmic significance. His portrayal on Kushan coins shows the king’s alignment with Hindu deities.
Rishti	Possibly linked to the Zoroastrian deity Asha Vahishta or the concept of righteousness and truth.	Reflects the Zoroastrian influence in Kushan iconography, showcasing the rulers’ cosmopolitan religious outlook.
Manaobago	A deity of the Zoroastrian tradition, associated with the concept of divine favour and fortune.	Likely depicted to symbolize divine blessing on the Kushan kings, reinforcing their claim to divine right and favor from various religious traditions.
Pharro	A deity of the Zoroastrian tradition, associated with the concept of divine favour and fortune.	Represents the king’s triumphs and the divine legitimacy of his rule. Often associated with royalty and the king’s military success.
Ardochsho	The Zoroastrian goddess of wealth, fortune, and prosperity, similar to the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.	Her presence on Kushan coins symbolizes prosperity and wealth, reinforcing the connection between the king’s reign and the well-being of his empire.
Ahura Mazda	The supreme god in Zoroastrianism; represents wisdom and the creator of the world.	Depicted with symbols of divine majesty and cosmic order.
Oesho with Bull	A specific representation of Oesho (Shiva) with his mount, Nandi the bull.	Reinforces Shiva’s cosmic role and the king’s devotion to him, often seen as a sign of strength and divine favour for the empire.
Adsho Atar	A Zoroastrian deity linked with fire, known as Atar in the Zoroastrian tradition.	Depicted on seals and coins, Adsho Atar reflects the Kushan rulers’ reverence for fire as a sacred element, particularly in Zoroastrianism, symbolizing purity and divinity.
Buddha	The historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, founder of Buddhism.	Depicted on coins under Kanishka I, showing his support for Buddhism. Buddha coins symbolize Kanishka’s role in promoting Buddhism and his sponsorship of Buddhist councils.
Maitreya	Future Buddha, often shown as a Bodhisattva waiting to appear on Earth.	Depicted in a seated or standing posture, with a compassionate expression.
Ganesha	Hindu deity of wisdom, success, and remover of obstacles

Buddha’s presence on the coins of Kanishka I is particularly significant, as Kanishka I is known for his patronage of Buddhism and the promotion of Buddhist art and culture. His reign saw the flourishing of Gandhara art, which heavily influenced Buddhist iconography.

What We Learn from Kushan Coins

King	What We Learn from Their Coins	Notable Features
Vima Kadphises	– Coins depict Lord Shiva and Nandi, showing alignment with Hinduism. – Greek and Bactrian legends demonstrate Hellenistic influence.	– First to introduce Hindu deities on coins. – Seated on a throne with symbols of power. – Bilingual coins (Greek and Kharosthi scripts).
Kanishka I (the Great)	– Portrays himself with shoulder flames and nimbus, marking divine kingship. – Features a variety of deities from Hinduism and Buddhism. – Depicts Buddha, showing patronage to Buddhism.	– First to depict Buddha on coins. – Divine imagery with flames and nimbus. – Coins widely distributed, reflecting the empire’s expansion.
Huvishka	– featured Hindu, Greek, and Zoroastrian deities. – Early coins show a warrior king, while later coins show a refined ruler. – Depicted gods include Skanda-Kumara and Mao.	– Transition from warrior to refined king in imagery. – Large number of different deities.

Conclusion

The Kushan Coins provide invaluable insights into the political, religious, and cultural landscape of the empire. They not only depict the rulers’ power but also their divine claims, trade links, and religious affiliations. As some of the finest examples of ancient Indian numismatic art, Kushan coins were instrumental in shaping the coinage traditions of later Indian dynasties, particularly the Guptas, and remain a key source of historical evidence for the study of ancient India.

---