Imperu Kushan

L-**Imperu Kushan** (ċ. Seklu I–Seklu III) kien stat li fl-aqwa tiegħu, bejn l-105–250, kien jifrex minn Tajikistan sal-Baħar Kaspjan sa l-Afganistan u l-isfel fil-wied tax-Xmara Ganges. L-imperu inħoloq mit-tribù Kushan ta' lYuezhi, li kien poplu mill-Xinjiang moderna, Ċina, possibilment relatat mat-Tocharians. Kellhom kuntatti diplomatiċi ma' Ruma, Persja Sassanja u Ċina, u għal ħafna sekli kienu fiċ-ċentru ta' skambji bejn il-Lvant u l-Punent.

## Oriġini
L-isem *Kushan* ġej mill-kelma Ċiniża *Guishuang* (Ċ:貴霜) li kienet tiddiskrivi wieħed mill-ħames tribujiet ta' l-Yuezhi (Ċ:月氏), konfederazzjoni laxka ta' popli Indo-Ewropej li jitkellmu verżjonijiet tal-lingwa Tocharian. Kienu l-Indo-Ewropej li joqgħodu l-iktar fil-Lvant, li kienu jgħixu fil-Baċir Tarim fil-Xinjiang tal-lum il-ġurnata, sakemm ġew imkeċċija lejn il-Punent mill-Xiongnu fil176–160&nbsp;q.K. Il-ħames tribujiet Yuezhi huma magħrufa fl-istorja Ċiniża bħala Xiūmì (Ch:休密), Guishuang (Ch:貴霜), Shuangmi (Ch:雙靡), Xidun (Ch:肸頓), u Dūmì (Ch:都密).

Il-Yuezhi waslu fir-renju Ellenistiku ta' Greco-Bactria, fit-territorju Bactrian (Afganistan u Uzbekistan ta' fuq) fil-135&nbsp;q.K ċirka, u rrimpjazzaw id-dinastiji Griegi t'hemmhekk, li mxew fil-baċir Indus (illum fil-Pakistan) fil-parti tal-punent tar-Renju Indo-Grieg.

## Waqa'

Mis-Seklu III 'l quddiem, l-Imperu Kushan beda jitfarrak.

Ċirka il-225, Vasudeva I miet u l-Imperu Kushan ġie maqsum f'żewġ partijiet, dak tal-lvant u dak tal-punent. Bejn il-224–240, is-Sasanians invadew Bactria u l-Indja ta' Fuq, fejn huma magħrufa bħala l-Indo-Sassanians. 

Għall-ħabta tal-270, il-Kushani tilfu t-territorji tagħhom fil-pjanura tal-Ganges, fejn ġie stabbilit l-Imperu Gupta ċirka 320.

F'nofs is-Seklu IV vassal Kushan fil-Pakistan, bl-isema ta' Kidara, ħa l-poter u kisser id-dinastija antika tal-Kushan. Huwa ħoloq renju magħruf bħala r-Renju Kidarite, avolja hu probabilment kien jikkunsidra lilu nnifsu bħala Kushan, kif inhu indikat bl-istil Kushan li adotta għall-muniti tiegħu. Il-Kidariti jidru li kienu pjuttost prosperużi, għalkemm fuq skala iżgħat mill-predeċessuri Kushani tagħhom.

Il-fdalijiet ta' l-Imperu Kushan kienu eventwalment imwarrba fis-Seklu V bl-invażjonijiet tal-White Huns, u iktar 'il quddiem bl-espansjoni ta' l-Iżlam.

## Sovrani Kushan prinċipali

* Heraios (ċ. 1 – 30), l-ewwel sovran Kushan; jeżistu xi disputi rigward id-dati ta' ħakma
* Kujula Kadphises (ċ. 30 – ċ. 80)
* Vima Takto, (ċ. 80 – ċ. 105) alias Soter Megas jew "Salvatur Kbir"
* Vima Kadphises (ċ. 105 – ċ. 127) l-ewwel imperatur kbir Kushan
* Kanishka I (127 – ċ. 147)
* Vāsishka (ċ. 151 – ċ. 155) 
* Huvishka (ċ. 155 – ċ. 187) 
* Vasudeva I (ċ. 191 – 225), l-aħħar imperatur kbir Kushan
* Kanishka II (ċ. 226 – 240) 
* Vashishka (ċ. 240 – 250)
* Kanishka III (ċ. 255 – 275)
* Vasudeva II (ċ. 290 – 310)
* Chhu (ċ. 310? – 325?)
* Shaka I (ċ. 325 – 345)
* Kipunada (ċ. 350 – 375)

## Links esterni
* Metropolitan Museum capsule history
* New documents help fix controversial Kushan dating
* Antique Indian Coins
* Brief Guide to Kushan History

## Referenzi
* Falk, Harry. 2001. “The yuga of Sphujiddhvaja and the era of the Kuşâņas.” *Silk Road Art and Archaeology VII*, pp. 121–136.
* Foucher, M. A. 1901. "Notes sur la geographie ancienne du Gandhâra (commentaire à un chaptaire de Hiuen-Tsang)." *BEFEO* No. 4, Oct. 1901, pp. 322–369.
* Hargreaves, H. (1910–11): "Excavations at Shāh-jī-kī Dhērī"; *Archaeological Survey of India, 1910–11*, pp. 25–32.
* Harmatta, János, ed., 1994. *History of civilizations of Central Asia, Volume II. The development of sedentary and nomadic civilizations: 700 B.C. to A.D. 250*. Paris, UNESCO Publishing. 
* Hill, John E. 2004. *The Western Regions according to the Hou Hanshu.* Draft annotated English translation.http://depts.washington.edu/uwch/silkroad/texts/hhshu/hou_han_shu.html
* Hill, John E. 2004. *The Peoples of the West from the Weilue* 魏略 *by Yu Huan* 魚豢*: A Third Century Chinese Account Composed between 239 and 265 CE.* Draft annotated English translation. http://depts.washington.edu/uwch/silkroad/texts/weilue/weilue.html
* Konow, Sten. Editor. 1929. *Kharoshthī Inscriptions with Exception of those of Asoka*. Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol. II, Part I. Reprint: Indological Book House, Varanasi, 1969.
* Litvinsky, B. A., ed., 1996. *History of civilizations of Central Asia, Volume III. The crossroads of civilizations: A.D. 250 to 750*. Paris, UNESCO Publishing. 
* Liu, Xinru 2001 “Migration and Settlement of the Yuezhi-Kushan: Interaction and Interdependence of Nomadic and Sedentary Societies.” *Journal of World History*, Volume 12, No. 2, Fall 2001. University of Hawaii Press, pp. 261–292. http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/jwh/. 
* Sarianidi, Victor. 1985. *The Golden Hoard of Bactria: From the Tillya-tepe Excavations in Northern Afghanistan*. Harry N. Abrams, New York.
* Spooner, D. B. 1908–9. "Excavations at Shāh-jī-kī Dhērī."; *Archaeological Survey of India*, 1908–9, pp. 38–59.
* Watson, Burton. Trans. 1961. *Records of the Grand Historian of China:* Translated from the *[[Shiji|Shih chi]]* of Ssu-ma Ch'ien. Chapter 123: The Account of Ta-yüan, p. 265. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-08167-7