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ravichaudhary
November 30th, 2002, 04:36 AM
A recent discussion on the Kushan list may be of interest to members
From: "Ravi Chaudhary" <Ravi9@h...>
Date: Wed Nov 27, 2002 2:47 pm
Subject: Re: Religious Tolerance of the Kushans?


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--- In kushan@y..., "minny94107" <ppotrero@p...> wrote:


The variety of gods on the coins of the Kushans has always struck me
as a sign of great religious tolerance.But it is sometimes argued
that the "pantheon" was a political move to keep conquered people in
line.Then again, even if it WAS a calculated move, its EFFECT could
have been a more tolerant society.As you can see, my mind keeps
spinning around these ideas.I welcome your ideas to help me find some
clarity. ---- Peter L.

Peter
To find an answer to your excellent question, you must first
understand who these people were and why you find so many gods
depicted.

The Kushans are not Kushans as a people.

This is itself an error that as got permanent –ized into historical
literature.
It is actually a clan name, and is still found today in North India
in the Jats, and is written as Kasvan, Kushvan.

The clan is part of Jats. This clan produced the rulers Kaniska
etc., whose coins you are running into.

To answer your question then you have to look for the way of life,
and the belief of the Jats in those days, circa 2nd century BC to 2nd
century AD the time of your coins.

The people are called the Saka, or depicted as the Yueh Chi by the
Chinese notices.The Yueh chi is pronounced simply as Gutia, with a J
sound.
This name as Guti can be found as far back 2200 BC.These people are
known as the Getae, or Massagetae, whom you will have run into.

The people evolve from the Vedic culture of the Indus Valley.They
worshiped the creator.
The creator is the God ` Shiva" who is the creator, and the cycle
of creation, destruction, creation ….. is his cosmic dance

.Also evolving from that worshiped the Sun, the moon, And most
especially fire (Agni), which is also a depiction of Shiva, who is
oft shown as a pillar of fire.Their clan or dynasties then became
either from the lineages of the sun or the moon. (The Kushans/ Yueh
chi are also known as the moon people)

The various gods and goddesses that you then see, become variants of
the creator.

This vedic culture was spread all across what is now Iran, and upto
Mesopotamia.

In this period since the 5th century BC anyway, Buddhism is also
spreading north.The culture was and still is inclusive and tolerant,
and would explain why their coins depicted various gods and goddesses.

I hope this helps.
Ravi

P>S>
I have formed a new list for the Jats.

You and any else interested are welcome to join, URL below


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JatHistory/

ravichaudhary
January 16th, 2003, 03:33 AM
The significance of this find, is that it proves the ruleof the Kushan Jats upto Bengal.

The Kushan empire then conceivably stretched form Central Asia to SE Asia


Previously it was thought the rule only extended upto Varanasi, but recent discoveries have shown that the rule extended upto Champa, and now to Bengal.

There was considerable trading between them and SE Asia, as I have pointed out earlier


See messages 65 & 66 in http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JatHistory/

Ravi


Calcutta digs up a 2000-year history
SOUMITRA DAS

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1030114/asp/frontpage/story_1572373.asp


Calcutta, Jan. 13: Traces of an urban settlement over
2000 years old have been found under the mound on
which Robert Clive built his house on the northern
outskirts of Calcutta.

At the site in Dum Dum, the Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI) has discovered materials that suggest the
existence of a settlement of the Sunga Kusana period
dating back to 2nd Century BC, where people lived
continuously for centuries without any significant
break.

The second phase of the excavations by the ASI between
December 2001 and April-May 2002 yielded "amazing
results", says Bimal Bandyopadhyay, superintending
archaeologist, ASI, Calcutta Circle.

The excavations had started in June 2001. Going
deeper, the ASI found Sunga Kusana period materials at
least 2,200 years old.

A conclusion can be drawn from these discoveries that
thriving urban centres, not just jungles and marshy
land, existed on the peripheral zones of the city long
before Calcutta came up, says Bandyopadhyay.

The site was occupied in two phases from 2nd Century
BC with continuous occupation up to 11th-12th Century
AD. After a short gap, it was further occupied during
15th-16th Century AD up to modern times.

There were terracotta plaques displaying figures of
Yakshinis and materials of a later period such as
divine and semi-divine figurines, numerous
punch-marked and cast copper coins datable to the same
period.

Human skeletons were found at the lowest level and
these were sent to the Anthropological Survey of India
for technical study. It is conjectured that they are
from the period just before the 2nd-1st Century BC.
Perhaps, the inhabitants buried their dead close to
their dwellings, says Bandyopadhyay.

Besides, the site has yielded beads fashioned out of
various materials such as semi-precious stones,
crystal, steatite and terracotta. Terracotta figurines
of a later period, that is Gupta (4th -7th Century AD)
and post-Gupta, too, have been discovered, of which
the most significant is a mother-and-child ensemble.
The seals and sealings carry inscriptions.

The most remarkable find is a miniature icon of
Mahishasuramardini carved out of stone and datable to
9th-10th Century.

Historian Dilip Biswas said: "This is not surprising.
The river was highly navigable and foreign ships
sailed down regularly. The Greeks write of a port
named Gange. The two sides of the Ganga are
archaeologically very rich. A Gupta gold coin was
discovered near Kalighat. Unfortunately, systematic
excavation of this area has never been done."

He referred to artefacts discovered on the Bethune
College campus, a section of which was dug up to build
an auditorium. "A trial trench could have been dug up
near the west wall. They said they had hit groundwater
level and stopped excavation. But this was done
earlier in Aricamadu in south India," said Biswas. So
why not here?

The ASI discovery was serendipitous. The high mound
was a playground and brickbats and potsherds were
scattered all around. These "habitational deposits"
were the only indications of the site's antiquity,
says Bandyopadhyay. When excavation started on a trial
basis, "continuous habitational deposits and materials
up to 8th Century AD were found.

The floor of ballast and lime indicated that it was a
dwelling house. Layers upon layers were revealed. At
the initial stage artefacts of the British period were
found. Late medieval and medieval objects came next.
These were mostly inscribed sealings bearing legends
in Nagari script used in eastern India during 8th
Century AD.

On one sealing was inscribed "Samapasasya", which
meant it belonged to a person named Samapas, and was
probably used in a trade guild.

Human, semi-divine and divine figures in terracotta
and beads were found. Tortoise shells and fish scales
indicate the inhabitants were not vegetarians.

Spurred by these findings, the ASI dug deeper and
discovered the Sunga Kusana period materials. The
blackware and greyware pottery in fine fabric, some of
them stamped, show a clear affinity with pottery of
the pre-Christian era discovered in other sites, says
Bandyopadhyay.