The Kushan Empire

Nomads come down from the steppes north of China and by the first century CE build a kingdom reaching from Central Asia to the Ganges valley. Under King Kanishka its centres are Purushapura — today's Peshawar — and Mathura. The Kushans sit astride the crossroads: through their lands pass silk from the east and Roman gold from the west, and on their coins Greek, Iranian and Indian gods stand side by side. Under them Buddhism finds patronage and moves further north, into the oases of Central Asia and on to China, while in Gandhara appear the first images of the Buddha in human form.