Sakas And Kushanas In Indian History

Exam-Oriented Q&A

Q1: Who were the Sakas and when did they arrive in India?
A1: The Sakas were Iranic Scythian tribes who migrated into northwestern India around the middle of the 2nd century BCE.

Q2: Which ruler founded the Kushan Empire and displaced the Sakas?
A2: Kujula Kadphises united the Yuezhi tribes in the early 1st century CE and drove the Sakas out of Bactria.

Q3: How did their coinage reflect cultural fusion?
A3: Saka coins combined Greek legends with Kharoshthi/Brahmi scripts and Indian symbols, while Kushan issues featured Greek or Bactrian legends alongside a pantheon of deities from multiple traditions.

Q4: What major Buddhist event did the Kushanas sponsor?
A4: Kanishka the Great convened the Fourth Buddhist Council at Kundalavana, solidifying Mahāyāna doctrine and commissioning Gandhara art.

Q5: What led to the decline of each dynasty?
A5: Sakas fell to Gupta emperor Chandragupta II in 395 CE; the Kushanas fragmented under Sasanian incursions and Gupta expansion by c. 375 CE.