Kushan Empire

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/kushan-empire

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the period of dominance?Approximately 30 CE to 375 CE
2. What is the key dynastic founder?Kujula Kadphises
3. What was the Kushan Empire and where did it come from?The Kushan Empire was a big kingdom that grew from the Yuezhi people who moved from northwestern China to Bactria. They mixed their nomadic ways with Greek and Iranian ideas to build a strong, friendly state.
4. How did the Kushan Empire help spread Buddhism?The Kushan rulers, especially Kanishka the Great, supported Buddhist art and travelers. Their peaceful rule let Buddhist monks travel across mountains and spread Mahayana Buddhism to Central Asia and China.

Yuezhi Confederation: A confederation of nomadic peoples originating from Central Asia, who founded the Kushan Empire.
Gandhara Art: A distinctive style of Buddhist art that emerged in Gandhara, blending Greco-Roman and Indian influences.
Mahayana Buddhism: A major tradition of Buddhism emphasizing the path to enlightenment for all sentient beings, which flourished under Kushan patronage.
Syncretism: The merging or attempted merging of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought.