Eastern Kushans

The Kushan Empire, a syncretic empire, was formed by the Yuezhi in Bactrian territories around 30 CE and dissolved around 375 CE. It expanded to include much of modern Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The Kushans, likely one of five branches of the Yuezhi confederation, were an Indo-European nomadic people who migrated from northwestern China. The dynasty's founder, Kujula Kadphises, adopted Iranian and Greek cultural ideas and was a follower of Shaivite Hinduism. Later Kushan kings also patronized Hinduism and Buddhism, with Emperor Kanishka incorporating elements of Zoroastrianism. They played a significant role in spreading Buddhism to Central Asia and China, fostering a period of peace known as "Pax Kushana." The empire maintained diplomatic contacts with the Roman Empire, Sasanian Persia, the Aksumite Empire, and the Han dynasty of China, serving as a central hub for trade between Rome and China.