Cultural Embracement and Incorporation: The Analysis of Kanishka Coins

Abstract

This paper aims to discuss the political intention of Kanishka through the coins circulated during his reign and the historical context of the Kushan empire. Although there are studies discussing Kanishkas effort to promote Mahayana Buddhism, there is insufficient literature that comprehensively relates Kanishka's religious beliefs to the political means and context of the era and reveals the complexity of Kanishkas intention. Hence, this work synthesizes and discusses the reasons for the unprecedented appearance of Buddhist elements in the Kanishka coin through Kanishka's support for Buddhism, Kanishka's political intentions, and the diversity of the Kushana religions. The multifaceted analysis of Kanishka coins and supplementary evidence suggests that although Kanishka may utilized the promotion of Mahayana Buddhism as a unifying force, he did not limit the development of other religions in the reign but rather encouraged religious diversity, in order to foster stability, harmony and prosperity of the empire.