Home Region: Afghanistan (Central and Northern Eurasia)

Kushan Empire

35 CE 319 CE

D G SC WF CC

EQ 2020 af_kushan_emp / AfKushn

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

129 BCE 29 CE Tocharians (af_tocharian) [continuity]

Succeeding Entity:

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General Description

The Kushan Empire was a confederated state headed by an absolute or near absolute military monarchy. Little is known of its early history due to the scarcity of written records, but it appears to have been founded in Bactria, Central Asia in the mid-1st century CE when Kujula Kadphises united the five tribes of the Yuezhi confederation. ^[1]
The Kushan state, as chronicled by the Hou Hanshu (a Chinese text), expanded from Bactria and Sogdiana into Gandhara (in modern-day Pakistan) and northern India. ^[1] Kushan coins recovered from excavations across this region are a key source of evidence for the expansion of the empire and reveal that Kushan monarchs took a syncretistic approach to religion and culture, utilizing Buddhist, Iranian, Hellenistic and Indian iconography. ^[2]
Population and political organization
Historians are uncertain exactly how the Kushan Empire was governed. According to Rafi-us Samad, the Kushans were ’great conquerors but poor administrators’ and the stable administration of the capital was to a large degree reliant on the Buddhist establishment. ^[3] Nevertheless, the historian B. N. Puri has described the Kushan king’s powers as ’unfettered’ by any kind of advisory body comparable to those found in the Mauryan period in northern India. ^[4] The state chancery used both the Bactrian language, written using the Greek alphabet, and Gandhari, written in the Kharosthi script. ^[5]
One theory holds that the political structure of the empire was characterized by ’hierarchical organization in a feudatory system’. Another view suggests the Kushan state included a mixture of both bureaucratic and feudal elements. The further south into the Indian subcontinent and the further from the capitals one went, the more independent the outer satraps became. ^[6]
The literature does not provide reliable estimates for the population of the Kushan Empire.

[1]: (Sinopoli 2005, 335-37) Sinopoli, Carla M. 2005. “Imperial Landscapes of South Asia.” In Archaeology of Asia, edited by Miriam T. Stark, 324-49. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JZ73UGSF.

[2]: (Neelis n.d.) Neelis, Jason. nd. “The Kushan Empire.” University of Washington: Silk Road Seattle. https://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/exhibit/kushans/essay.html.

[3]: (Samad 2011, 90-91) Samad, Rafi-us. 2011. The Grandeur of Gandhara: The Ancient Buddhist Civilization of the Swat, Peshawar, Kabul and Indus Valleys. New York: Algora Pub. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=777134. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/EI23K8AX.

[4]: (Puri 1994, 254) Puri, B. N. 1994. “The Kushans.” In History of Civilizations of Central Asia, Vol. II: The Development of Sedentary and Nomadic Civilizations, 700 B.C. to A.D. 250, edited by János Harmatta, B. N. Puri, and G. F. Etemadi, 239-55. Paris: UNESCO. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/CW6B4KVV.

[5]: (Grenet 2012, 1-2) Grenet, Frantz. 2012. “The Nomadic Element in the Kushan Empire (1st-3rd Century AD).” Journal of Central Eurasian Studies, no. 3: 1-22. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TMRCJ9QP.

[6]: (Mukherjee 1998, 448) Mukherjee, Bratindra Nath. 1988. The Rise and Fall of the Kushānạ Empire. Calcutta: Firma KLM. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/97W9PEID.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

3 Capital

4 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

2 Suprapolity Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Scale of Supracultural Interaction

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

1 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

3 Language

Religion

5 Religion Genus

1 Alternate Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

2 Population of the Largest Settlement

2 Polity Territory

2 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Non Phonetic Writing

1 Mnemonic Device

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

2 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases

1 Crisis Consequence

Power Transitions

12 Power Transition

Instability Events

10 Instability Event

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp) was in:
(30 CE 35 CE)	Sogdiana / Kachi Plain
(35 CE 230 CE)	Sogdiana / Kachi Plain / Middle Ganga
(230 CE 250 CE)	Kachi Plain / Middle Ganga
(250 CE 319 CE)	Middle Ganga

Home NGA: Sogdiana

General Variables

Identity and Location Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	42 R Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Original Name	Kushan Empire Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Capital	Takshasila-Sirsukh Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Capital	Takshasila-Sirkap Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Capital	Purushapura Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Alternative Name	kuei-shuang Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Alternative Name	Kingdom of the Kushans Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Alternative Name	Kusana Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Alternative Name	Kushana Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Temporal Bounds Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	229 CE Expert
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Duration	[35 CE ➜ 319 CE] Expert
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Political and Cultural Relations Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	af_kushan_emp vassalage to it_roman_principate	230 CE 319 CE
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Suprapolity Relations	none Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Supracultural Entity	Greco-Persian Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Succeeding Entity	Sassanid Empire I Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Scale of Supracultural Interaction	4,000,000 km² Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Preceding Entity 129 BCE 29 CE	Tocharians (af_tocharian) [continuity] Expert
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Degree of Centralization	confederated state Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Language Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Indo-European Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Language	Kharoshthi Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Language	Greek Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Language	Bactrian Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Religion Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Religion Genus	Hinduism Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Religion Genus	Buddhism Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Religion Genus	Zoroastrianism Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Religion Genus	Graeco-Bactrian Religions Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Religion Genus	Ancient Iranian Religions Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Alternate Religion	Uncoded Undecided Expert	35 CE 319 CE
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Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	150,000 people	100 CE
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Population of the Largest Settlement	100,000 people	200 CE
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Polity Territory	[2,000,000 to 2,500,000] km²	100 CE
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Polity Territory	[2,000,000 to 2,500,000] km²	200 CE
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Polity Population	[12,500,000 to 13,500,000] people	100 CE
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Polity Population	[14,000,000 to 15,000,000] people	200 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	[4 to 5]	35 CE 319 CE
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Religious Level	[2 to 4]	35 CE 319 CE
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Military Level	[4 to 6]	35 CE 319 CE
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Administrative Level	[4 to 5]	35 CE 319 CE
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Professions Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Professional Priesthood	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Merit Promotion	Absent	35 CE 319 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Examination System	Absent Inferred	35 CE 319 CE
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Law Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Unknown Suspected	35 CE 319 CE
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Judge	Present Inferred	35 CE 319 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Court	Unknown Suspected	35 CE 319 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Irrigation System	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Food Storage Site	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Absent Inferred	35 CE 319 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Port	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Canal	Present Inferred	35 CE 319 CE
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Bridge	Unknown Suspected	35 CE 319 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Information / Writing System Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Script	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Nonwritten Record	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Non Phonetic Writing	Absent	35 CE 319 CE
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Mnemonic Device	Uncoded Undecided	35 CE 319 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Sacred Text	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Religious Literature	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Practical Literature	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Fiction	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Calendar	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Information / Money Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Unknown Suspected	35 CE 319 CE
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Precious Metal	Present Inferred	35 CE 319 CE
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Paper Currency	Absent	35 CE 319 CE
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Indigenous Coin	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Foreign Coin	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Article	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Information / Postal System Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Unknown Suspected	35 CE 319 CE
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General Postal Service	Absent	35 CE 319 CE
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Courier	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Information / Measurement System Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Unknown Suspected	35 CE 319 CE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Unknown Suspected	35 CE 319 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	35 CE 319 CE
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Moat	Present Inferred	35 CE 319 CE
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Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	35 CE 319 CE
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Earth Rampart	Present Inferred	35 CE 319 CE
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Ditch	Unknown Suspected	35 CE 319 CE
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Complex Fortification	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Long Wall	60 km	35 CE 319 CE
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Military use of Metals Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Iron	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Copper	Present Inferred	35 CE 319 CE
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Bronze	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Projectiles Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Unknown Suspected	35 CE 319 CE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent	35 CE 319 CE
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Sling	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Self Bow	Unknown Suspected	35 CE 319 CE
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Javelin	Present Inferred	35 CE 319 CE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	35 CE 319 CE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	35 CE 319 CE
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Crossbow	Present Inferred	35 CE 319 CE
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Composite Bow	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Atlatl	Absent	35 CE 319 CE
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Handheld weapons Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Sword	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Spear	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Polearm	Present Inferred	35 CE 319 CE
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Dagger	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Battle Axe	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Animals used in warfare Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Elephant	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Donkey	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Dog	Unknown Suspected	35 CE 319 CE
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Camel	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Armor Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Present Inferred	35 CE 319 CE
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Shield	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Scaled Armor	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Plate Armor	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Limb Protection	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Leather Cloth	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Laminar Armor	Unknown Suspected	35 CE 319 CE
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Helmet	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Chainmail	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Breastplate	Present	35 CE 319 CE
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Naval technology Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Absent	35 CE 319 CE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Absent Uncertain	35 CE 319 CE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present Uncertain	35 CE 319 CE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Absent	35 CE 319 CE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Human Sacrifice Kushan Empire (af_kushan_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More