Q1.
Why would a powerful ruler feature Buddha and Śhiva on his coins? What does it say about his values and priorities?
Answer
Because coins were the widest-reaching public statement a ruler could make, and Kaṇiṣhka used them to say that his kingdom belonged to people of every school of thought.
| Reason | What it shows about his values and priorities |
|---|---|
| Respect for all beliefs | Buddha on one coin, Śhiva on another — he did not force a single faith on his subjects. The chapter notes that Kuṣhāṇa sculpture too shows “a variety of deities reflecting the peaceful co-existence of various schools of thought” |
| Winning the loyalty of a mixed empire | His empire stretched from central Asia to northern India, with Buddhists, worshippers of Śhiva, Greeks and Iranians in it. Honouring their gods held the empire together better than force could |
| Belonging | A ruler of foreign origin showing Indian deities on his money is saying: this is my land and these are my gods too |
| Personal devotion | He is shown making an offering at an altar — a king who worships, not only commands |
| Trade and reputation | Coins travelled the Silk Route. Familiar, respected images made his gold acceptable across Asia |
Why it is remarkable: he was “the most powerful ruler of the Kuṣhāṇa dynasty” and could have insisted on one faith. Instead he chose plurality — the same value the chapter finds in Khāravela, in the Sātavāhanas and in the Pānḍyas. That repeated choice, by rulers of very different origins, is what the book calls the ‘Indian ethos'.