| Vasudeva I | |
| Kushan emperor | |
| Reign: | 191–232 CE |
| Coronation: | 191 CE |
| Predecessor: | Huvishka |
| Successor: | Kanishka II |
| Spouse: | unknown |
| Dynasty: | Kushan |
| Mother: | unknown |
| Birth Date: | 139 AD |
| Death Date: | 232 AD (91 years) |
| Date Of Burial: | 232 AD |
| Religion: | Hinduism[1] |
Vāsudeva I (Kushano Bactrian: Βαζοδηο Bazodeo; Middle Brahmi: ; , Chinese: 波調 Bodiao; fl. 200 CE) was a Kushan emperor, last of the "Great Kushans." Named inscriptions dating from year 64 to 98 of Kanishka's era suggest his reign extended from at least 191 to 232 CE. He ruled in Northern India and Central Asia, where he minted coins in the city of Balkh (Bactria). He probably had to deal with the rise of the Sasanians and the first incursions of the Kushano-Sasanians in the northwest of his territory.
The last named inscription of his predecessor, Huvishka, was in the year 60 of the Kanishka era (187 CE), and the Chinese evidence suggests he was still ruling as late as 229 CE. His name "Vāsudeva", is that of the popular Hindu God Vāsudeva, which is refer to Krishna, and he was the first Kushan king to be named after the Indian God. He converted to Hinduism during his reign.[2] [3] His name reinforces the notion that his center of power was in Mathura.
In the Chinese historical chronicle Sanguozhi (三國志), he is recorded to have sent tribute to the Chinese emperor Cao Rui of the Wei in 229 CE (3rd year of Taihe 太和), :
"The king of the Da Yuezhi, Bodiao (波調) (Vāsudeva), sent his envoy to present tribute and His Majesty granted him a title of "King of the Da Yuezhi Intimate with Wei (魏)"." (Sanguozhi)
He is the last Kushan ruler to be mentioned in Chinese sources. His rule corresponds to the retreat of Chinese power from Central Asia, and it is thought that Vasudeva may have filled the power vacuum in that area. The great expansion of the Dharmaguptaka Buddhist group in Central Asia during this period has also been related to this event.
The coinage of Vasudeva consisted in gold dinars and quarter dinars, as well as copper coins. Vasudeva almost entirely removed the pantheon of deities displayed in the coinage of Kanishka and Huvishka. Apart from a few coins with the effigies of Mao and Nana, all of Vasudeva's coins feature Oesho on the reverse, who is generally identified as Shiva.[2] On the obverse, Vasudeva restored the royal imagery of Kanishka, with the standing, making a sacrifice over an altar, although he holds a trident rather than Kanishka's spear and he appears nimbate. Another trident is sometimes also added over the small sacrificial altar. At the end of his rule, Vasudeva introduced the nandipada symbol on his coinage.[4] [5]
Vasudeva I was the last great Kushan emperor, and the end of his rule coincides with the invasion of the Sassanians as far as northwestern India, and the establishment of the Indo-Sassanians or Kushanshahs from around 240 CE.[6] Vasudeva I may have lost the territory of Bactria with its capital in Balkh to Ardashir I Kushanshah. Thereafter, Kushan rule would be restricted to their eastern territories, in western and central Punjab.
See main article: Kushan art. The relatively peaceful reign of Vasudeva is marked by an important artistic production, in particular in the area of statuary.[6] Several Buddhist statues are dated to the reign of Vasudeva, and are important markers for the chronology of Buddhist art.
An inscription on the base of the Buddha statue of Vasudeva I is also known from the Mathura Museum: "In the 93rd year of Maharaja Devaputra Vasudeva...", probably corresponding to, or 220 CE with the more recent definition of the Kanishka era as starting in 127 CE.[7] A partially preserved Sakyamuni statue, also from Mathura, has the date "Year 94", although without mentioning Vasudeva specifically.[8]
Dedications in the name of Vasudeva, with dates, also appear on Jain statuary discovered in Mathura.[9] [10]
| align=center colspan=2 style="background:#C0C0C0; font-size: 100%;" | Statuary dated to the reign of Vasudeva I | ||||
| Hashtnagar Buddha, inscribed with "year 384" (probably of the Yavana era), hence 209 CE.[11] Hashtnagar Buddha piedestal Year 384.jpg | Pedestal of the Hashtnagar Buddha statue, now in the British Museum, inscribed with "year 384" (probably of the Yavana era), hence 209 CE. The inscription reads in the Kharoshthi script: sam 1 1 1 100 20 20 20 20 4 Prothavadasa masasa divasammi pamcami 4 1 ("In the year 384, on the fifth, 5, day of the month Prausthapada").[12] The pedestal was sawed off from the body of the statue by L. White King in 1883 and brought to the British Museum.[13] British MuseumMamane Dheri sculpture Year 89.jpg | Mamane Dheri Buddha, inscribed with "Year 89" (probably of the Kanishka era), hence 216 CE. Peshawar Museum.File:Sakyamuni statue of the Year 94.jpg | Sakyamuni statue of the "Year 94" (221 CE). Mathura Museum.[14] |
