Vasudeva III

Vasudeva III was possibly the son of Vasudeva II and a ruler of the Kushan Empire c. 360-365 CE.

Reign

By the reign of Vasudeva III, the Kushan Empire had declined into insignificance. In the west the Sasanian Empire was a threat, and in the east local native people had regained their independence.^[1]

Disputed existence

Existence of Vasudeva III has been disputed,^[2] as has been the existence of his supposed father Vasudeva II.^[3] No epigraphic evidence supports his existence.^[4]

It has also been proposed, from numismatic evidence, that there may have been another Kushan ruler with the same name and regnal number as Vasudeva III.^[5]

Kushan Empire
Emperors, territories and chronology

Territories/ dates	Western India	Western Pakistan Balochistan	Paropamisadae Arachosia	Bajaur	Gandhara	Western Punjab	Eastern Punjab	Mathura
				INDO-SCYTHIAN KINGDOM			INDO-GREEK KINGDOM	INDO-SCYTHIAN Northern Satraps
25 BCE – 10 CE				Indo-Scythian dynasty of the APRACHARAJAS Vijayamitra (ruled 12 BCE – 15 CE)^{[t 1]}	Liaka Kusulaka Patika Kusulaka Zeionises	Kharahostes (ruled 10 BCE– 10 CE)^{[t 2]} Mujatria	Strato II and Strato III	Hagana
10-20CE		INDO-PARTHIAN KINGDOM Gondophares		Indravasu	INDO-PARTHIAN KINGDOM Gondophares		Rajuvula
20–30 CE			Ubouzanes Pakores	Vispavarma (ruled c. 0–20 CE)^{[t 3]}	Sarpedones		Bhadayasa	Sodasa
30-40 CE			KUSHAN EMPIRE Kujula Kadphises (c. 50–90)^{[t 4]}	Indravarma	Abdagases		...	...
40–45 CE				Aspavarma	Gadana		...	...
45–50 CE				Sasan	Sases		...	...
50–75 CE							...	...
75–100 CE	Indo-Scythian dynasty of the WESTERN SATRAPS Chastana		Vima Takto (c. 90–113)^{[t 4]}				...	...
100–120 CE	Abhiraka		Vima Kadphises (c. 113–127)^{[t 4]}
120 CE	Bhumaka Nahapana	PARATARAJAS Yolamira	Kanishka I (c. 127–151)^{[t 4]}				Great Satrap Kharapallana and Satrap Vanaspara for Kanishka I
130–230 CE	Jayadaman Rudradaman I Damajadasri I Jivadaman Rudrasimha I Isvaradatta Rudrasimha I Jivadaman Rudrasena I	Bagamira Arjuna Hvaramira Mirahvara	Huvishka (c. 151 – c. 190)^{[t 4]} Vasudeva I (c. 190 – 230)^{[t 4]}
230–250 CE	Samghadaman Damasena Damajadasri II Viradaman Yasodaman I Vijayasena Damajadasri III Rudrasena II Visvasimha	Miratakhma Kozana Bhimarjuna Koziya Datarvharna Datarvharna	KUSHANO-SASANIANS Ardashir I (c. 230 – 250) Ardashir II (?-245)	Kanishka II (c. 230 – 247)^{[t 4]}
250–280		Miratakhma Kozana Bhimarjuna Koziya Datarvharna Datarvharna	Peroz I, "Kushanshah" (c. 250 – 265) Hormizd I, "Kushanshah" (c. 265 – 295)			Vāsishka (c. 247 – 267)^{[t 4]} Kanishka III (c. 267 – 270)^{[t 4]}
280–300	Bhratadarman	Datayola II	Hormizd II, "Kushanshah" (c. 295 – 300)			Vasudeva II (c. 267 – 300)^{[t 4]}		GUPTA EMPIRE Chandragupta I Samudragupta Chandragupta II
300–320 CE	Visvasena Rudrasimha II Jivadaman		Peroz II, "Kushanshah" (c. 300 – 325)			Mahi (c. 300–305)^{[t 4]} Shaka (c. 305 – 335)^{[t 4]}
320–388 CE	Yasodaman II Rudradaman II Rudrasena III Simhasena Rudrasena IV		Varahran I (325–350) Shapur II Sassanid king and "Kushanshah" (c. 350)			Kipunada (c. 335 – 350)^{[t 4]}
388–396 CE	Rudrasimha III		KIDARITES invasion
^ From the dated inscription on the Rukhana reliquary ^ Richard Salomon (Jul–Sep 1996). "An Inscribed Silver Buddhist Reliquary of the Time of King Kharaosta and Prince Indravarman". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 116 (3): 418–452 [442]. JSTOR 605147. ^ Richard Salomon (1995) [Published online: 9 Aug 2010]. "A Kharosthī Reliquary Inscription of the Time of the Apraca Prince Visnuvarma". South Asian Studies. 11 (1): 27–32. doi:10.1080/02666030.1995.9628492. ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Jongeward, David; Cribb, Joe (2014). Kushan, Kushano-Sasanian, and Kidarite Coins A Catalogue of Coins From the American Numismatic Society by David Jongeward and Joe Cribb with Peter Donovan. p. 4.

References

^ Buddha Prakash (1971). Evolution of heroic tradition in ancient Panjab. Punjabi University. p. 53.
^ Bratindra Nath Mukherjee (1978). Kushāṇa coins of the Land of the Five Rivers. Indian Museum. p. 53.
^ Gritli von Mitterwallner; Frederic Salmon Growse (1986). Kuṣāṇa Coins and Kuṣāṇa Sculptures from Mathurā. Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of U.P., Lucknow. p. 38.
^ John M. Rosenfield (1967). The Dynastic Arts of the Kushans. University of California Press. p. 112. GGKEY:0379L32LPNJ.
^ Satya Shrava (1985). The Kushāṇa Numismatics. Praṇava Prakāshan. p. 223.