Kushan Mystique

Who were the Kushan? Why does a powerful Central Asian empire that thrived for centuries rarely appear in world history books? To address questions raised by this obscure yet highly influential period of ancient history, David Jongeward, author of Kushan Mystique, presents a personal narrative, something of a travel memoir, along with profiles of people he encountered during his research into the Kushan era.

The story begins in a lakeside cottage in northern California, where friendship with an eccentric country doctor prompted the author’s evolving interest in Kushan coinage and the Buddhist sculpture of ancient Gandhara. The narrative includes meetings with key players among a handful of specialists, including coin collectors, museum curators, and historians who have been captivated by the Kushan mystique. This book brings alive the rewarding insights derived from the author’s museum-based research, together with discoveries inspired by visits to virtually unknown major archaeological sites in Pakistan that date to the Kushan era.