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9. COMING OF THOMAS
The martyrologist Rabba Sliba dedicated a special day to both the Indian king, his familly, and St Thomas:
"Coronatio Thomae apostoli et Misdeus rex Indiae, Johannes eus filius huisque mater Tertia" ("Coronation of Thomas the Apostole, and Misdeus king of India, together with his son Johannes (thought to be a Latinization of Vizan) and his mother Tertia") Rabban Sliba. (Mario Bussagli, "L'Art du Gandhara", p255)
Kushan Emperor Vasudeva I and the Christian Connection
SOGDIANA
PAMIR Surkh Kotal, Begram HINDU-KUSH GANDHARA Taxila
BACTRIA
Bactra
FERGHANA
GEDROSIA
ARACHOSIA KUSHAN
EMPIRE
Barbaricum
Ujjain WESTERN SATRAPS Barygaza
Pune⚫
Kashgar
Kucha
PANDYAN KINGDOM
HIMALAYAS Baus
Mathura
Saketa ⚫
204
CHINA
Vidisa
Kundina Champa
★Pratishthana SATAVAHANA EMPIRE Amaravati
Pataliputra
CHOLAS
TAMRAPARNI KINGDOM
The Kushan Empire (c. 1st-3rd centuries) was a state that at its cultural zenith, circa 105-250 CE, extended from what is now Tajikistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan (in the general area where the initial labors of St.Thomas was concentrated) and down into the Ganges river valley in northern India. The empire was created by the Kushan tribe of the Yuezhi confederation, an Indo-European people from the eastern Tarim Basin, China. Thomas's mission extended to China in the very same regions. They had diplomatic contacts with Rome, Persia and China. By the beginning of third century Christianity was a powerful presence in all these countries..
As late as the 3rd century CE, decorated coins of Huvishka indicates that they were strong proponents of Buddhism. The greatest ruler of the dynasty, Kanishka, had adopted Buddhism and it was during his period that both Buddhist religion and Greek art reached their zenith which is known under the nomenclature of Gandhara Civilization. It was again during his regime and because of his efforts that Buddhism spread in Central Asia and China. This period is regarded as the most important in the history of Buddhism
