It happened in 1993, when an inscription in Bactrian and Greek was found in a place called Rabatak between Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif, when the Mujahideen were digging a trench along with many cultural treasures. It gave a complete account of the genealogy of the early Kushan Empire and some details until the reign of Kanishka, one of the most powerful and one of the most enigmatic empires in the cross roads between India, China and Persia. It is assumed that the Kushans are a part of the Xiongnu federation residing on the North Western borders of China and enjoying a love-hate relationship with the Chinese,throughout their reign.Possibly due to Chinese pressure, they were slowly pushed towards India and as time passed on, became Indianized. They took a serious blow because of an invasion of the Sassanians and were replaced by some remnants under the name Kushahshahs/Indo-Sassanians.
The inscription goes as follows:
English translation
“The year one of Kanishka, the great deliverer, the righteous, the just, the autocrat, the god, worthy of worship, who has obtained the kingship from Nana and from all the gods, who has laid down (i.e. established) the year one as the gods pleased.”“And it was he who laid out the Ionian speech and then placed the Arya speech (i.e. replaced the use of Greek by the Aryan language).”
“In the year one, it has been proclaimed unto India, unto the whole realm of the governing class including Koonadeano (Kaundinya) and the city of Ozeno (Ujjain) and the city of Zageda (Saketa) and the city of Kozambo (Kausambi) and the city of Palabotro (Pataliputra) and so long unto the city of Ziri-tambo (Sri-Champa).”
“Whichever rulers and the great householders there might have been, they submitted to the will of the king and all India submitted to the will of the king.”
“The king Kanishka commanded Shapara, the master of the city, to make the Nana Sanctuary, which is called (i.e. known for having the availability of) external water (or water on the exterior or surface of the ground), in the plain of Kaeypa, for these deities – of whom are Ziri (Sri) Pharo (Farrah) and Omma.”
“To lead are the Lady Nana and the Lady Omma, Ahura Mazda, Mazdooana, Srosharda, who is called … and Komaro (Kumara)and called Maaseno (Mahasena) and called Bizago (Visakha), Narasao and Miro (Mihara).”
“And he gave same (or likewise) order to make images of these deities who have been written above.”
“And he ordered to make images and likenesses of these kings: for king Kujula Kadphises, for the great grandfather, and for this grandfather Saddashkana (Sadashkana), the Soma sacrificer, and for king V’ima Kadphises, for the father, and for himself, king Kanishka.”
“Then, as the king of kings, the son of god, had commanded to do, Shaphara, the master of the city, made this sanctuary.”
“Then, the master of the city, Shapara, and Nokonzoka led worship according to the royal command.”
“These gods who are written here, then may ensure for the king of kings, Kanishka, the Kushana, for remaining for eternal time healthy., secure and victorious… and further ensure for the son of god also having authority over the whole of India from the year one to the year thousand and thousand.”
“Until the sanctuary was founded in the year one, to then the Great Arya year had been the fashion.”
“…According to the royal command, Abimo, who is dear to the emperor, gave capital to Pophisho.”
“…The great king gave (i.e. offered worship) to the deities.”
Greek
1. […. ]νο βωγο στοργο κανηþκε κοþανο ραþτογο λαδειγo χοαζαοαργο βαγ[η]-
2. ζνογο κιδι ασo νανα oδo ασo oισπoανo µι βαγανo ι þαoδανo αβoρδo κιδι ιωγo χþoνo
3. νoβαστo σ(α)γωνδι βαγανo σινδαδo oτηια ι ιωναγγo oασo oζoαστo ταδηια oριαo ωσ-
4. ταδo αβo ιωγo χþoν(o) αβo [ι] ιυνδo φρoαγδαζo αβo þατριαγγε þαoρε αγιτα κoo-
5. αδηανo oδo ι oα(σ)πo oδ(o) [ι ζ]αγηδo oδo ι κωζ(αµ)βo oδo ι παλαβoτρo oιδρα αδα αβo ι ζιριτ-
6. αµβo σιδηιανo πρoβαo oδo µανδαρσι ζαopανo αβo ι σινδo ωσταδo oτη(ι)α αρoυγo
7. ιυνδo (αβo) ι σινδo ωσταδo ταδι þαι κανηþκε αβo þαφαρo καραλραγγo φρoµαδo
8. (α)βειναo βαγoλαγγo κιρδι σιδι β…αβo ριζδι αβo µα καδγε ραγα φαρειµoανo β-
9. (α)γα(ν)o κιδι µαρo κιρδαν(ε) ι µα..o[φ]αρρo oµµα ooηλδι ια αµσα νανα oδo ια αµ-
10. σα oµµα αoρoµoζδo µoζδoo(α)νo σρoþαρδo ναρασαo µιιρo oτηια oυδoα-
11. νo πι(δo)γιρβo φρoµαδo κιρδι ειµoανo βαγανo κιδι µασκα νιβιχτιγενδι oτ-
12. ηια φρoµαδo αβειµoανo þαoνανo κιρδι αβo κoζoυλo καδφισo þαo αβo ι φρ-
13. oνιαγo (o)δo α(βo o)oηµo (τ)ακτoo þαo α(β)[o] ι νια(γ)o oδo αβo ooηµo καδφισo þαo αβo
14. (ι) πιδα oδo αβo ι χoβιε aβo κανηþκo þαo tα σαγωνδι þαoνανo þαo ι βαγoπoo-
15. ρακ[α]νε […] φρ(o)µαδo κιρδι ταδι þαφαρε καραλραγγε κιρδo ειo βαγoλαγγo
16. [ ]o καραλραγγo oδo þαφαρo καραλραγγo oδo νoκoνζoκo ι αþτoo-
17. α[λγo κιρ]δo ια φρoµανo ειµιδβα βαγε κιδι µαρo νιβιχτιγενδι ταδανo αβo þαoν-
18. αν(o) þαo αβo κανηþκε κoþανo αβo ιαoηδανι ζoρριγι λρoυ(γ)o αγγαδ…γo oανινδ-
19. o π[…]ι(ν)δι oδ[…](δ)ι βα(γ)επooρo ασo ιωγo χþoνo αβo ιo (α) χþoνo ιυνδo αρoυγo ν-
20. αρα[]ι β(α)γoλαγγo αβo ιωγo χþoνo ασπαδo ταδι αβo ι αρηµεσo χþoνo αγγαρ[…]
21. []χα[ π]ιδo þαo φρoµανα αβισσι παρηνα λαδo αβισσι ρηδγε λαδo αβισσ[ι ..]
22. []þαι µαδ...α (α)βo βαγανo λαδo oδo φαρειµoανo αχoδανo [σι]δι [α]βo µι βαγε λ[αδo]
23. [ ]ατιδ(η)oσ[
Bactrian
[….]no bōgo storgo kanēške košan raštog lādeigo xoazaoargo bag[ē]-
znogo kidi aso Nana odo aso oispoan mi bagano i šaodano abordo kidi iōg xšono
nobasto s(a)gōndi bagano sindado otēia i iōnaggo oaso ozoasto tadēia aria
ōstado abo iōg xšon(o) abo [i] iundo froagdazo abo šatriagge šaore agita koo-
adēano odo i oa(s)po od(o) [i z]agēdo odo i kōz(am)bo odo i palabotro oidra ada abo i zirit-
ambo sidēiano probao odo mandarsi zaorano abo i sindo ōstado otē(i)a arougo
iundo (abo) i sindo ōstado tadi šai kanēške abo šafaro karalraggo fromado
(a)beinao bagolango kirdi sidi b…abo rizdi abo ma kadge b-
(a)ga(n)o kidi maro kirdan(e) i ma…o[f]arro omma ooēldi ia amsa nana odo ia am-
sa omma aoromozdo mozdoo(a)no srošardo narasao miiro otēia oudoa-
no pi(do)girbo fromado kirdi eimoano bagano kidi maska nibixtigendi ot-
ēia fromado abeimoano šaonano kirdi abo kozoulo kadfiso šao abo i fr-
oniago (o)do a(bo o)oēmo (t)akto šao a(b)[o] i nia(g)o odo abo ooēmo kadfiso šao abo
(i) pido odo abo i xobie abo kanēško šao ta sagōndi šaonano šao i bagopoo-
rak[a]ne […] fr(o)mado kirdi tadi šafare karalraggo kirdo eio bagolaggo
karalraggo odo šafaro karalraggo odo nokonzoko i aštoo-
a[lgo kir]do ia fromano eimidba bage kidi maro nibixtigendi tadano abo šaon-
an(o) šao abo kanēške košano abo iaoēdani zorrigi lrou(g)o aggad…go oanind-
o p[…]i(n)di od[..](d)i ba(g)epooro aso iōgo xšono abo io (a) xšono iundo arougo n-
ara[ ]i b(a)golaggo abo iōgo xšono aspado tadi abo i arēmeso xšono aggar[…]
[]xa[ p]ido šao fromana abissi parēna lado abissi rēdge lado abiss[i..]
[ ]šai mad…a (a)bo bagano lado ado fareimoano axodano [si]di abo mi bage l[ado]
[ ]atid(ē)os
SOURCES Rabatak inscription , wikipedia and persee.fr/
