IMPACT OF CENTRAL ASIAN CONTACT

IMPACT OF CENTRAL ASIAN CONTACT

The foreign invaders introduced the use of burnt bricks for flooring and that of tiles for both flooring and roofing. Their pottery was red ware. The invaders in course of time became an integral part of Indian society. They introduced better cavalry and the use of the riding horse on a large scale. They made common the use of reins and saddles while riding horses, and used some kind of a toe stirrup made of rope which facilitated their movements. The Shakas and Kushans in­troduced turban, tunic, trousers, and heavy long coats. They also brought in cap, helmet and boots which were used by warriors.

With the entry of the foreigners intimate contacts were established between Central Asia and India. As a result India received a good deal of gold hom the Altai mountains in Central Asia. The Kushana kings were the first to issue gold coins in India on a wide scale.

The Central Asian conquerors imposed their rule on numerous petty native princes; this led to the development of a feudatory organisation. The Shakas and the Kushans strengthened the idea of the divine origin of kingship. The Kushan kings were called sons of god. Manu asks the people to respect the king even if he is a child, because he is a great god in the form of a human being. Some curious practices like hereditary dual rule were introduced, implying less of centralisation. The Greeks also introduced the practice of military governorship, called strategos.
In no other period of ancient Indian history were foreigners assimilated into Indian society on such a large scale as they were in the post-Maurya times.

Now the Buddhist monks and nuns could not afford to lose the cash donations from the growing body of traders and artisans concentrated in towns. Large numbers of coins­
have been found in the monastic areas of Nagarjunakonda. Monks now received gold and silver, non-vegetarian food and elaborate robes. Discipline became so slack that some even left the sangha and resumed the householder's life. By the beginning of the Christian era-, images of the Buddha began to be worshipped. This inspired even the brahmanical religion to adopt image-worship.