Kusana Inscriptions Reexamining the Marks of Empire

<strong>Centre for Historical Studies School of Social Sciences </strong> Invites you to a Lecture <strong>Kusana Inscriptions Reexamining the Marks of Empire</strong> <strong>Michael C. Skinner</strong> Asian Languages and Literature University of Washington <strong>12th April 2016</strong> In this presentation I will discuss research I have been conducting in India for my dissertation on the Ku?a?a Empire. While in India I have had the opportunity to visit archaeological sites associated with the Ku?a?a Empire and view Ku?a?a period materials held in Indian museums, but the primary focus of my research has involved compiling a database of Ku?a?a inscriptions. It is from this corpus of texts that I will look at the relationship between the state, society, and religious institutions in the early centuries of the Common Era and in this talk I will present the preliminary findings of my epigraphic endeavours. By reexamining these marks of empire I hope to contribute to our understanding of how the Ku?a?a rulers were able to consolidate their power over such a geographically and culturally diverse territory and show the significance of this imperial formation to both South Asian and World History. Michael C. Skinner is a Fulbright-Nehru Fellow and a Doctoral candidate at Asian Languages and Literature University of Washington