Guishuang
/ɡweɪˈʃwɑːŋ/noun
Guishuang is the Chinese historical name for the Kushan people and their Central Asian empire.
Did you know?The name Guishuang appears in Chinese historical records describing the Kushan rise, including the transformation of a Yuezhi branch into a major empire spanning parts of Central and South Asia.
Etymological Timeline
2nd–1st Century BCE
Central Asian languages
Kushan
“An ethnonym associated with one of the five major branches of the Yuezhi confederation; its deeper linguistic origin remains uncertain.”
2nd–1st Century BCE
Chinese
月氏 (Yuezhi)
“Chinese designation for the Yuezhi, the Central Asian people from whom the Kushan ruling group emerged.”
1st Century CE
Chinese
貴霜 (Guishuang)
“Chinese transcription of the Kushan name in historical accounts of the rising Central Asian power.”
1st–3rd Century CE
Kushan-era usage
Kushan
“Name of the dynasty and empire that controlled major territories across Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India.”
19th–20th Century
English scholarship
Kushan / Guishuang
“Modern historical writing adopted Kushan as the usual English form, while Guishuang remained the recognized Chinese historical form.”
Modern English
English
Guishuang
“A transliterated historical term referring to the Kushans, especially in discussions based on Chinese sources.”
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