Vima Takto

Vima Takto or Vima Taktu was a Kushan emperor reigned c. 80-90 CE.

Rule

Vima Takto was long known as "The nameless King", since his coins only showed the legend "The King of Kings, Great Saviour", until the discovery of the Rabatak inscription helped connect his name with the title on the coins.

Vima Takto's empire covered northwestern India and Bactria towards China, where Kushan presence has been asserted in the Tarim Basin. Under his reign, embassies were also sent to the Chinese court.

He is mentioned in the Chinese Historical Chronicle of the Hou Hanshu, in relation to his father Kujula Kadphises:

"Qiujiuque (Ch: 丘就卻) [Kujula Kadphises] was more than eighty years old when he died. His son, Yangaozhen (Ch:閻高珍) [probably Vema Tahk(tu) or, possibly, his brother Sadaṣkaṇa], became king in his place. He defeated Tianzhu [North-western India] and installed Generals to supervise and lead it. The Yuezhi then became extremely rich. All the kingdoms call [their king] the Guishuang [Kushan] king, but the Han call them by their original name, Da Yuezhi."^[1]

A later inscription found at Vima's sancutary at Mat, also records that he was the grandfather of Huvishka.

Preceded by:
Kujula Kadphises

Kushan Ruler
(80-90 BCE)

Succeeded by:
Vima Kadphises

Footnotes

^ Hill (2009), p. 29; also note 13.16, p. 351, and Appendix O, p. 608.

Falk, Harry 2009. The name of Vema Takhtu. W. Sundermann, A. Hintze & F. de Blois (eds.), Exegisti monumenta - Festschrift in Honour of Nicholas Sims-Williams (Iranica, 17). Wiesbaden : Harrassowitz, pp. 105-116.
Hill, John E. (2009) Through the Jade Gate to Rome: A Study of the Silk Routes during the Later Han Dynasty, 1st to 2nd Centuries CE. BookSurge, Charleston, South Carolina. ISBN 978-1-4392-2134-1.

External links

Coins of Vima Takto
More coins of Vima Takto
Hill, John E. 2004. The Western Regions according to the Hou Hanshu. Draft annotated English translation.[1]

[1] Hill (2009), p. 29; also note 13.16, p. 351, and Appendix O, p. 608.

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