Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom or Indo-Sasanians were a branch of the Sasanian-Persians who established their rule in Bactria during the 3rd and 4th centuries CE at the expense of the declining Kushans. They captured the provinces of Sogdiana, Bactria and Gandhara from the Kushans in 225 CE. The Sasanians established governors for the Sasanian Empire, who minted their own coinage and took the title of Kushanshas, i.e. --Kings of the Kushans. They are sometimes considered as forming a sub-kingdom inside the Sasanian Empire. The Kushano-Sassanids created an extensive coinage with legend in Brahmi, Pahlavi or Bactrian, sometimes inspired from Kushan coinage, and sometimes more clearly Sassanid.
The obverse of the coin usually depicts the ruler with elaborate headdress and on the reverse either a Zoroastrian fire altar, or Shiva with the bull Nandi. Coins depicting Shiva and the Nandi bull have been discovered, indicating a strong influence of Shaivite Hinduism. The prophet Mani (210–276 CE), founder of Manichaeism, followed the Sassanids' expansion to the east, which exposed him to the thriving Buddhist culture of Gandhara. He is said to have visited Bamiyan, where several religious paintings are attributed to him, and is believed to have lived and taught for some time. He is also related to have sailed to the Indus valley area in 240 or 241 AD. On that occasion, various Buddhist influences seem to have permeated Manichaeism: "Buddhist influences were significant in the formation of Mani's religious thought. The transmigration of souls became a Manichaean belief, and the quadripartite structure of the Manichaean community, divided between male and female monks (the 'elect') and lay follower (the 'hearers') who supported them, appears to be based on that of the Buddhist sangha. (Credit: Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom , Wikipedia) [Images: 1. Coins With Shiva with bull Nandi, in Kushan style 2. Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom, 3. Kushano-Sasanian ruler Hormizd I Kushanshah]