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Kushan is a large empire located to the far east of the Holy See nations.[1] After the Great Wave of the Astral World, they decide to go to war against Falconia and the White Falcon, fearing they will be next in their expansion. Silat notes that the White Falcon fears which lies beyond his reason, thus suppressing it.[2]

Story[]

The empire is first seen ruled by Emperor Ganishka.[3] It is not a monolithic empire - rather, it comprises a royal house over lesser ones. This led to grudges between them.[4] One such house is the Bakiraka clan.[5] Traditionally, the heads of the various clans making up the empire decided for the country in a meeting known as the kurultai. After Ganishka's defeat, a new emperor is appointed and the kurultai is held anew.[6]

After the Great Wave of the Astral World, Kushans are still in control of a large city as well as its surrounding waters. Their forces are capable of sophisticated naval attacks and seemingly have the allegiance of the Bakiraka clan and the advice of Daiba. On top of that, they are informed about the rise of Falconia and its geographical location.[7] At one point, they received reports of the Falcon's vanguard forces at the empire's Western borders.[2] Having appointed a new emperor, Ganiskha's defeat is attributed to his dictatorship, neglecting the kurultai.[6]

Military[]

Its military combines large, well organized conventional forces with various supernatural creatures and human magic users.[8][9][10][11][12] It was engaged in a protracted war with the allied nations under the Holy See, having invaded and occupied much of Midland.

Kushan's strongest human forces consist of their large cavalry and many war elephants.[8][12]Their divisions consist of several hundred horsemen each.[13] They use Bakiraka and scout units which move in large forces,[14][5] and the supply lines have many archers.[9][15][10][12] One Kushan commander attributes their success in protracted military campaigns such as the current conflict with Midland to the country's policy of using war slaves and captured soldiers from enemy armies compelled to fight for the Kushan as cannon fodder to bear the brunt of the casualties.[15] They also developed war machines, such as cannons, siege towers,[9] galleasses[11][16] and a mobile palace surrounded by imperial guards.[12][17]

Apart from fielding large amounts of human soldiers, the Kushan also utilize different beasts created from magic,[18][19] known as the pishaca gana. These beasts are controlled by spellcasters that house within fog that resembles the visage of Ganishka[20]. These spellcasters, who are led by Daiba and work alongside regular military, are known as harashada.[11] The Pishacha are complimented by daka, the result of human fetuses being infused with the evil in the Astral World via the Man-Made Beherit.[21] Daka are transported by warships.[16]

The Kushan army was commanded by fear.[4] It utilized immense cruelty in their conquest of Midland,[9] slaughtering entire cities and mounting their remains on statues, buildings and in palaces.[18] Women were taken captives to either be sold off as slaves,[9] or to be utilized for creating daka.[21]

As Griffith rose to prominence, the Kushan armies suffered numerous decisive defeats against his apostle army.[22][23][19][24] Although the carnage of these soldiers was immense, Griffith allowed Kushan soldiers to swell his ranks.[4] Subsequently, Ganishka's defeat by the hand of Femto lead to the fall of the Kushan Empire. Since then, Kushan soldiers and citizens are allowed to live in peace in Falconia.[25][26]

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • In real life, the Kushan Empire (Sanskrit: कुषाण राजवंश, Kuṣāṇ Rājavaṃśa) was an empire in South Asia originally formed in the early 1st century CE under Kujula Kadphises in the territories of ancient Bactria around the Oxus River (Amu Darya), and later based near Kabul, Afghanistan. Emperor Kanishka was the most prominent ruler from the Kushan dynasty.
  • The building that can be seen in episodes 375 and 376 resembles the Hagia Sophia, a former Istanbul church turned mosque after the capture of the city by the Ottoman Empire.
    • The Kushan Empire shares other elements with the Ottoman Empire, such as the use of enslaved manpower similar to the janissaries and expansion across an Europe-like territory held under religious pretenses being confronted by a Holy League. Furthermore, several armours worn by the Kushans also resemble armour used by the Ottomans, including heavy horseman helmets.
    • A kurultai is a term for a military and political gathering. First used by the Mongol Empire, it was then adopted by Turkic chiefs. The term is currently in use to deem various political and administrative meetings.

References[]

  1. ^ Berserk :: Volume 28, "Garrison"
  2. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume TBA, "Water's Wavering Surface and War's Shadow"
  3. ^ Berserk :: Volume 27, "Dread Emperor"
  4. ^ a b c Berserk :: Volume 23, "Wings of Light and Darkness"
  5. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 33, "Exodus"
  6. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume TBA, "A Viper in the Bosom"
  7. ^ Berserk :: Volume TBA, "Morning After a Steady Foggy Night"
  8. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 21, "Determination and Departure"
  9. ^ a b c d e Berserk :: Volume 22, "Onslaught of the Kushans"
  10. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 27, "Daka"
  11. ^ a b c Berserk :: Volume 28, "Jñānin"
  12. ^ a b c d Berserk :: Volume 32, "Great Invasion (1)"
  13. ^ Berserk :: Volume 32, "Advance by Flight"
  14. ^ Berserk :: Volume 18, "Kushan Scouts (2)"
  15. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 23, "War Demons"
  16. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 31, "Blazing Bay"
  17. ^ Berserk :: Volume 32, "Torn Battlefield"
  18. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 27, "Demon Castle"
  19. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 27, "Sleeping Princess Awakens"
  20. ^ Berserk :: Volume 28, "Mysterious Fog"
  21. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 27, "Demon Knight"
  22. ^ Berserk :: Volume 22, "War Cry of the Wind (2)"
  23. ^ Berserk :: Volume 23, "Flag of the Flying Sword"
  24. ^ Berserk :: Volume 32, "Gust of Wind"
  25. ^ Berserk :: Volume 38, "Capital City of Humanity"
  26. ^ Berserk :: Volume 41, "Dawn of an Empire"
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