Oesho

Coin of the Kushan king Kanishka II with, on the reverse, a supposed depiction of Shiva and the word Oesho in modified Greek script.

Kushan worshipper with Shiva/Oesho, Bactria, 3rd century CE.^[1]

Oesho was a deity represented on the coins of several Kushan kings, and was apparently one of the titular deities of the dynasty.

The deity is often though to be identical with Shiva (I'sha), and "Oesho" would just be the pronunciation of Shiva's name in the Bactrian language of the Kushans.^[2][3] The deity is shown to depict him holding a Trishul or Trident with a Bull often identified with Nandi.^[4]

However, the images were previously though to represent Shiva, but recent studies indicate that Oesho was Zoroastrian Vayu with admittedly many of the attributes of Shiva (H.Humbach, 1975, p. 402-408. K.Tanabe, 1997, p. 277, M.Carter, 1995, p. 152. J.Cribb, 1997, p. 40. References cited in "De l'Indus à l'Oxus".)

But again the coins of Vasudeva I, who converted to Hinduism, continue to depict, the deity, has left open the discussion, weather Oesho is Shiva or Vata-Vayu.

Gold coin of Vasudeva I.
Obv: Vasudeva in tall helmet, holding a scepter, and making an offering over an altar. Legend in Kushan language and Greek script (with the Kushan letter Ϸ "sh"): ϷΑΟΝΑΝΟϷΑΟ ΒΑΖΟΔΗΟ ΚΟϷΑΝΟ ("Shaonanoshao Bazodeo Koshano"): "King of kings, Vasudeva the Kushan".
Rev: ΟΗϷΟ (oesho), a conflation of Zoroastrian Vayu and Hindu Shiva, holding a trisula scepter, with the bull Nandi. Monogram (tamgha) to the left.

Notes

1. ^ Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition
2. ^ The Dynasty Arts of the Kushans. University of California Press. 1967. pp. 92–93. http://books.google.com/books?id=udnBkQhzHH4C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
3. ^ Blurton, T. Richard (1993). Hindu Art. Harvard University Press. p. 84. ISBN 0-674-39189-6. http://books.google.com/books?id=xJ-lzU_nj_MC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
4. ^ Coins of Vima Kadphises

References

• Bopearachchi, Osmund (2003) (in French). De l'Indus à l'Oxus, Archéologie de l'Asie Centrale. Lattes: Association imago-musée de Lattes. ISBN 2-9516679-2-2.