Eastern Kushans, Kidarites in Gandhara and Kashmir, and Later Hephthalites

The powerful Kushan Empire came to an end in the third century AD as a result of invasions by other tribal groups, and its collapse left western Central Asia in turmoil, as other powers competed to fill the vacuum.  New systems of administration and government were brought in by a variety of new rulers, and excavations of cities such as Taxila reveal that this was a time of unrest, during which trade and agriculture were disrupted.