Kush

Kush is a term with several distinct meanings. In historical and geographic contexts, Kush refers to an ancient kingdom and region along the Nile in what is now northern Sudan and southern Egypt. The Kushite state grew out of earlier Kerma culture and flourished from around the first millennium BCE. The Kushites extended control into Egypt, and Kushite rulers founded the 25th Dynasty of Egypt in the 8th–7th centuries BCE, also known as the Nubian Dynasty. After moving the capital first to Napata and later to Meroë, Kush developed a distinct civilization that endured until roughly the 4th–5th centuries CE, when climate change, shifts in trade, and external pressures contributed to its decline.

Geographically, Kush encompassed parts of the lower Nile valley and adjacent regions, with major centers at Napata and later Meroë. The Kushites produced a distinct material culture, including pyramids at Meroë and rock-cut tombs elsewhere, and they left inscriptions in multiple languages. The term “Kushite” is used for the people, language, and cultural sphere associated with this kingdom. In modern studies, Kush is a key reference for the Nubian kingdoms and their interactions with ancient Egypt, Nubia’s regional networks, and the broader history of the Nile valley.

In contemporary usage, Kush also denotes a family of cannabis strains. The name is commonly linked to the Hindu Kush mountain range along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border, historically associated with cannabis cultivation. Kush strains are frequently described as indica-dominant and potent, though product names can be marketing labels rather than strict geographic origins.