Kushan Period: Gandhara Art Flourishing

The Kushan period is historically significant for several developments in ancient India. Analyzing the options provided:

• Option 1: Issue of silver coins on a large scale. While Kushans issued coins, their primary coinage was gold and copper. Large-scale silver coinage is more characteristic of the Gupta Empire.
• Option 2: Flourishing of the Gandhara art. This statement is true. The Kushan Empire, particularly under rulers like Kanishka, provided patronage that led to the significant development and flourishing of Gandhara art. This school of art is known for its unique blend of Indian and Greco-Roman styles, especially in the depiction of Buddhist figures.
• Option 3: Patronage of Amarasimha. Amarasimha, a renowned Sanskrit poet and playwright, is traditionally associated with the Gupta period, not the Kushan period.
• Option 4: Extension of the empire up to Bengal. The Kushan Empire's core territory was primarily in the Northwest of the subcontinent and Central Asia. While their influence may have reached certain eastern regions, a major extension up to Bengal is not their defining territorial characteristic compared to other dynasties.

Therefore, the most accurate statement regarding the Kushan period is the flourishing of Gandhara art.