Lion was one of the motifs used in Ashokan pillars. Lion is a solar symbol and it also represents the Buddha, as he is referred to as Sakyasimha which also means a lion among the Sakyas.
The Kushanas were also called as Guishuang as mentioned by various Chinese texts. Kushanas were also known as Tocharians and were one of the five tribes of Yueh-Chi or Yuezhi.