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Kanishka was a king of the Kushan Empire in India, in the 2nd century of the common era, famous for his military, political, and spiritual achievements.
Kanishka was the successor of Vima Kadphises, demonstrated by an impressive geneaology of the Kushan king Kanishka, known as the Rabatak inscription. A significant amount of what is known about Kanishka was preserved because of his spiritual merit and the Buddhist religious tradition. Along with the Indian king Ashoka, the Indo-Greek king Menander I (Milinda), and Harshavardhan , he is considered one of the greatest Buddhist kings.
In spite of the acknowledged dominance of the Kushana empire during his reign, until recently scholars have not been able to agree on the period of his reign. There have been three conferences to resolve this date. In recent years the debate has focused around the relatively narrow period between AD 100 and AD 144 as the likely date of ascension. Though recent discoveries have claimed to put the solution beyond doubt a full discussion is quite complex.
Kanishka's empire was certainly vast. It extended from the Oxus in the west to Varanasi in the east and from Kashmir in the North to the cost of Gujarat in the south, including Malwa. Knowledge of his hold over Central Asia is less well established. Chinese records indicate that general Pan-Chao fought battles with a Kushan army at Khotan in AD 90. Though he claimed to be victorious the region fell to Kushan forces shortly afterwards. Also controlling the land and sea trade routes between India and Rome seems to have been one of Kanishka's chief imperial goals.
A great deal of information about the Kushana kings has been gathered from their coins. Kanishka's coins show Hindu, Buddhist, Greek, Persian and even Sumerian-Elamite images of gods. This is demonstrative of religious syncretism in his beliefs. His reputation in Buddhist tradition is based mainly on his having convened a great Buddhist council in Kashmir. This council is attributed with having encouraged the spread of Mahayana Buddhism.
His greatest contribution to Buddhist architecture is the great stupa at PeshawarPeshwar (known as Purushapura in the old days of Indian history) is a city in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province (pop. 570,000) near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass. Peshawar used to be the capital of the Gandhara empire by Kaniska the First at 58. Archaeologists in the twentieth century ascertained that this stupa had a diameter of 286 feet. Reports of Chinese pilgrims indicate that its height was 600 to 700 feet. Certainly this would rank among the wonders of the ancient world. He provided encouragement to both the GandharaGandhra (also Ghandara Ghandahra is the ancient name of a region in eastern Afghanistan and north-west Pakistan centered on the Swat River (see Udyana) and Kabul River tributaries of the Indus River. Its primary cities were Peshawar and Taxila. Buddha's F school of Greco-Buddhist Art and the MathuraMathura is a city in India, located ~50 km north of Agra; Mathura is to the south of Delhi. During the ancient period, this was an economic hub located at the junction of some relatively important caravan routes. This is the reputed birthplace of Krishna. school of Hindu art (An inescapable religious syncretism pervades Kushana rule). Kanishka personally seems to have embraced both Buddhism and the Persian cult of Mithra.
Kanishka was probably succeeded by HuvishkaHuvishka was a Kushan emperor around 126-164 AD (See: ) Kushan empire.. How and when this came about is still uncertain. The fact that there were other Kushana kings called Kanishka is just another complicating factor.
The airplane that was destroyed in the 19851985 is a common year starting on Tuesday. Events January events January 1 Creation of the Internet's Domain Name System. January 17 British Telecom annouces they are going to abolish the famous red telephone boxes. January 23 A debate in the House of Lor bombing of Air India Flight 182 was named after him.
| Preceded by: Vima Kadphises | Kushan Ruler | Succeeded by: Huvishka |
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