or Kanishka
flourished 1st century AD
Greatest king of the Kushān dynasty that ruled over the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, Afghanistan, and possibly regions north of Kashmir in Central Asia.
He is thought to have taken the throne between AD 78 and 144 and to have ruled for 23 years. Kaniṣka is noted for having convened a Buddhist council that marked the beginnings of Mahayana Buddhism. He was a tolerant king who honoured the Zoroastrian, Greek, and Brahmanic deities as well as Buddha. During his reign, trade with the Roman Empire increased significantly, and contact between him and the Chinese in Central Asia may have inspired the transmission of Buddhism to China.