Kaniṣka

Kaniṣka
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.

* * *

▪ Kushan king
also spelled  Kanishka,  Chinese  Chia-ni-se-chia 
flourished 1st century CE

      greatest king of the Kushan dynasty that ruled over the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, Afghanistan, and possibly areas of Central Asia north of the Kashmir region. He is, however, chiefly remembered as a great patron of Buddhism.

      Most of what is known about Kaniska derives from Chinese sources, particularly Buddhist writings. When Kaniska came to the throne is uncertain. His accession has been estimated as occurring between 78 and 144 CE; his reign is believed to have lasted 23 years. The year 78 marks the beginning of the Shaka era, a system of dating that Kaniska might have initiated.

      Through inheritance and conquest, Kaniska's kingdom covered an area extending from Bukhara (now in Uzbekistan) in the west to Patna in the Ganges (Ganga) River valley in the east and from the Pamirs (now in Tajikistan) in the north to central India in the south. His capital probably was Purusapura ( Peshawar, now in Pakistan). He may have crossed the Pamirs and subjugated the kings of the city-states of Khotan ( Hotan), Kashgar, and Yarkand (now in the Xinjiang region of China), who had previously been tributaries of the Han emperors of China. Contact between Kaniska and the Chinese in Central Asia may have inspired the transmission of Indian ideas, particularly Buddhism, to China. Buddhism first appeared in China in the 2nd century CE.

      As a patron of Buddhism, Kaniska is chiefly noted for having convened the fourth great Buddhist council in Kashmir, which marked the beginnings of Mahayana Buddhism. At the council, according to Chinese sources, authorized commentaries on the Buddhist canon were prepared and engraved on copper plates. These texts have survived only in Chinese translations and adaptations.

      Kaniska was a tolerant king, and his coins show that he honoured the Zoroastrian, Greek, and Brahmanic deities as well as the Buddha. During his reign, contacts with the Roman Empire via the Silk Road led to a significant increase in trade and the exchange of ideas; perhaps the most remarkable example of the fusion of Eastern and Western influences in his reign was the Gandhara school of art, in which Classical Greco-Roman lines are seen in images of the Buddha.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Kàniškā Íva — ž naselje u Moslavini …   Veliki rječnik hrvatskoga jezika

  • Kaniška Iva — Kàniškā Íva ž DEFINICIJA naselje u Moslavini, 519 stan. ONOMASTIKA v. Kaniža …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • Kaniska canace — This article is about the butterfly. Blue admiral redirects here. For the historical British Royal Navy officer rank, see Admiral (Royal Navy). Blue admiral may refer to the admiral of an allied force. Blue Admiral Scientific classification …   Wikipedia

  • Kaniṣka — Kani<FONT face=Tahoma>ṣ<>ka o Kanishka (floreció s. I AD). El rey más importante de la dinastía Kushan, que gobernó la parte septentrional del subcontinente indio, Afganistán y posiblemente algunas regiones situadas al norte de… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Траурница японская — ? Kaniska canace …   Википедия

  • Многоцветницы — Многоцветница садовая (Nymphalis …   Википедия

  • Central Asian arts — Literary, performing, and visual arts of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Tibet, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and parts of China and Russia. The term usually denotes only those traditions not influenced by the… …   Universalium

  • South Asian arts — Literary, performing, and visual arts of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Myths of the popular gods, Vishnu and Shiva, in the Puranas (ancient tales) and the Mahabharata and Ramayana epics, supply material for representational and… …   Universalium

  • Kanishka — Infobox Monarch name =Kanishka I title =Kushan king caption =Gold coin of Kanishka I (late issue, c.150 AD). Kanishka standing, clad in heavy Kushan coat and long boots, flames emanating from shoulders, holding standard in his left hand, and… …   Wikipedia

  • Kushan Empire — Infobox Former Country native name = conventional long name = Kushan Empire common name = Kushan Empire continent = Asia region = country = era = Antiquity status = event start = Kujula Kadphises unites Yuezhi tribes into a confederation year… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”