• Most important ruler of the Kushana dynasty
• He was the founder of the Saka era which starts from 78 CE
• He was not only a great conqueror but also a patron of religion and art

Kanishka’s conquests

• He conquered Magadha and extended his power as far as Pataliputra and Bodhgaya
• According to Kalhana, Kanishka invaded Kashmir and occupied it 
• He must have conquered the greater part of the Gangetic plain (coins found in places like Mathura, Sravasti, Kausambi and Benares gives an idea)
• He also fought against the Chinese and acquired some territories from them
• Kanishka annexed the territories of Kashgar, Yarkand and Khotan into his empire
• Extension of Kanishka’s empire- from Gandhara in the west to Benares in the east, and from Kashmir in the north to Malwa in the south
• His capital was Purushapura. Mathura was another important city in his empire