Kaniska was the most influential monarch of the Kushuang Empire. The year of birth and death is unknown. He was originally one of the generals under the supervision of Yan Jiazhen in Tianzhu. After his death, Yan Jiazhen supported himself and became the new leader of the Guishuang (some say he was the great grandson of Qiu Jueqe) after years of fighting and defeating the powerful forces.
The latest date is 143 AD (some say 131 AD). During the reign of Kaniska, the power of the Guishuang Empire flourished, dominating Central and South Asia. With the development of domestic production and economic prosperity, a number of new towns and religious centers have emerged. Kaniska actively develops foreign relations. In order to compete for the benefits of silk trade with Anxi, in addition to vigorously developing sea routes connecting China and land routes entering China through Daxia and Dawan, they also operated new commercial routes passing through Kangju, Hualazimeo, and crossing the Caspian Sea to the west, which not only monopolized almost all of the spice trade at that time, but also occupied an important position in silk trade.

During the reign of Kaniska, there were various opinions in the academic community, ranging from 58 BC to 248 AD, with no less than ten different proposals. According to archaeological research, there are two most credible ones: in the year 131 AD; In 143 AD.
The most powerful evidence for these two claims comes from the "Biography of the Western Regions" in the Book of Later Han, which covers the history of various countries west of Congling from 25 to 125 AD. Only the most famous Kaniska is not seen, so it is inferred that his reign was later than 125 AD. Archaeology and research on inscriptions and coins indicate that the reign of the Kaniska royal family ended with a large-scale invasion of the Sassanid dynasty in 237 AD, and its era was thus abandoned. It can be inferred from this that Kaniska should be located in 140 AD, which is also the beginning year of its era.
During the reign of Kaniska, the process of Indification of the Kusana accelerated. He rewards culture and implements a policy of religious tolerance. The royal court has become a gathering place for literati and high monks. Famous monks such as Longshu, Maming, and Sangha have all been distinguished guests on his throne. Kanishika believed in the Mahayana sect, which led to the rapid development of Mahayana Buddhism. The fourth "Unveiled Conference" of Buddhism was also held under his leadership. Kaniska was the first Ming king to vigorously develop Buddhism after Ashoka, and the Great Moon (Kusana) became the great protector of Buddhism. Due to Kaniska's special advocacy of Buddhism, there are many praises for him in Buddhist writings.
Archaeological excavations have revealed some inscriptions and a large number of coins from the Kaniska period. The style of the coins was mostly influenced by the coins of the Roman and Alexandrian mints. The inscriptions and the king's names on coins are mostly written in the Greek alphabet in Bactrian, with a very small number in Kharoshthi script. According to the inscription, Kaniska reigned for 23 years, and if he ascended the throne for 140 years, he died in 162. It is said that he was killed by his subordinates during his expedition to the north. The throne was inherited by his son Bosiseka.
In the Matula Museum in India, there is a 1.85-meter-high headless statue of Kaniska, which is very majestic.

A powerful family
Due to the lack of specific records, Kaniska is generally believed to have ascended the throne between 128-144 AD. Afterwards, he reigned for 22 years, becoming the golden age of the Guishuang Empire.
Like the previous Ashoka, he was born into a powerful royal family. Kujura Gadfisis (Qiu Juque) was the founder of the Kushuang Empire. In the mid to late 1st century AD, a small territory that was originally just a feudal fiefdom in northern Bactria was expanded into a powerful force spanning the intersection of Central Asia and South Asia.
Under the continuous management of Vima Taktu (the "Nameless King" Soter Magus, regent, possibly the elder brother of Vima Kadphise) and the second monarch Vima Gadfisis (Vima Kadphise), the hegemony of the Kusana Empire continued to extend from Afghanistan and soon developed towards the prosperous areas of the Indus River basin. After surrendering to the Greater Wan region in northern Fergana, Guishuang was able to enter the ranks of the powerful at that time.
After the death of Yan Jiazhen, internal strife broke out in the Guishuang Empire. Kaniska was one of the generals guarding India at that time, and after a melee, he seized the throne.
If according to the statement that Kaniska is the grandson of Vima Taktu and Vima Taktu is the brother of Yam Kadozhen, Kaniska is the great grandson of Qiujue and the nephew of Yam Kadozhen.
However, if that were the case, Qiu did not pass the throne to Vima Taktu, but instead appointed him as regent until his young son, Vima Kadohisa, reached adulthood, possibly because Vima Taktu was a concubine. Therefore, the Guishuang after Kaniska ascended to power is generally referred to as the Kaniska dynasty, and the Kadafiz dynasty came to an end with the death of Vima Kadphise.
The kingdom obtained by Kaniska was actually the hegemon of eastern Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. This places very strict demands on the abilities of the new king. The Guishuang Empire as a whole inherited the loose governance model left by the Persian Empire and the Hellenistic era in the past. Under the supreme monarch, there are often autonomous regions of different ethnic groups, as well as several governors with varying powers.
It is not easy to maintain and continue to carry forward the vast legacy left by our ancestors. However, history has proven that Kaniska achieved this.

Fighting in all directions
For a new king of a military empire, the best way to quickly establish a foothold, appease aristocratic forces, and seize national prestige is through external warfare. Kaniska cannot avoid vulgarity either. If he cannot show dominance in war, he is likely to be jointly abandoned by the internal aristocratic group and local power factions. In history, the reason why he was highly respected by Buddhist forces was largely inseparable from his military campaigns.
In the eyes of the new king, the most suitable target for his expansion of power was first and foremost the wealthy and weak northern Indian states. Therefore, he clearly followed the policies of the previous kings and continued to exert influence on India, especially the various states in the Ganges River basin. Compared to the core area of Indian culture, which once gave birth to the Peacock Dynasty, the northwest region where the Guishuang people are located has certain advantages in military technology.
The local aristocrats of the Bactrians, the nomadic tribes of the Scythians, and the power inherited by the Dayue clan were all skilled cavalry warriors who galloped for a while. Some Indian aristocratic armed groups who constantly sought refuge with northern forces and the few remaining Greek refugee groups also adapted well to this military reform. The Guishuang people, who possess these military resources, not only have the largest number of armored cavalry units in the region, but can also mobilize a large number of nomadic light cavalry and infantry, and even elephants that Indians rely on for combat. The fierce Chadi warriors, sharp Indian archers, and Greek infantry have become excellent auxiliary forces for the main cavalry.
So at the beginning of his reign, Kaniska declared to the northern Indian states the unparalleled dominance of the Kusana king over the latter in the famous Rabatak inscription. He first relocated the imperial capital from the northern city of Bactria to Peshawar, not far from the Indus River basin. In the following years, continuous expeditions were organized to the hinterland of the Ganges River basin, and the troops advanced directly to the city of Huashi. Prior to this, only Demetrius I (questionable record) and Menander I of the Greeks had invaded the Ganges River basin from the northwest. The Parthians and Scythians, who were at their peak, did not even touch the Ganges River basin.

It is worth mentioning that Kaniska's highest military achievement was not the conquest of seemingly weak North Indian princes. In the game against his two major neighbors who are also world powers, he also achieved a victory worth a book.
The first to confront the Guishuang army were the Parthians to the west. Although at this time, the Parthian Empire had become a fragmented federation of aristocratic territories due to Roman invasion and internal conflicts. But any of the seven major families in any empire still maintains a powerful cavalry force.
King Vologises IV of Parthia (Vologases IV) launched an eastward expedition against the Kusana Empire between 148 and 151 AD. Obviously, this is the result of hoping to make up for the losses from the east after facing a strong Roman attack in the west. In history, the Surun family, one of the seven major families, once established hegemony in the northern Indian region. But at this time, the Guishuang Empire had already surpassed the declining Parthia in terms of military numbers and military technology. Faced with the complete and powerful infantry and cavalry of Kaniska, Volodysis IV's eastward expedition was naturally a complete defeat.
After withstanding the Parthian attack in the west, Kaniska pushed for an expansion of power towards the east, targeting the vast Western Regions east of Fergana.
Since the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Western Han Dynasty, the various tribes of the Western Regions have been included under the jurisdiction of the Han Dynasty's Protectorate and regarded as direct forbidden territories of the two Han dynasties. Although the Central Plains gradually relaxed their control over the Western Regions during the middle period of the Eastern Han Dynasty, they were able to obtain at least some tribute states in the western regions. This is also a necessary route along the South Silk Road, which is of great significance to Guishuang, which relies on trade as an important means of income. The grandfather of Kaniska, Vima Taktu, once dispatched the deputy king of Dayuan, Xie, to lead tens of thousands of troops to invade the east of the Pamir Plateau. But due to logistical issues and the Eastern Han Dynasty's strategy of clearing the battlefield, it was ultimately abandoned.
But with the launch of a new round of attacks by Kaniska, the small Western Regions, which had to change their borders between the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu, began to recognize the suzerainty of the Guishuang. The Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu no longer had enough strength to drive the Guishuang people out of the Western Regions.
Buddhist King

Of course, as a revered king among Buddhists, Kaniska's reputation comes more from his support for the spiritual realm of Buddhism. He has always been enthusiastic about supporting monks in building temples, interpreting Buddhist scriptures, and appearing as a protector of Buddhism.
At that time, the Guishuang Palace also widely hired Buddhist masters to educate their own princes. One of the teachers of Kanishika, Sangha Raksha, is a Buddhist monk. After the Guishuang army attacked Huashi City in the Ganges region, they also forced the city lord to hand over the Buddhist master Ma Ming.
Kaniska even convened numerous monks in Kashmir and personally presided over a Buddhist assembly. The purpose of this large-scale religious conference is to help introduce Buddhist scriptures with unified norms. The annotation of "The Theory of Enlightenment" is the result of this conference. Its significance is similar to the later Nicaean Congress of Christianity.
Buddhism, which received strong support, also became an important aid in helping the court control the empire at that time. Firstly, the religion that advocates peace itself has a stabilizing effect on people's hearts. Secondly, a large number of Buddhist temples have become transit points for copper and wine trade. This important resource and commodity is exported from the port shore of the mouth of India. It will also flow between the subcontinent and Central Asia from the Khyber Pass near the capital Peshawar. A large amount of trade income has enriched the Buddhist temple and also provided abundant income for Guishuang.
However, it is worth noting that Kaniska does not solely respect Buddhism as a religion. On the coins issued by numerous Kusana kings at that time, many Iranian and Greek gods often appeared. There are both guardian gods worshipped in a certain region and fire worshippers from Persia. The stone inscription on his accession to the throne, in Greek, claimed that power came from the Iranian goddess Nana.
Of course, this does not prevent Buddhism from unilaterally adding to the legend of Kaniska. The most famous story among them is the legendary record of him surrendering to the dragon. It is said that there were evil dragons in the Hindu Kush Mountains at that time. Due to past misfortunes, they often caused storms and uprooted trees. Kanishega was furious and launched an attack, preparing to bury the Dragon Pool. The Dragon King showed his supernatural powers, his voice trembled with thunder, his sand and stones rained like rain, and his army and horses were horrified. Kanishega requested the protection of Buddhism, and immediately burst into flames on his shoulders, frightening the Dragon King into submission.

The beneficiaries of the dividends of the times
Compared to outstanding military qualifications and legendary religious experiences, the economic prosperity of the Kaniska era was often overlooked by the world. In addition to the copper and wine trade controlled by Buddhist temples, there were also many other commodities flowing from inside and outside the empire, including the famous luxury goods - silk.
Due to the fact that the birthplace of the Guishuang Dynasty, Bactria, happened to be located at the junction of East Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia, most of the trade along the Silk Road needed to pass through the area. Grains, fruits, handicrafts, and weapons from North India are transported to the distant northern Central Asian region through trade routes and main roads. In exchange, the prosperous Indus River basin in the south obtained fur, dairy products, livestock, and textile materials. The Guishuang people utilized this wealth to form a powerful army and enjoyed convenient domestic logistics during the prosperous era of the empire.
But the wealth that brought the Guishuang people to a higher level originated from the international geopolitical development at that time. Since the late 1st century AD, the Romans increased their investment in sea trade in order to avoid the high tax land trade dominated by Parthia. Ships of Western gold and silver flowed directly into the territory of Guishuang from the Mediterranean along the monsoon channels of the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, thereby promoting the economic development of the empire. Several generations of Kusana kings, including Kaniska, were able to continuously issue sufficient and high-quality gold coins in the absence of gold in the local environment, thanks to the large amount of precious metals imported from Rome.
As the Parthian Empire declined under the attack of the Romans, the cost of land trade further increased. Merchants from the Mediterranean and Arab regions made more use of sea routes to trade in the East. This international economic artery migration further contributed to the prosperity of the Guishuang people and the decline of the Parthians. The flourishing era of Kaniska is largely the result of consuming the dividends of this era.The bustling finale
However, like King Ashoka, although Kaniska's achievements reached the peak of his era, his descendants did not inherit his spirit of bravery and courage. After his death, although the Guishuang Empire remained prosperous and strong for a period of time, its positive development and upward momentum never reappeared in the world. The internal strife and struggle within the dynasty gradually replaced the united and outward expansion behavior, and remote territories took advantage of this opportunity to become independent.
Less than a hundred years after the death of Kaniska, the international situation underwent tremendous changes. Due to the loss of trade share and ongoing wars, the Parthian Empire has become so weak that it is unable to suppress local forces. With the rise of the new Sassanid dynasty in the mountainous areas of Posis, the impoverished Parthian dynasty was overthrown. The threatened Armenians sent envoys, preparing to join forces with the Guishuang to launch a pincer attack on this new Persian Empire.
As a result, under the attack of the impoverished Persian army, Armenia and Guishuang were defeated one after another. The Persians, who aspired to regain control of the Silk Road, even marched eastward to the Indus River basin. The Guishuang Empire fell from its position as a world hegemon. The territory of Bactria was controlled by local nobles from various hills and collectively defected to become a vassal state of Sassanid Persia.
The original Guishuang royal court became a small local country retreating to the agricultural area of Punjab. The Ganges River Basin, which had lost its suppression, gave birth to a new generation of the Gupta Empire under the baptism of external culture and technology.
Finally, in the mid-5th century AD. The last force in the central government of the Guishuang Empire was annihilated by the new conqueror Bai Xiongnu who invaded from the north. This area will also become the scene of a tug of war between the Northern White Xiongnu and the Southern Gupta dynasty for a long time. People today have a vague memory of these chaotic and noisy past events. However, the flourishing era of King Kaniska is still passed down in Buddhist scriptures.