Kanishka I
Kushan king
Gold coin of Kanishka I (c.120 AD). Kanishka standing, clad in heavy Kushan coat and long boots, flames emanating from shoulders, holding standard in his left hand, and making a sacrifice over an altar. Kushan-language legend in Greek script (with the addition of the Kushan Ϸ "sh" letter): ϷΑΟΝΑΝΟϷΑΟ ΚΑΝΗϷΚΙ ΚΟϷΑΝΟ ("Shaonanoshao Kanishki Koshano"): "King of Kings, Kanishka the Kushan".
Reign	Kushan: 120 CE - 150 CE

Kanishka (Kushan language: ΚΑΝΗϷΚΙ, Ancient Chinese: 迦腻色伽) was a king of the Kushan Empire in South Asia, ruling an empire extending from Northern India to Central Asia in the 2nd century of the common era, famous for his military, political, and spiritual achievements. His capital was at the location of the modern city of Peshawar in Pakistan, with a second capital at Mathura in India. Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 606 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (739 × 731 pixel, file size: 1. ... Sho (majuscule , minuscule ) was a letter added to the Greek alphabet in order to write the Bactrian language. ... Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ... For other uses, see number 120. ... The Roman army consists of 400,000 men. ... Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ... This article is about the geopolitical region in Asia. ... The 2nd century is the period from 101 - 200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... Peshāwar (Pashto: پښور; Urdu:پشاور) literally means City on the Frontier in Persian and is known as Pakhawar in Pashto. ... Mathura (मथुरा) is a city in India, located approximately 50 km north of Agra, and south of Delhi. ...

Kanishka's coinage

Gold coin of Kanishka I with the Hellenistic divinity Helios. (c.120 AD).
Obv: Kanishka standing, clad in heavy Kushan coat and long boots, flames emanating from shoulders, holding standard in his left hand, and making a sacrifice over an altar. Greek legend ΒΑϹΙΛΕΥϹ ΒΑϹΙΛΕΩΝ ΚΑΝΗϷΚΟΥ "King of Kings Kanishka".
Rev: Standing Helios in Hellenistic style, forming a benediction gesture with the right hand. Legend in Greek script: ΗΛΙΟϹ "Helios". Kanishka monogram (tamgha) to the left.

Kanishka's coins show Hindu, Buddhist, Greek, Persian and even Sumerian-Elamite images of gods. They are demonstrative of religious syncretism in his beliefs. Kanishka's coins at the beginning of his reign were written in the Greek language, with the Greek script, and depicted Greek divinities. Later in his reign, Kanishka ordered that the Bactrian language be used (the Iranian language the Kushans apparently spoke), and Greek divinities were replaced by corresponding Iranian ones. All of Kanishka's coins (even the Bactrian language) were written in corrupted Greek script, with the addition of the Kushan letter Ϸ, pronounced "Sh", as in the word "Kushan". Coin of Kanishka, with the divinity Helios. ... Coin of Kanishka, with the divinity Helios. ... Helios in his chariot In Greek mythology the sun was personified as Helios or Helius (Greek Ἥλιος / ἥλιος). Homer often calls him Titan and Hyperion. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... The Persians of Iran (officially named Persia by West until 1935 while still referred to as Persia by some) are an Iranian people who speak Persian (locally named Fârsi by native speakers) and often refer to themselves as ethnic Iranians as well. ... Sumer (or Å umer) was the earliest known civilization of the ancient Near East, located in the southern part of Mesopotamia (southeastern Iraq) from the time of the earliest records in the mid 4th millennium BC until the rise of Babylonia in the late 3rd millennium BC. The term Sumerian applies... Elamite is an extinct language, which was spoken in the ancient Elamite Empire. ...

Kanishka is shown as a profusely bearded man in a long coat and trousers, with flames emanating from his shoulders. He wears large rounded boots, and is armed with a long sword similar to a scimitar as well as a lance. He is often shown making a sacrifice on a small altar. Scimitar, XVII Century, from India. ...

Hellenistic phase

A few coins at the beginning of his reign have a legend in the Greek language and Greek script: ΒΑϹΙΛΕΥϹ ΒΑϹΙΛΕΩΝ ΚΑΝΗϷΚΟΥ ("Basileus Basileon Kanishkou"): "King of Kings Kanishka". This is a heretoforth unknown form in Greek, which is nevertheless proper grammatically (nominative form), indicating that Greek was still a "living" language among the Kushans at that time.

Greek deities, with Greek names are represented on these early coins:

• ΗΛΙΟϹ (Sun god Helios), ΗΦΑΗϹΤΟϹ (Fire god Hephaistos), ϹΑΛΗΝΗ (Moon god Selene), ΑΝΗΜΟϹ (Wind god Anemos)

Helios in his chariot In Greek mythology the sun was personified as Helios or Helius (Greek Ἥλιος / ἥλιος). Homer often calls him Titan and Hyperion. ... The Temple of Hephaestus, Athens: western face. ... Roman sculpture of the torch-bearing moon goddess Luna, or Diana Lucifera (Diana Bringer of Light), who was equated with the Greek Selene (Vatican Museums) In Greek mythology, Selene (Σελήνη, moon; Modern Greek pronunciation IPA: ) was an archaic lunar deity and the daughter of the titans Hyperion and Theia. ... Zephyrus, the Greek god of the west wind, and the goddess Flora, from an 1875 painting by William-Adolphe Bouguereau. ...

Iranian/Indian phase

Kushan Carnelian seal representing the Iranian divinity Adsho ("ΑΘϷΟ" legend in Greek letters), with triratana symbol left, and Kanishka's dynastic mark right. The divinity uses stirrups.

Following the transition to the Bactrian language on coins, numerous Iranian divinities were adopted in replacement (and extension) of Greek ones: Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Imprint of a carnelian seal with Brahmi inscription Kusumadasasya (Flowers servant). 4-5th century CE, probably Punjab. ... The Triratna or Three Jewels symbol, on a Buddha footprint. ... Haniwa horse statuette, complete with saddle and stirrups, 6th century, Kofun period, Japan. ...

• ΜΑΟ (Moon god Mao), ΟΑΔΟ (Wind god Oado)
• ΜΙΘΡΟ ("Mitro", Mithra), ΜΙΙΡΟ, ΜΙΟΡΟ, ΜΙΥΡΟ
• ΝΑΝΑ, ΝΑΝΑΙΑ, ΜΑΝΑΟΒΑΓΟ, ΝΑΝΑϷΑΟ
• ΛΡΟΟΑϹΠΟ, ΦΑΡΡΟ, ΟΡΑΛΑΓΝΟ, ΑΘϷΟ, ΑΡΔΟΧϷΟ, ΜΟΖΔΟΟΑΝΟ, ΦΑΡΡΟ

Only a few Indian divinities were used as well: Mao was the god of the moon in Persian mythology. ... Mithra (Avestan Miθra, modern Persian مهر Mihr, Mehr, Meher) is an important deity or divine concept (so called Yazata) in Zoroastrianism and later Persian mythology and culture. ...

• ΒΟΔΔΟ ("Boddo", the name of the Buddha in its Greek form), ϷΑΚΑΜΑΝΟ ΒΟΔΔΟ ("Shakamano Boddho", the historical Shakyamuni Buddha), ΜΕΤΡΑΓΟ ΒΟΔΔΟ ("Metrago Boddo", the bodhisattava Maitreya).
• ΟΗϷΟ ("Oesho", long considered as the Hindu god Shiva, although recent studies tend to indicate that Oisho is an Iranian god, derived from Herakles, with admittedly many of the attributes of Shiva ^[1])

Media:Example. ... Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE. Gautama Buddha was a South Asian spiritual leader who lived between approximately 563 BCE and 483 BCE. Born Siddhartha Gautama in Sanskrit, a name meaning descendant of Gotama whose aims are achieved/who is efficacious in achieving aims, he... Maitreya Bodhisattva (Sanskrit) or Metteyya Bodhisatta (Pāli) is the future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. ... Coin of the Kushan king Kanishka II with, on the reverse, a supposed depiction of Shiva and the word Oesho in modified Greek script. ... “Nilakantha” redirects here. ... For the son of Alexander the Great, see Heracles (Macedon). ...

Kanishka and Buddhism

Gold coin of Kanishka I with a representation of the Buddha (c.120 AD).
Obv: Kanishka standing, clad in heavy Kushan coat and long boots, flames emanating from shoulders, holding standard in his left hand, and making a sacrifice over an altar. Kushan-language legend in Greek script (with the addition of the Kushan Ϸ "sh" letter): ϷΑΟΝΑΝΟϷΑΟ ΚΑΝΗϷΚΙ ΚΟϷΑΝΟ ("Shaonanoshao Kanishki Koshano"): "King of Kings, Kanishka the Kushan".
Rev: Standing Buddha in Hellenistic style, forming the gesture of "no fear" (abhaya mudra) with his right hand, and holding a pleat of his robe in his left hand. Legend in Greek script: ΒΟΔΔΟ "Boddo", for the Buddha. Kanishka monogram (tamgha) to the right.

Kanishka's reputation in Buddhist tradition is based mainly on the Buddhist tradition that he convened the 4th Buddhist Council in Kashmir. Image File history File linksMetadata Kanishka-Buddha. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Kanishka-Buddha. ... Media:Example. ... Media:Example. ... // 1st Buddhist council (5th century BC) The first Buddhist council was held soon after the death of the Buddha under the patronage of king Ajatasatru, and presided by a monk named Mahakasyapa, at Rajagaha (todays Rajgir). ... Kashmir (or Cashmere) may refer to: Kashmir region, the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent India, Kashmir conflict, the territorial dispute between India, Pakistan, and the China over the Kashmir region. ...

He provided encouragement to both the Gandhara school of Greco-Buddhist Art and the Mathura 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. Gandhāra (Sanskrit: गन्धार, Persian; Gandara, Waihind) (Urdu: گندھارا) is the name of an ancient Indian Mahajanapada, currently in northern Pakistan (the North-West Frontier Province and parts of northern Punjab and Kashmir) and eastern Afghanistan. ... Gandhara Buddha, 1st-2nd century CE. Greco-Buddhist art is the artistic manifestation of Greco-Buddhism, a cultural syncretism between the Classical Greek culture and Buddhism, which developed over a period of close to 1000 years in Central Asia, between the conquests of Alexander the Great in the 4th century... Mathura (मथुरा) is a city in India, located approximately 50 km north of Agra, and south of Delhi. ... Mithra (Avestan Miθra, modern Persian مهر Mihr, Mehr, Meher) is an important deity or divine concept (so called Yazata) in Zoroastrianism and later Persian mythology and culture. ...

His greatest contribution to Buddhist architecture was the Kanishka stupa at Peshawar. Archaeologists rediscovered the base of it in 1908-1909 ascertained that this stupa had a diameter of 286 feet. Reports of Chinese pilgrims such as Xuan Zang indicate that its height was 600 to 700 (Chinese) "feet" (= roughly 180-210 metres or 591-689 ft.) and was covered with jewels.^[2] Certainly this immense multi-storied building ranks among the wonders of the ancient world. Remnants of the Kanishka Stupa in Shah-Ji-Ki-Dheri. ... Peshāwar (Pashto: پښور; Urdu:پشاور) literally means City on the Frontier in Persian and is known as Pakhawar in Pashto. ... Xuanzang, Dunhuang cave, 9th century. ...

Kanishka is said to have been particularly close to the Buddhist scholar Ashvaghosha, who became his religious advisor. Ashvaghosha (Aśvaghoṣa; 馬鳴; b. ...

Buddhist coinage

The Buddhist coins of Kanishka are comparatively very few (well under one percent of all known coins of Kanishka). Several of them display Kanishka himself on the obverse, and the Buddha standing on the reverse, in Hellenistic style. A few also show the Shakyamuni Buddha and Maitreya. Like all coins of Kanishka, their design is rather rough and proportions tend to be imprecise, and the image of the Buddha is slightly corrupted, as seen in the huge oversize ears, and the feet spread apart in the same fashion as the Kushan king, indicating a rather rough imitation of pre-existing Hellenistic images. Media:Example. ... Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE. Gautama Buddha was a South Asian spiritual leader who lived between approximately 563 BCE and 483 BCE. Born Siddhartha Gautama in Sanskrit, a name meaning descendant of Gotama whose aims are achieved/who is efficacious in achieving aims, he... Maitreya Bodhisattva (Sanskrit) or Metteyya Bodhisatta (Pāli) is the future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. ...

Three types of Kanishka's Buddhist coins are known:

Known depictions of the "Buddha" (with coin legend ΒΟΔΔΟ "Boddo") in Kanishka's coinage.

Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1040x1112, 752 KB) Summary Known depictions of Buddhas in Kushan coinage. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1040x1112, 752 KB) Summary Known depictions of Buddhas in Kushan coinage. ... Media:Example. ...

The Buddha

The standing Buddha in Hellenistic style, bearing the mention "Boddo" in Greek script, holding the left corner of his cloack in his hand, and forming the abhaya mudra. Only six Kushan coins of the Buddha are known (the sixth one is the centerpiece of an ancient piece of jewelry, consisting in a Kanishka Buddha coin decorated with a ring of heart-shaped ruby stones). All these coins were minted in gold under Kanishka I, but are quite small (about the size of an obol) compared to the other gold coins of Kanishka. A mudrā (Sanskrit, मुद्रा, literally seal) is a symbolic gesture usually made with the hand or fingers. ... The obolus (or obol) is a Greek silver coin worth a sixth of a drachma. ...

Bronze standing Buddha with features similar to those of Kanishka's coins. Gandhara, usually dated 3rd-4th century.

The Buddha is represented wearing the monastic robe, the antaravasaka, the uttarasanga, and the overcoat sanghati. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 351 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (812 × 1387 pixel, file size: 479 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Standing Buddha in bronze, Gandhara, usually dated to the 3rd-4th century CE,Guimet Museum. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 351 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (812 × 1387 pixel, file size: 479 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Standing Buddha in bronze, Gandhara, usually dated to the 3rd-4th century CE,Guimet Museum. ... Gandhāra (Sanskrit: गन्धार, Persian; Gandara, Waihind) (Urdu: گندھارا) is the name of an ancient Indian Mahajanapada, currently in northern Pakistan (the North-West Frontier Province and parts of northern Punjab and Kashmir) and eastern Afghanistan. ... The antaravasaka is a part of Buddhist monastic garment, the triple robe or tricivara. ... The uttarasanga is a part of Buddhist monastic garment, the triple robe or tricivara. ... The sangati is a part of Buddhist monastic garment, the triple robe or tricivara. ...

The ears are extremely large and long, a symbolic exaggeration possibly rendered necessary by the small size of the coins, but otherwise visible in some later Gandharan statues of the Buddha typically dated to the 3rd-4th century CE. He has an abundant topknot covering the usnisha, often highly stylicized in a curly or often globular manner, also visible on later Buddha statues of Gandhara. Head of the Buddha, crowned by the ushnisha, 3rd century, Hadda, Afghanistan. ...

In general, the representation of the Buddha on these coins is already highly symbolic, and quite distant from the more naturalistic and Hellenistic images seen in early Gandhara sculptures. On several design, a mustache is apparent. The palm of his right hand bears the Chakra mark, and his brow bear the urna. An aureola, formed by one, two or three lines, surrounds him. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Urna - Wang Cheese ... Images of Mary, mother of Jesus are often surrounded by an aureole, as in this image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. ...

The "Shakyamuni Buddha"

Depictions of the "Shakyamuni Buddha" (with legend ϷΑΚΑΜΑΝΟ ΒΟΔΔΟ "Shakamano Boddo") in Kanishka's coinage.

Depictions of "Maitreya" (with legend ΜΕΤΡΑΓΟ ΒΟΔΔΟ "Metrago Boddo") in Kanishka's coinage.

The Shakyamuni Buddha (with the legend "Sakamano Boudo", ie Shakamuni Buddha, another name for the historic Buddha Siddharta Gautama), standing to front, with left hand on hip and forming the abhaya mudra with the right hand. All these coins are in copper only, and usually rather worn. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 561 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1040 × 1112 pixel, file size: 419 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Kushan coins of the Shakyamuni Buddha. Personal drawing. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 561 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1040 × 1112 pixel, file size: 419 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Kushan coins of the Shakyamuni Buddha. Personal drawing. ... Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE. Gautama Buddha was a South Asian spiritual leader who lived between approximately 563 BCE and 483 BCE. Born Siddhartha Gautama in Sanskrit, a name meaning descendant of Gotama whose aims are achieved/who is efficacious in achieving aims, he... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 375 pixel Image in higher resolution (1040 × 488 pixel, file size: 182 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Representation of Maitreya in Kushan coins. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 375 pixel Image in higher resolution (1040 × 488 pixel, file size: 182 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Representation of Maitreya in Kushan coins. ... Maitreya Bodhisattva (Sanskrit) or Metteyya Bodhisatta (Pāli) is the future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. ... Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE. Gautama Buddha was a South Asian spiritual leader who lived between approximately 563 BCE and 483 BCE. Born Siddhartha Gautama in Sanskrit, a name meaning descendant of Gotama whose aims are achieved/who is efficacious in achieving aims, he... Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE, Musée Guimet. ...

The gown of the Shakyamuni Buddha is quite light compared to that on the coins in the name of Buddha, clearly showing the outline of the body, in a nearly transparent way. These are probably the first two layers of monastic clothing the antaravasaka and the uttarasanga. Also, his gown is folded over the left arm (rather than being held in the left hand as above), a feature only otherwise known in the Bimaran casket and suggestive of a scarf-like uttariya. He has an abundant topknot covering the ushnisha, and a simple or double halo, sometimes radiating, surrounds his head. The antaravasaka is a part of Buddhist monastic garment, the triple robe or tricivara. ... The uttarasanga is a part of Buddhist monastic garment, the triple robe or tricivara. ... The Bimaran casket, with the Buddha, surrounded by Brahman (left) and Indra (right). ... An uttariya is a piece of dress in ancient India. ... Head of the Buddha, crowned by the ushnisha, 3rd century, Hadda, Afghanistan. ... A halo (Greek: ; also known as a nimbus, glory, or Gloriole) is a ring of light that surrounds an object. ...

The "Maitreya Buddha"

The Bodhisattva Maitreya (with the legend "Metrago Boudo") cross-legged on a throne, holding a water pot, and also forming the Abhaya mudra. These coins are only known in copper and are badly worn. On the clearest coins, Maitreya seems to be wearing the armbands of an Indian prince, a feature often seen on the staruary of Maitreya. The throne is decorated with small columns, suggesting that the coin representation of Maitreya was directly copied from pre-existing statuary with such well-known features. The qualification of "Buddha" for Maitreya is inaccurate, as he is instead a Bodhisattva (he is the Buddha of the future). This may indicate a limited knowledge of Buddhist cosmology on the part of the Kushans. Maitreya Bodhisattva (Sanskrit) or Metteyya Bodhisatta (Pāli) is the future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. ... A statue of a Bodhisattva, Akasagarbha. ...

The iconography of these three types is very different from that of the other deities depicted in Kanishka's coinage. Whether Kanishka's deities are all shown from the side, the Buddhas only are shown frontally, indicating that they were copied from contemporary frontal representations of the standing and seated Buddhas in statuary.^[3] Both representations of the Buddha and Shakyamuni have both shoulders covered by their monastic gown, indicating that the statues used as models were from the Gandhara school of art, rather than Mathura. Gandhāra (Sanskrit: गन्धार, Persian; Gandara, Waihind) (Urdu: گندھارا) is the name of an ancient Indian Mahajanapada, currently in northern Pakistan (the North-West Frontier Province and parts of northern Punjab and Kashmir) and eastern Afghanistan. ... Mathura (मथुरा) is a city in India, located approximately 50 km north of Agra, and south of Delhi. ...

Kanishka casket

The "Kanishka casket", dated to 127 CE, with the Buddha surrounded by Brahma and Indra, and Kanishka standing at the center of the lower part, British Museum.

Remnants of the Kanishka Stupa in Shah-Ji-Ki-Dheri.

The "Kanishka casket" or "Kanishka reliquary", dated to the first year of Kanishka's reign in 127 CE, was discovered in a deposit chamber under Kanishka's stupa, during the archeological excavations in 1908-1909 in Shah-ji-Dheri on the outskirts of Peshawar.^{[4] [5]} It is today at the Peshawar Museum, and a copy is in the British Museum. It is said to have contained three bone fragments of the Buddha, which are now housed in Mandalay, Burma. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (789x1182, 558 KB) Kanishka Casket. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (789x1182, 558 KB) Kanishka Casket. ... The Kanishka casket, dated to 127, with the Buddha surrounded by Brahma and Indra, and Kanishka standing at the center of the lower part, British Museum (drawing). ... Events Births Deaths Categories: 127 ... Media:Example. ... Brahma (IAST: Brahmā) (Devanagari ब्रह्मा, pronounced as ) is the Hindu god (deva) of creation, and one of the Hindu Trinity - Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. ... Indra (Sanskrit: इन्द्र or इंद्र, indra) is the god of weather and war, and lord of Svargaloka in Hinduism. ... The centre of the museum was redeveloped in 2000 to become the Great Court, surrounding the original Reading Room. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 526 pixel Image in higher resolution (937 × 616 pixel, file size: 467 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The Shah-Ji-Ki-Dheri Stupa (Kanishka stupa). ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 526 pixel Image in higher resolution (937 × 616 pixel, file size: 467 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The Shah-Ji-Ki-Dheri Stupa (Kanishka stupa). ... The Kanishka casket, dated to 127, with the Buddha surrounded by Brahma and Indra, and Kanishka standing at the center of the lower part, British Museum (drawing). ... Events Births Deaths Categories: 127 ... Remnants of the Kanishka Stupa in Shah-Ji-Ki-Dheri. ... Peshāwar (Pashto: پښور; Urdu:پشاور) literally means City on the Frontier in Persian and is known as Pakhawar in Pashto. ... The centre of the museum was redeveloped in 2000 to become the Great Court, surrounding the original Reading Room. ... Mandalay (Burmese: ) is the second largest city in Myanmar (formerly Burma) with a population of 927,000 (2005 census), agglomeration 2,5 million. ...

The casket is dedicated in Kharoshthi. The inscription reads: The Kharoṣṭhī script, also known as the Gāndhārī script, is an ancient alphabetic script used by the Gandhara culture of historic northwest India to write the Gandhari and Sanskrit languages (the Gandhara kingdom was located along the present-day border...

"(*mahara)jasa kanishkasa kanishka-pure nagare aya gadha-karae deya-dharme sarva-satvana hita-suhartha bhavatu mahasenasa sagharaki dasa agisala nava-karmi ana*kanishkasa vihare mahasenasa sangharame"

Detail of Kanishka, surrounded by the Iranian Sun-God and Moon-God, on the Kanishka casket. British Museum.

Buddha relics from Kanishka's stupa in Peshawar, Pakistan, sent by the British to Mandalay, Burma in 1910. Teresa Merrigan, 2005

The text is signed by the maker, a Greek artist named Agesilas, who oversaw work at Kanishka's stupas (caitya), confirming the direct involvement of Greeks with Buddhist realizations at such a late date: "The servant Agisalaos, the superintendent of works at the vihara of Kanishka in the monastery of Mahasena" ("dasa agisala nava-karmi ana*kaniskasa vihara mahasenasa sangharame"). ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (813x679, 454 KB) Kanishka Casket. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (813x679, 454 KB) Kanishka Casket. ... Download high resolution version (1473x993, 173 KB)This picture is of the ruby and gold relic casket holding a crystal reliquary with three fragments of bone believed to be true relics of Gautama Buddha, buried by the Kushan Emperor Kanishka in the 2nd century A.D. at his stupa in... Download high resolution version (1473x993, 173 KB)This picture is of the ruby and gold relic casket holding a crystal reliquary with three fragments of bone believed to be true relics of Gautama Buddha, buried by the Kushan Emperor Kanishka in the 2nd century A.D. at his stupa in... Stupa at Samye Ling Monastery, Scotland A stupa (from the Sanskrit) is a type of Buddhist structure found across the Indian subcontinent, Asia and increasingly in the Western World. ... Mandalay (Burmese: ) is the second largest city in Myanmar (formerly Burma) with a population of 927,000 (2005 census), agglomeration 2,5 million. ... Stupa at Samye Ling Monastery, Scotland A stupa (from the Sanskrit) is a type of Buddhist structure found across the Indian subcontinent, Asia and increasingly in the Western World. ...

The lid of the casket shows the Buddha on a lotus pedestal, and worshipped by Brahma and Indra. The edge of the lid is decorated by a frieze of flying geese. The body of the casket represents a Kushan monarch, probably Kanishka in person, with the Iranian sun and moon gods on his side. On the sides are two images of a seated Buddha, worshiped by royal figures. A garland, supported by cherubs goes around the scene in typical Hellenistic style. Brahma (IAST: Brahmā) (Devanagari ब्रह्मा, pronounced as ) is the Hindu god (deva) of creation, and one of the Hindu Trinity - Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. ... Indra (Sanskrit: इन्द्र or इंद्र, indra) is the god of weather and war, and lord of Svargaloka in Hinduism. ... A cherub (Hebrew כרוב; plural cherubim, כרובים) is an angelic creature mentioned several times in the Tanakh, or Old Testament, and in the Book of Revelation. ...

Kanishka in Buddhist tradition

In Buddhist tradition, Kanishka is often described as a violent, faithless ruler before his conversion to Buddhism, as in the Sri-dharma-pitaka-nidana sutra:

"At this time the King of Ngan-si (Pahlava) was very stupid and of a violent nature….There was a bhikshu (monk) arhat who seeing the evil deeds done by the king wished to make him repent. So by his supernatural force he caused the king to see the torments of hell. The king was terrified and repented." Śri-dharma-piṭaka-nidāna sūtra ^[6]

Additionally, the arrival of Kanishka was reportedly foretold by the Buddha, as well as the construction of his stupa:

". . . the Buddha, pointing to a small boy making a mud tope….[said] that on that spot Kaṇiṣka would erect a tope by his name." Vinaya sutra ^[7]

Coin of Kanishka with the Bodhisattva Maitreya "Metrago Boudo".

The same story is repeated in a Khotanese scroll found at Dunhuang, which first described how Kanishka would arrive 400 years after the death of the Buddha. The account also describes how Kanishka came to raise his stupa: Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Mosque in Khotan. ... Location of Dunhuang Dunhuang (Chinese: 敦煌, also written as 燉煌 till early Qing Dynasty; pinyin: Dūnhuáng; ) is a city in Jiuquan, Gansu province, China. ...

"A desire thus arose in [Kanishka to build a vast stupa]….at that time the four world-regents learnt the mind of the king. So for his sake they took the form of young boys….[and] began a stūpa of mud....the boys said to [Kanishka] ‘We are making the Kaṇiṣka-stūpa.’….At that time the boys changed their form....[and] said to him, ‘Great king, by you according to the Buddha’s prophecy is a Saṅghārāma to be built wholly (?) with a large stūpa and hither relics must be invited which the meritorious good beings...will bring." ^[8]

Chinese pilgrims to India, such as Xuanzang, who travelled there around 630 CE also relays the story: A portrait of Xuanzang Xuanzang (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Hsüan-tsang; CantoneseIPA: jyn4tsɔŋ1; CantoneseJyutping: jyun4zong1) was a famous Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler and translator that brought up the interaction between China and India in the early Tang period. ...

"Kaṇiṣka became sovereign of all Jambudvīpa (Indian subcontinent) but he did not believe in Karma, and he treated Buddhism with contumely. When he was hunting in the wild country a white hare appeared; the king gave a chase and the hare suddenly disappeared at [the site of the future stupa]….[when the construction of the stūpa was not going as planned] the king now lost patience and threw the [project] up….[but] the king became alarmed, as he [realized] he was evidently contending with supernatural powers, so he confessed his errors and made submission. These two topes are still in existence and were resorted to for cures by people afflicted with diseases." ^[9]

Transmission of Buddhism to China

Main article: Silk Road transmission of Buddhism
Blue-eyed Central Asian and East-Asian Buddhist monks, Bezaklik, Eastern Tarim Basin, 9th-10th century. ...

Kanishka's expansion into the Tarim Basin probably initiated the transmission of Buddhism to China. Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim Basin. ...

Buddhist monks from the region of Gandhara played a key role in the development and the transmission of Buddhist ideas in the direction of northern Asia from the middle of the second century CE. The Kushan monk, Lokaksema (c. 178 CE), became the first translators of Mahayana Buddhist scriptures into Chinese and established a translation bureau at the Chinese capital Loyang. Central Asian and East Asian Buddhist monks appear to have maintained strong exchanges for the following centuries. Gandhāra (Sanskrit: गन्धार, Persian; Gandara, Waihind) (Urdu: گندھارا) is the name of an ancient Indian Mahajanapada, currently in northern Pakistan (the North-West Frontier Province and parts of northern Punjab and Kashmir) and eastern Afghanistan. ... Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ... Lokaksema (Ch: 支谶, Zhi Chan). ... Events First condemnation of the Montanist heresy Last (7th) year of Xiping era and start of Guanghe era of the Chinese Han Dynasty. ... Relief image of the bodhisattva Kuan Yin from Mt. ... Luoyang (Simplified Chinese: 洛阳; Traditional Chinese: 洛陽; pinyin: Luòyáng) is a city in Henan province, China. ...

Kanishka was probably succeeded by Huvishka. How and when this came about is still uncertain. The fact that there were other Kushana kings called Kanishka is just another complicating factor. Gold coin of the Kushan emperor Huvishka (126-164). ... Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ...

The airplane that was destroyed in the 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182 was named after him. 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Air India (formerly Air-India, Hindi: ) is the national flag carrier of India with a worldwide network of passenger and cargo services. ... Air India Flight 182 was a Boeing 747 that exploded on June 23, 1985 while at an altitude of 31,000 feet (9500 m) above the Atlantic Ocean, south of Ireland; all 329 on board were killed, of whom 82 were children and 280 were Canadian citizens. ...

Kanishka with the divinity Mozdoano. Coin of Kanishka with the deity Mozdoano (in Greek script). ...

Coin of Kanishka. Image File history File linksMetadata KanishkaCoin3. ...

References

1. ^ H.Humback, 1975, p.402-408. K.Tanabe, 1997, p.277, M.Carter, 1995, p.152. J.Cribb, 1997, p.40. References cited in "De l'Indus à l'Oxus".
2. ^ Dobbins, K. Walton. (1971). The Stūpa and Vihāra of Kanishka I. The Asiatic Society of Bengal Monograph Series, Vol. XVIII. Calcutta.
3. ^ The Crossroads of Asia, p201
4. ^ H. Hargreaves, H. (1910-11): "Excavations at Shāh-jī-kī Dhērī"; Archaeological Survey of India, 1910-11, pp. 25-32.
5. ^ D. B. Spooner (1908-9): "Excavations at Shāh-jī-kī Dhērī."; Archaeological Survey of India, 1908-9, pp. 38-59.
6. ^ Kumar, Baldev. 1973. The Early Kuṣāṇas. Page 95 New Delhi, Sterling Publishers.
7. ^ Kumar, Baldev. 1973. The Early Kuṣāṇas. Page 91 New Delhi, Sterling Publishers.
8. ^ Kumar, Baldev. 1973. The Early Kuṣāṇas. Page 89 New Delhi, Sterling Publishers.
9. ^ Xuanzang, quoted in: Kumar, Baldev. 1973. The Early Kuṣāṇas. Page 93. New Delhi, Sterling Publishers.

• Kulke, Hermann; Rothermund, Dietmar (1998). A history of India. London; New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-15481-2 ISBN 0-415-15482-0. 
• Foucher, M. A. 1901. "Notes sur la geographie ancienne du Gandhâra (commentaire à un chapitre de Hiuen-Tsang)." BEFEO No. 4, Oct. 1901, pp. 322-369.

• Bopearachchi, Osmund (2003). De l'Indus à l'Oxus, Archéologie de l'Asie Centrale (in French). Lattes: Association imago-musée de Lattes. ISBN 2-9516679-2-2. 

A portrait of Xuanzang Xuanzang (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Hsüan-tsang; CantoneseIPA: jyn4tsɔŋ1; CantoneseJyutping: jyun4zong1) was a famous Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler and translator that brought up the interaction between China and India in the early Tang period. ... Monnaies Gréco-Bactriennes et Indo-Grecques, by Osmund Bopearachchi, 1991. ...

See also

• Kushan Empire
• Greco-Buddhism
• Indo-Greek Kingdom

Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ... The Buddha, in Greco-Buddhist style, 1st-2nd century CE, Gandhara. ... The Indo-Greek Kingdom (or sometimes Graeco-Indian Kingdom[1]) covered various parts of the northwest and northern Indian subcontinent from 180 BCE to around 10 CE, and was ruled by a succession of more than thirty Hellenistic kings,[2] often in conflict with each other. ...

External links

• Coins of Kanishka
• Controversy regarding the beginning of the Kanishka Era.
• A rough guide to Kushana history.
• Kanishka Buddhist coins
• Photograph of the Kanishka casket
• Headless Statue of Kanishka