Kaniṣka (English spelling)

Japanese: カニシカ（英語表記）Kaniṣka

King of the Kushan dynasty in ancient India. In the Chinese translation of the Buddhist scriptures, he is called Kasuga. There are many different theories about the date of his reign, but the most widely accepted theory is that he ascended to the throne around 130. He established his capital in Purushapura (now Peshawar) in the Gandhara region and ruled a vast territory stretching from Central Asia to Central India. According to legend, as a great protector of Buddhism, he built pagodas and temples in his capital, supported the Buddhist sect of Sarvastivada (a sect of Hinayana Buddhism), and invited and treated Ashvaghosha with kindness. However, judging from the statues of gods engraved on coins and temple ruins, it seems that Kanishka's family mainly worshipped Iranian gods. During his time, Mahayana Buddhism developed and Buddhist art flourished in the Gandhara region, which was a key point for East-West trade and where Eastern and Western cultures exchanged.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

古代インド，クシャン朝の王。漢訳仏典の迦膩色迦。統治の年代には異説が多いが，130年頃の即位とする説が有力である。ガンダーラ地方のプルシャプラ (現ペシャワル) に都をおき，中央アジアから中部インドにいたる広大な領土を支配した。伝説によると仏教の大保護者として首都に仏塔や寺院を建て，仏典結集 (部派仏教の説一切有部) を援助し，馬鳴 (アシュバゴーシャ) を招いて厚遇したという。しかし貨幣に刻まれた神像や神殿遺跡からみると，カニシカの一族は主としてイラン系の神々を信仰していたらしい。東西貿易の要衝を占め，東西文化が交流したガンダーラ地方で，彼の時代に大乗仏教が発達し，仏教美術が栄えた。

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