Kanva dynasty facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kanva Dynasty
73 BCE–28 BCE
Kanvayana shown with other petty kingdoms of that time, along with the large kingdoms of the Satavahanas and Indo-Scythians.
Capital	Pataliputra and Vidisha
Common languages	Sanskrit
Religion	Hinduism
Government	Monarchy
Emperor
• 73–64 BCE	Vasudeva Kanva (first)
• 38–28 BCE	Susarman (last)
History
• Established	73 BCE
• Disestablished	28 BCE
Preceded by Succeeded by Shunga dynasty Satavahanas Kushan Empire Mitra dynasty (Kosambi)

The Kanva dynasty was an ancient Indian kingdom. It ruled parts of Magadha in India from 73 BCE to 28 BCE. This dynasty came after the Shunga dynasty. It was started by Vasudeva Kanva. He was a minister who took over the throne.

Historians believe their main cities were Pataliputra and Vidisha. Coins from the Kanva time are mostly found near Vidisha. The Kanva rulers allowed the Shunga kings to keep ruling a small part of their old land. There were four kings in the Kanva dynasty. The Satavahanas ended their rule in 28 BCE.

Who Were the Kanva Kings?

The Kanva kings were from a group called Brahmins. This means they belonged to a high class in ancient Indian society. They were said to be related to an old wise man named Saubhari.

The Kanva dynasty began when Vasudeva Kanva took control. He was a minister for the Shunga Emperor Devabhuti. Vasudeva removed Devabhuti from power. This led to the start of the Kanva dynasty.

The Kanva Rulers

There were four main rulers in the Kanva dynasty. Each king ruled for a certain number of years. The dynasty is named after the first ruler, Vasudeva Kanva.

The first king was Vasudeva Kanva. After him, his son Bhumimitra became king. Coins with Bhumimitra's name have been found in different places. Some copper coins from this time also have "Kanvasya" written on them. These coins were found in Vidisha and Kaushambi.

Bhumimitra ruled for fourteen years. His son Narayana then became king. Narayana ruled for twelve years. The last king of the Kanva dynasty was Narayana's son, Susharman.

End of the Kanva Dynasty

The Kanva dynasty ended around 28 BCE. This happened after they were defeated by the Satavahanas. When the Kanva dynasty fell, the Magadha empire also came to an end.

However, the defeat by the Satavahanas mainly affected Central India. Other evidence suggests that Magadha later came under the control of the Mitra dynasty from Kaushambi. This happened from the 1st century BCE to the 2nd century CE.

Some old texts, called the Puranas, say that the last Kanva king was killed by Balipuccha. This person then started the Andhra dynasty. But, there is not much proof from coins or old sites to fully support this story.

See also

• History of India
• Shunga dynasty
• History of Hinduism