Kanishka ascended to the throne in 58 BC. He was the greatest of the Kushan rulers in India.

Vikram era started from the year of his accession.

Peshawar (Purushapura) was his capital. He was a liberal patron of arts and literature and also of Buddhism.

Buddhism branched during his reign into two - Hinayana and Mahayana. Gandhara school of art (Greeco-Buddhist style) is associated with his name.