The Date of Kaniska

Summary

This article tackles the long-standing problem of dating Kanishka, the Kushan emperor associated with the start of a new era. Scholars have debated whether the era used in inscriptions and documents is the Vikrama era (57 B.C.), the Azes era (58/56 B.C.) or a new era established by Kanishka himself. The article examines an inscription from Shonge (the Zeda inscription) that mentions year 3 of Kanishka’s reign and includes lunar observations. By analysing the inscription’s references to intercalary months and the positions of Jupiter and the lunar nodes, the author argues that the era used is not Vikrama or Azes but an era beginning with Kanishka’s accession. The article further reviews numismatic evidence and synchronisms with Chinese sources. It concludes that the year 3 in the inscription corresponds to 130/131 A.D., placing the start of Kanishka’s era in 127/128 A.D. This supports the view that the so-called “Saka era” of 78 A.D. is unrelated to Kanishka. Instead, Kanishka inaugurated an era around 127 A.D., which later tradition conflated with the Saka era. The article emphasises that proper understanding of Indian chronology requires distinguishing these eras. The author notes that adopting this date resolves contradictions in archaeological and historical records. The article thus contributes to the ongoing debate by providing textual and astronomical evidence that the era beginning 78 A.D. was not Kanishka’s.