The Kanva dynasty or Kanvavamsha was the sixth ruling dynasty of
Magadha, established after
Vasudeva Kanva overthrew the preceding
Shunga dynasty and ruled from 73 BCE to 28 BCE.[1][2]
The Kanva dynasty was established by Vasudeva Kanva in 73 BCE. Vasudeva was initially a minister of the Shunga Emperor
Devabhuti, who then assassinated the former emperor and usurped the throne.[5] The Kanva ruler allowed the kings of the Shunga dynasty to continue to rule in obscurity in a corner of their former dominions. There were four Kanva rulers. According to the Puranas, their dynasty was brought to an end by the
Satavahanas in 28 BCE.[6][2]
The first ruler of the Kanva dynasty was Vasudeva after whose
Gotra the dynasty was named.[9] He was succeeded by his son Bhumimitra. Coins bearing the legend Bhumimitra have been discovered from
Panchala realm. Copper coins with the legend "Kanvasya" have also been found from Vidisha, as well as
Kaushambi in the
Vatsa realm.[10] Bhumimitra ruled for fourteen years and was later succeeded by his son Narayana. Narayana ruled for twelve years. He was succeeded by his son Susharman who was the last king of the Kanva dynasty.[11][12]
After the defeat at the hands of
Satavahanas and the fall of the Kanva dynasty, the
Magadha empire came to an end. The defeat of the Kanva dynasty by the Satavahana dynasty was a localised event in Central India[13][14] and numismatic and epigraphic evidence suggests that Magadha later came under the hegemony of the
Mitra dynasty of
Kaushambi from the 1st century BCE until the 2nd century CE.[14]
The
Puranas suggest that the last king of the Kanva dynasty was killed by Balipuccha, who founded the
Andhra dynasty,[8] but there is a lack of numismatical and archaeological evidence to support this.