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]

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Kanva Dynasty
73 BCE–28 BCE
Kanvayana shown with other petty kingdoms of that time, along with the large kingdoms of the Satavahanas & 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)

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Although the Puranic literature indicates that the Kanvas ruled from the former capital of the Shungas in Pataliputra, Magadha in Eastern India, their coins are primarily found in and around the region of Vidisha in Central India,^[3] which had also been the capital of later Shunga rulers.^[4]

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 Kanva kings were Brahmins. They were descendants of the sage Saubhari. ^[7] Vasudeva Kanva killed Devabhuti of the Shunga dynasty and established the rule of the Kanva dynasty.^[8]

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.

• Magadha
• History of India
• Shunga dynasty
• Satavahana dynasty
• History of Hinduism