Kanishka was the famous ruler of the Kushana Dynasty. He was the successor of Wema Kadphises, as far is known from the early life of Kanishka I. After a protracted period of complete anarchy with the downfall of Wema Kadphises, Kanishka ascended the throne and consolidated the Empire under his own supremacy. About the origin of Kanishka historians have opined that he belonged to the same clan of which Kadphises II and his son Wema Kadphises belonged. Kanishka rose to power after an extended struggle, by defeating forces of disintegration. From epigraphic and numismatics evidences of the contemporary period it is known that Kanishka had accomplished huge conquest, and the extent of his Empire was vast. It included the region of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Northwestern Frontier Province and parts of Sind. A mighty conqueror, Kanishka was a just and benevolent administrator. He believed in the divine right of kingship. The cult of Buddhism guided the religious policy and civilization of the Kushana period. Not only a mighty conqueror and benevolent administrator, Kanishka was also a patron of art and architecture. His period marked a stunning progress in the cultural and the material prosperity in ancient India.