What happens when you raise a boy as a warrior from birth, then give him the reins to conquer all the neighboring tribes and kingdoms on your border? He develops into one of the greatest champions of one of the world's most peaceful religions, Mahayana Buddhism.
Obviously.
Kanishka the Great (79 - 150 AD) may have earned more credit than he deserved, but there's no doubt his influence in shaping the Silk Road altered history in a profound way.
Want to read more about this episode's characters or aren't sure about their spelling? Here's a list of this episode's major characters:
Kanishka - our protagonist
Ashvaghosha - revered Buddhist monk in Kanishka's inner circle
Credits
Host: C.J. Weiss
Music: Bobby Hall
United States of Kennedy
United States of Kennedy is a podcast about our cultural fascination with the Kennedy dynasty. Every week, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris go into one aspect of the Kennedy story.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com