Who was the court physician of the Kushana king Kanishka?

According to tradition, Charaka, the great physician of Ayurveda, was the court physician (rajavaidya) of the Kushana king Kanishka.

About Charaka:

• He is regarded as one of the founders of Ayurveda, and is called the "Father of Indian Medicine".
• He is famous for the "Charaka Samhita", one of the most important texts of Ayurveda.
• The Charaka Samhita is believed to be a revised version of an older text, the "Agnivesha Tantra", written by Agnivesha, a student of the sage Atreya.
• Charaka revised and expanded it, and later Dridhabala completed missing parts.
• The link with Kanishka is based on a Chinese Buddhist text (translated in the 5th century CE), which mentions Charaka as the physician of Kanishka; some scholars doubt this connection.

The Charaka Samhita:

• It deals mainly with internal medicine (kaya chikitsa).
• It has 8 sections (sthanas) and 120 chapters.
• It describes the causes, symptoms and treatment of many diseases, and lists hundreds of medicinal plants and preparations.
• It describes the three "doshas" (vata, pitta and kapha), whose balance is believed to keep the body healthy.
• It stresses prevention of disease, a healthy diet and lifestyle, and the importance of hygiene.
• It lays down a code of conduct for physicians, similar to an oath, stressing honesty and care for patients.

Kanishka's court:

• Kanishka (around 78-144 CE, according to many scholars) was the greatest ruler of the Kushana dynasty.
• He was a patron of Buddhism, art and learning.
• Scholars and poets, such as Ashvaghosha and Vasumitra, are associated with his court.

Ayurvedic texts ("Brihat Trayi"):

• Charaka Samhita (internal medicine).
• Sushruta Samhita (surgery).
• Ashtanga Hridaya (Vagbhata).

Why not the other options?

• ✗Sushruta is known as the "Father of Surgery".
• ✗Vagbhata wrote the Ashtanga Hridaya.
• ✗Jivaka was the physician of the Buddha's time.