The minister Vasudeva, who had his royal master Devabhumi Shunga killed by a slave-girl, acquired the throne and founded a new royal dynasty in Magadha. It was known as the Kanva or Kanvayana after his family or Gotra name, and consisted only of four kings, viz. Vasudeva, Bhumimitra Narayana and Susarman, who ruled respectively for 9, 14, 12 and 10 years.

Sir R. G. Bhandarkar concluded that when the princes of the Suhga family became weak, the Kanvas acquired the whole power and ruled like the Peshwas in modern times, not uprooting the dynasty of their masters but reducing them to the character of nominal sovereigns. ^[ref]

Rulers

• Vasudeva (c. 75 c. 66 BCE)
• Bhumimitra (c. 66 c. 52 BCE)
• Narayana (c. 52 c. 40 BCE)
• Susarman (c. 40 c. 30 BCE)