Licchavi (kingdom)
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The Licchavis of Nepal (, also ''Lichchhavi'', ''Lichavi'') ruled over a kingdom in the
Kathmandu Valley The Kathmandu Valley (), also known as the Nepal Valley or Nepa Valley (, Newar language, Nepal Bhasa: 𑐣𑐾𑐄𑐵𑑅 𑐐𑐵𑑅, ą¤Øą„‡ą¤Ŗą¤¾ą¤ƒ ą¤—ą¤¾ą¤ƒ), National Capital Area, is a bowl-shaped valley located in the Himalayas, Hima ...
of
Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
from approximately 450 to 750 CE. The Licchavi clan originated from a branch of the Licchavis of Vaishali who ruled in the territory of modern-day
Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
and who later conquered the Kathmandu Valley. The Licchavis were ruled by a ''maharaja'', aided by a prime minister and other royal officials, but in practice local communities were controlled by caste councils. The ruling period of this dynasty was called the Golden Period of Nepal. A table of the evolution of certain Gupta characters used in Licchavi inscriptions prepared by Gautamavajra Vajrācārya can be found online.


Records

It is believed that a branch of the Licchavi clan, having lost their political fortune and military power in Vaishali (
Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
), came to
Kathmandu Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 mi ...
and intermarried with the family of the ruling Queen, Mandeva Shree Vogini of the Nagvanshi clan, thus beginning their rule in Nepal
Source
They also battled with local militias in Chyasal to gain control of Nepal. In the Buddhist
Pali canon The Pāḷi Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhism, Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the most complete extant Early Buddhist texts, early Buddhist canon. It derives mainly from t ...
, the earlier Licchavis of Vaishali are mentioned in a number of discourses, most notably the Licchavi Sutta, the popular Ratana Sutta and the fourth chapter of the Petavatthu. The
Mahayana Mahāyāna ( ; , , ; ) is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, Buddhist texts#Mahāyāna texts, texts, Buddhist philosophy, philosophies, and practices developed in ancient India ( onwards). It is considered one of the three main ex ...
Vimalakirti Sutra also spoke of the city of Vaishali as where the lay Licchavi
bodhisattva In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person who has attained, or is striving towards, '' bodhi'' ('awakening', 'enlightenment') or Buddhahood. Often, the term specifically refers to a person who forgoes or delays personal nirvana or ''bodhi'' in ...
Vimalakirti was residing. In the 4th century CE, during the reign of the Gupta emperor Samudragupta, the "Nepalas" are mentioned among the tribes subjugated by him: Samudragupta was a son of the Gupta Emperor Chandragupta I and the Licchavi princess Kumaradevi. Gold coins bearing portraits of Chandragupta and Kumaradevi have been discovered at
Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...
,
Ayodhya Ayodhya () is a city situated on the banks of the Sarayu river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ayodhya district as well as the Ayodhya division of Uttar Pradesh, India. Ayodhya became th ...
,
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,
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, Tanda, Ghazipur, and
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in
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; Bayana in
Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...
; and Hajipur in
Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
. The obverse of these coins depicts portraits of Chandragupta and Kumaradevi, with their names in the Gupta script. The reverse shows a goddess seated on a lion, with the legend "''Li-ccha-va-yah''" (š‘Š, "the Lichchhavis"). The earliest known physical record of the kingdom is an inscription of Mānadeva, which dates from 464. It mentions three preceding rulers, suggesting that the Licchavi dynasty began in the late 4th century.


Government

The Licchavi were ruled by a ''
Maharaja Maharaja (also spelled Maharajah or Maharaj; ; feminine: Maharani) is a royal title in Indian subcontinent, Indian subcontinent of Sanskrit origin. In modern India and Medieval India, medieval northern India, the title was equivalent to a pri ...
'' ("great king"), who was aided by a prime minister, in charge of the military and of other ministers. Nobles known as '' samanta'' influenced the court whilst simultaneously managing their own landholdings and militia. At one point, between approximately 605 and 641, a prime minister called Amshuverma assumed the throne. The population provided land taxes and conscript labour (''vishti'') to support the government. Most local administration was performed by village heads or leading families. Many kings ruled but the popular ones were Manadeva, Amshuverma etc.


Economy

The economy was agricultural, relying on
rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...
and other grains as staples. Villages (''grama'') were grouped into ''dranga'' for administration. Lands were owned by the royal family and nobles. Trade was also very important, with many trading settlements.


Geography


Domain

Settlements already filled the entire valley during the Licchavi period. Further settlement extended east toward Banepa, west toward Tistung Deurali, and northwest toward present-day Gorkha.


Rulers

The following list was adapted from The Licchavi Kings, by Tamot & Alsop, and is approximate only, especially with respect to dates. *185 Jayavarmā (also ''Jayadeva I'') *Vasurāja (also ''Vasudatta Varmā'') *c. 400 Vṛṣadeva (also ''Vishvadeva'') *c. 425 Shaį¹…karadeva I *c. 450 Dharmadeva *464-505 Mānadeva I *505-506 MahÄ«deva (few sources) *506-532 Vasantadeva *Manudeva (probable chronology) *538 Vāmanadeva (also ''Vardhamānadeva'') *545 Rāmadeva *Amaradeva *Guṇakāmadeva *560-565 Gaṇadeva *567-c. 590 Bhaumagupta (also ''BhÅ«migupta'', probably not a king) *567-573 Gaį¹…gādeva *575/576 Mānadeva II (few sources) *590-604 Shivadeva I *605-621 Aṃshuvarmā *621 Udayadeva *624-625 Dhruvadeva *631-633 BhÄ«mārjunadeva, Jiṣṇugupta *635 Viṣṇugupta - Jiṣṇugupta *640-641 BhÄ«mārjunadeva / Viṣṇugupta *643-679 Narendradeva *694-705 Shivadeva II *713-733 Jayadeva II *748-749 Shaį¹…karadeva II *756 Mānadeva III *826 Balirāja *847 Baladeva *875–879 Mandeva IV


See also

* History of Nepal *
Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
*
Mahajanapadas The Mahājanapadas were sixteen Realm, kingdoms and aristocracy, aristocratic republics that existed in ancient India from the sixth to fourth centuries BCE, during the History of India#Second urbanisation (c. 600 – 200 BCE), second urbanis ...
* Vaishali (ancient city)


References


Sources

* *


External links


Tamot, Kashinath and Alsop, Ian. "A Kushan-period Sculpture, The Licchavi Kings", Asianart.com



"Nepal: The Early Kingdom of the Licchavis, 400–750", Library of Congress Countryreports.org (September, 1991)


{{Authority control Former monarchies of Asia States and territories established in the 5th century States and territories disestablished in the 8th century Dynasties of Nepal Former monarchies of Nepal 8th-century disestablishments in Nepal 4th-century establishments in Nepal