Licchavi (clan)
The Licchavi (also: Lichchhavi ) were an ancient Indian tribal oligarchy and dynasty in the room Vaishali, that is, in what is now Bihar. They existed in spätvedischer time when the religious and social system of the Indo-Aryans had spread (eg caste system ) in northern India. Buddha, that is Siddhartha Gautama taught in their environment, as well as Mahavira, the founder of Jainism.
Politically, were the Licchavi of the eight strains of Vajji or Vriji Confederacy in the area of the rivers Sadanira (now Gandak ) and Kosi. Other members of this confederation were, for example, the Videha, Malla and Shakya ( = Buddha's noble family ). The Licchavi were connected by marriage of a certain Cellana with the Magadha King Bimbisara. Bimbisara's son Ajatasattu (reigned about 494-462 BC) defeated the Confederacy approximately 468 BC after a 15 - year war by letting pins under the Licchavi by his minister Vassakāra unrest, including the first serious, armored cars and catapults during the siege of Vaishali (also: Vesali ) began. However, the Buddhist and Jain sources contradict each other with regard to the intensity of the clashes in front of Vaishali.
The Licchavi are called " tribal republic 'or more appropriately described as tribal oligarchy. They had democratic principles, but applied only to the upper classes and not the ordinary population. The lower classes were (allegedly 7707 clans and clan leaders with 168,000 inhabitants, but the numbers are standardized ) not tolerated in their council meetings. At the top was a president or consul, who was dubbed by King (Raja ) and commander ( Senapati ). The office was not hereditary, but could remain in a family.
After Buddha's time, the Licchavi disappeared from the stage, local princes of this family name seems to but have been preserved in North Bihar. Kumaradevi, a ( hereditary ) princess of the Licchavi served by 320 to legitimize the Gupta rule.
To an unclear point in time ( around 200? ) Established itself as a designated Licchavi family room Kathmandu, seized power in Nepal and founded there a golden age of social and cultural harmony. Although they called a king Supuspa than their ancestors, but the 23 generations long lineage Jayadeva 's I after Pushpapura, India is considered by most historians to be invented, especially as the oldest inscription of this dynasty (or in Nepal, Manadeva I. ca. 464 ) emphasized a local origin.