Licchavis of Vaishali
Licchavi Republic Licchavis of Vaishali | |||||||||
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| c. 7th century BCE–c. 468 BCE | |||||||||
Licchavi among the Gaṇasaṅghas | |||||||||
Vajji (the Vajjika League), of which Licchavi was a constituent, and other Mahajanapadas in the Post Vedic period | |||||||||
| Status | Republic of the Vajjika League | ||||||||
| Capital | Vesālī | ||||||||
| Common languages | Prākrit | ||||||||
| Religion | Historical Vedic religion Buddhism Jainism | ||||||||
| Demonym(s) | Licchavika | ||||||||
| Government | Aristocratic Republic | ||||||||
| Gaṇa Mukhya | |||||||||
| Legislature | Sabhā | ||||||||
| Historical era | Iron Age | ||||||||
• Established | c. 7th century BCE | ||||||||
• Conquered by Ajātasattu of Magadha in 484–468 BCE | c. 468 BCE | ||||||||
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| Today part of | India | ||||||||
| History of South Asia |
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The Licchavis of Vaishali (Māgadhī Prakrit: 𑀮𑀺𑀘𑁆𑀙𑀯𑀺 Licchavi; Pāli: Licchavi; Sanskrit: ऋक्षवी Ṛkṣavī; English: "Bear Clan") were an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe and dynasty of north-eastern Indian subcontinent whose existence is attested from the Iron Age to the Classical Age. The population of Licchavi, the Licchavikas, were organised into a gaṇasaṅgha (an aristocratic oligarchic republic), presently referred to as the Licchavi Republic, which was the leading state of the larger Vajjika League.
Following their eventual subjugation in the Magadha-Vajji war, the Licchavis continued to reside in the region of Vaishali. The fourth century A.D. Gupta Emperor, Samudragupta was the son of a Licchavi princess and referred to himself as a Licchavi-Dauhitra.