| Common Name: | Licchavi |
| Conventional Long Name: | Licchavi of Nepal |
| Image Map Caption: | Fragmented South Asian polities circa 600 CE, after the retreat of the Alchon Huns.[1] |
| Year Start: | c. 450 CE |
| Year End: | c. 750 CE |
| Government Type: | monarchy |
| P1: | Soma dynasty |
| P2: | Mahisapala dynasty |
| P3: | Gopala Dynasty |
| S1: | Thakuri dynasty |
| S2: | Katyuri kings |
| S3: | Khasa Kingdom |
| S4: | Malla dynasty (Nepal)Malla dynasty |
| Today: | Nepal |
| Coa Size: | 290px |
The Licchavis of Nepal (also Lichchhavi, Lichavi) was a kingdom which existed in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal from approximately 450 CE to 750 CE. The Licchavi clan originated from the Licchavis of Vaishali in modern-day Bihar,[2] and conquered the Kathmandu Valley.[3] [4] 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.[5]
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.[6]
It is believed that a branch of the Licchavi clan, having lost their political fortune and military power in Vaishali (Bihar),[7] came to Kathmandu and married with the ruling Queen, Mandeva Shree Vogini of the Nagvanshi clan 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 Licchavi are mentioned in a number of discourses, most notably the Licchavi Sutta,[8] the popular Ratana Sutta[9] and the fourth chapter of the Petavatthu.[10] The Mahayana Vimalakirti Sutra also spoke of the city of Vaishali as where the lay Licchavi bodhisattva Vimalakirti was residing.[11]
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, Ayodhya, Lucknow, Sitapur, Tanda, Ghazipur, and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh; Bayana in Rajasthan; and Hajipur in Bihar. 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" ("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.
The Licchavi were ruled by a Maharaja ("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.
The economy was agricultural, relying on rice 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.
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.
The following list was adapted from The Licchavi Kings, by Tamot & Alsop,[12] and is approximate only, especially with respect to dates.