Licchavis of Nepal

For the clan that lasted until the 4th century BCE, see Licchavis of Vaishali.

Licchavi of Nepal
c. 450 CE–c. 750 CE
Coinage of Licchavi king Amshuverma (605–621 CE). Obverse: winged lion, with Brahmi legend Śri Amśurvarma "Lord Amshurvarma". Reverse: Bull with Brahmi legend Kāmadēhi ("Incarnation of Kāma").[1] of Licchavi
Coinage of Licchavi king Amshuverma (605–621 CE). Obverse: winged lion, with Brahmi legend Śri Amśurvarma "Lord Amshurvarma". Reverse: Bull with Brahmi legend Kāmadēhi ("Incarnation of Kāma").[1]
Fragmented South Asian polities circa 600 CE, after the retreat of the Alchon Huns.[2]
GovernmentMonarchy
History 
• Established
c. 450 CE
• Disestablished
c. 750 CE
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Soma dynasty
Mahisapala dynasty
Gopala Dynasty
Thakuri dynasty
Katyuri kings
Khasa Kingdom
Malla dynasty
Today part ofNepal
Commemorative coin of Chandragupta and his Licchavi Queen Kumaradevi, minted circa 335–375 CE.
Obverse: Kumaradeva and Chandragupta standing, legend to the left Śrī Kumāradevā, to the right / Cha-ndra/gu-pta vertically.
Reverse: Goddess seated on lion, with the legend 𑁊 Li-ccha-va-yah.[3]

The Licchavis of Nepal (Nepali: लिच्छवि, 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 a branch of the Licchavis of Vaishali who ruled in the territory of modern-day Bihar and who later conquered the Kathmandu Valley.[4][5][6] 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.[7]

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.[8]

  1. ^ Smith, Vincent Arthur; Edwardes, Stephen Meredyth (1924). The early history of India : from 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan conquest, including the invasion of Alexander the Great. Oxford : Clarendon Press. p. Plate 2.
  2. ^ Schwartzberg, Joseph E. (1978). A Historical atlas of South Asia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 26,146. ISBN 0226742210.
  3. ^ Allen, John (1914). Catalogue of the coins of the Gupta dynasties. p. 8.
  4. ^ Journal. 1902.
  5. ^ Kaplan, Robert B.; Baldauf, Richard B. (2008). Language Planning and Policy in Asia: Japan, Nepal, Taiwan and Chinese characters. Multilingual Matters. ISBN 978-1-84769-095-1.
  6. ^ India), Asiatic Society (Kolkata (1902). Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Asiatic Society of Bengal.
  7. ^ Anil Kathuria, ed. (2007). Encyclopaedia of Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet: Nepal. Anoml Publications. p. 32.
  8. ^ "Gautamavajra Vajrācārya, "Recently Discovered Inscriptions of Licchavi Nepal", Kathmandu Kailash - Journal of Himalayan Studies. Volume 1, Number 2, 1973. (pp. 117-134)". Archived from the original on 27 September 2008. Retrieved 20 October 2006.