Licchavi dynasty

The kings of the dynasty Licchavi (fine of the 4th century or 5th century - end of the 8th century or the 9th century) dominated the Vallée of Katmandou (Nepal) and the valleys close between the period Kirata and the period Newari. One is unaware of their real relation with the Licchavi of the Bihar. Hindouisme and Bouddhisme thrived on their territory. The princess Bhrikuti, who introduced according to the tradition Tibetan Buddhism into the Country of Snows, of it would come.

The kings are known by epigraphic inscriptions going back to 464 with 733, in majority of the foundations of Hindu temples. They are written in an alternative of the writing gupta called " writing licchavi". A later source is the Gopalaraja Vamsavali or Chronique of Nepal (14th century). There exist contradictions between the sources and there remains much of uncertainties concerning the list of the kings and their dates of reign. Amsuvarma (605-641), one of the most known sovereigns licchavi, is in fact a usurper resulting from the clan Abhira Gupta, former Prime Minister. The Indian influence Gupta seems clear. The possible relations of dependence of Licchavi with respect to Gupta or the Tibet are the subject of controversies.

Country

The king ( maharaja ), helped by officers with at their head a first minister-commander of the armies, more or less narrowly controlled the territory via notable ( samanta ) partly autonomous because they had their own men. The population lived in villages ( grama ) grouped in districts ( dranga ). With the head of each village was a chief ( pradhan ), assisted of a council ( panchalika or grama pancha ). Many grounds belonged to great landowners, with the number of which Buddhist communities were counted ( sangha ) or Brahmane S ( will agrahara ). The system of the Caste S was to be applied, as seem to indicate it two inscriptions going back from the reign to Basantadeva (506-532) and Amshuvarma (588-621 AD), but ethnographer K.S. Singh estimates that the distribution as castes did not reproduce the Indian model inevitably.

The expansion of the Nepalese kingdoms was limited a long time by the geography. The known limits of the territory licchavi were Banepa in the east, Tistung and the river Kali Gandaki in the west, Gorkha in the North-West and Janakpur in the south.

The principal agglomerations seem to have been of the villages whose constructions hardly left traces, except for those of religious nature. Patan, (Yala in Newari and Yupagrama in Sanskrit), " Borough of the pillar votif" , could have been the most important agglomeration. Around current Kathmandou were the villages of Koligrama (Sanskrit, newari: Yambu), " Borough of the kolis" , and Dakshinakoligrama (Sanskrit, newari: Yangala), " Borough of Kolis sud". A little further towards the east on trade route the valley was located Khoprn (Khoprngrama) around current the Bhadgaon. The notorious religious sites include/understand Svayambhunath, Bodhnath and Chabahil (Stupa S), Deopatan (temple of Shiva) and Hadigaon (temple of Vishnu).

Kings

This hypothetical list of kings Licchavi is based on the work of Tamot, Kashinath & Alsop, The Licchavi Kings . The first king mentioned, Jayavarma, attested by an inscription going back to 185 on the pedestal of the oldest dated Nepalese sculpture, are not attached clearly to this dynasty. The first king without Licchavi question, attested by an inscription going back to his reign, is Manadeva I (464-505); it gives a report on three sovereigns before him.

  • 185 Jayavarmā (Jayadeva I, first attested king of Nepal - it is doubtful that it belongs to this dynasty)

  • Vasurāja (Vasudatta Varmā)
  • ~ 400 Vṛ ṣ adeva (Vishvadeva)
  • ~ 425 Shaṅkaradeva I
  • ~ 450 Dharmadeva
  • 464 - 505 Mānadeva I (first king without Licchavi question whose existence is attested by an inscription going back to its reign)
  • 505 - 506 Mahīdeva
  • 506 - 532 Vasantadeva
  • Manudeva
  • 538 Vāmanadeva (Vardhamānadeva)
  • 545 Rāmadeva
  • Amaradeva
  • Guṇ akāmadeva
  • 560 - 565 Gaṇ adeva
  • 567 - ~ 590 Bhaumagupta (Bhūmigupta, king or dignitary)
  • 567 - 573 Gaṅgādeva
  • 575/576 Mānadeva II
  • 590 - 604 Shivadeva I
  • 605 - 621 Amsuvarma (usurping Prime Minister)
  • 621 Udayadeva
  • 624 - 625 Dhruvadeva
  • 631 - 633 Bhīmārjunadeva, Jiṣ ṇ ugupta
  • 635 Viṣṇ ugupta - Jiṣ ṇ ugupta
  • 640 - 641 Bhīmārjunadeva/Viṣ ṇ ugupta
  • 643 - 679 Narendradeva
  • 694 - 705 Shivadeva II
  • 713 - 733 Jayadeva II
  • 748 - 749 Shaṅkaradeva II
  • 756 Mānadeva III
  • 826 Balirāja
  • 847 Baladeva
  • 877 Mānadeva IV

References and notes

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