Licchavi Kingdom of Nepal

Origins

The Licchavis of Nepal claimed descent from the ancient Licchavi clan of Vaishali, part of the Vajji league in India. They were established in the Kathmandu Valley by the 5th century, succeeding the Kirata dynasty of tradition. The earliest dated inscription of Nepal, set up by King Manadeva I at Changu Narayan in 464, records his military campaigns.

Rule and society

Licchavi kings ruled through officials and village councils, and their many Sanskrit inscriptions record land grants, water channels and temple endowments. Both Shaiva Hinduism, centred on Pashupatinath, and Buddhism flourished. In the early 7th century the powerful minister Amshuvarman took royal titles and built the Kailashakuta palace. The valley grew rich as a staging post on the trade route between India and Tibet.

Decline and legacy

Under Narendradeva, restored with Tibetan help, the kingdom acknowledged Tibetan influence. Inscriptions thin out after the mid-8th century, and the valley's history becomes obscure until the Thakuri dynasty appears in 879. The Nepal Sambat era of 879 marks that new beginning.