Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s2.t11.1

v1.c7.s2.t11.1

Vaishali was among the largest and most flourishing cities during the Buddhist era of ancient India. Governed by the Khastriya Lichchavi clan under the Vajjian confederacy, it was the capital of the Lichchavi Republic which is historically considered among the earliest democratic states of the world. It was located on the banks of Gandak River and was on the trade route connected in north with Shravasti and Kapilavastu and in south with Rajgriha. Like many other ancient cities of the Buddhist era, it too was lost in oblivion. Its exact location and identification owe much to travel records of Faxian and Xuanzang. In 1861, following their travel path mentioned in these records, famous British archaeologist Alexander Cunningham located its ruins in Basarh village in the district of Muzzaffarpur, Bihar. The old district has now been carved to create the modern district of Vaishali with its headquarters in Hajipur, about 50 km to the north of Patna, the capital of modern Bihar.