Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c10.s4.20

c10.s4.20

It is not improbable that many of the old Videhan aristocracy who had submitted to the Licchavis shifted their residence to the new centre of power at Vesāli.⁴ The Licchavis became most influential as the successors to the old Videhan kingdom. It was in all probability the Licchavian Assembly which held sovereign rights in the former Videhan territory. In such a situation we might expect that a separate Videhan territory existed around Mithilā, restricted to a limited area. Mithilā was now the chief town of a province in the Vajjian territory mainly controlled, at least in foreign relations, by the Licchavis. The Videhan princes, upon moving to Vesāli, might have been given seats in the Assembly. We have already noted that such a movement of Videhan politicians was taking place.¹ Mithilā, and the greatly reduced region of Videha, were no longer administered by a hereditary king, but by a Videhan assembly of the Kṣatriyas, who lived at Mithilā and its surrounding region.² Probably, this assembly governed in the name of the Licchavian Assembly, which had supreme rights.