Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c9.s1.52

c9.s1.52

The most probable origin of the Licchavis, as we envisage it, is that they were an Aryan tribe or a branch of one, originally called by a different name. During the Brāhmaṇa period, when the Kuru-Pāñcāla area became too congested and when kings became more autocratic, there was a considerable migration to the east. This is evident from the story of Videgha Māthava contained in the *Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa*.² The Licchavis broke away from their kinsfolk and moved eastwards to find a better home. They most probably moved along the Himālayan foothills as suggested by Grierson,³ Rhys Davids,⁴ and Kosambi.⁵ Grierson pointed out the important fact that, even now, the dialects of Rājasthān have a close resemblance to those spoken along the Himālayas, not only in Nepal but as far west, at least, as Campā. This would tend to show that their ancestors must have been living close together when they began their wanderings to the east along the foot of the mountains from the Panjab or northwest by way of Kosala to the Sakyan country, and thence through Tirhut to Magadha and Aṅga. In the south they went down the Indus and up to Avanti. Both started from the northern Panjab, and probably neither migration followed the Ganges route.⁶