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KINGS AND PEOPLES
But we shall see anon that their unity was destroyed and that their country was conquered by the kings of Magadha not long after the demise of the Buddha. According to their national custom, a most handsome girl was reserved for the pleasure of the people. Each family had its distinctive dress of its own.2 The Vajjis or the Licchavis claimed their descent from the royal family of Kāsī.
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a
1 B. C. Law, Historical Gleanings, p. 71.
2 Watters, On Yuan Chwang, ii, p. 79.
a X. 22.
The Mallas and the Licchavis are counted in the Manusamhita among the Vratya Kşatriyas. Like the Licchavis, the Mallas or Mallakis, consisting of nine clans according to the Jain canonical texts, formed a strong confederacy, republican in its character. They too had a Mote-hall, for the discussion of all important matters concerning them. In the Mahaparinibbana Suttanta," they are called Vasetthas, i.e., the Khattiyas belonging to the Vaseṭṭha (Vasistha) gotra. Like the Videhas, the Mallas had originally a monarchical form of government, Okkāka (Ikshvāku) being mentioned in the Kusa Jātaka (No. 531) as a Malla king. It is probable that like the Sakyas, the Mallas as Ksatriyas claimed their descent from
B. C. Law, Some Ksatriya Tribes of Ancient India, Oh. IV. 5 Digha, ii, pp. 158-159.
