________________
PERSIAN AFFINITY OF THE LICHHHAVIS:
In 1908, a leading Indian historical journal published a Vihar, Delhi-1 paper Entitled 'Persian affinity of the Licchavis" (57, 58). It mentioned the ashtonishing findings about the Native place of Lord Mahavira. The following were the far-reaching conclusions: 1. The Tibetans, as evidenced by numerous Tibetan historical works, were
descended from the Li-tsa-byi or Licchavi tribe. If the Licchavis wer Persian, the long headed Tibetan ruling caste becomes an Iranian race.
The founder of Jainism, Mahavira was likewise a Licchavi, and hence an Iranian. Consequently, Jainism is an Iranic religion, The Intrinsic antiBrahamin and anti Sanskrit nature of Jainism, manifested through its denunciation of the Vedas and its patronage of the Ardhamagadhi language can be logically understood as a consequence of the Iranic origin of Mahavira.
3.
The historical Nepali Licchavi ruling dynasty was consequently also of Irano-Aryan origin.
However, Mr. Vincent A. Smith tried to prove through his article [58] that Licchavis were Tibetan tribe which settled in the plains during pre-historic times. But this conclusion of his has been contradicted by Mr. Vidyabhushan in his article (as mentioned above: According to Ptolemy [60], Arrian [61], Strabo [62], and other classical writers, Nisibis was most notable town in Aria to the south of the Caspian sea. Wilson [61] identifies it with the modern town of Nissa (off Herat) on the north of the Elburz Mountains between Asterabad and Meshed. Vines grew here abundantly and it is traditionally known to have been the birth place of the wine-God Dionysos. M. de St. Martin [61] observes that Nisibis must have been of Median or Persian foundation, for its name is purely Iranian and figures in the cosmogenic geography of the Zend Avesta, and this observation tallies well with the account of Arrian who in his Indika [61] distinctly says that the Nysaioi (the inhabitants of Nysa or Nisibis) were not an Indian race. [63]
It seems that Cyrus, the King of Persia (559 BC-530 BC), was was extending his control upto Chorasmia (Modern Khiva) and Sogdiana (modern Samarkand and Bukhara), a colony from Niisibis in Mesopotamia was established in the north of Aria (off Herat) which too carried the name of Nisibis [63]. It appears probable [64]King Darius of Persia sent an expedition to India in about 515 BC
82
