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TRIBES IN ANCIENT INDIA from the land of the Pakhtu (Afghans) to its mouth, some of his Persian subjects in Nisibis (off Herat) immigrated to India, and having found the Punjab over-populated by the orthodox Brāhmaṇas, came down as far as Magadha (Bihar) which was at that time largely inhabited by Vrātyas or outcaste people.'1 This is absurd on the face of it. The Licchavis were already a flourishing people, long established in the Videha country, and had built up a splendid capital at Vaiśāli at the time of the Buddha's death; and whether we take the date of this event to be 487 B.C., as the late V. A. Smith thought, or 544 B.C., the traditional date maintained by the Ceylonese Buddhist monks, it is absurd to identify the Licchavis with the followers or subjects of Darius who were exploring the Indus about 515 B.C.
It remains for us to refer to another theory about the foreign origin of the Licchavis, started by Beal, viz. that they were Yuechi’.2 It hardly requires to be refuted, as the Yue-chi came to India about the beginning of the Christian era, and the Licchavis were a highly civilised and prosperous people in the fifth and sixth centuries B.C. when the Ephathalites or White Huns had not started from their original home in the east.
Vaiśālī, the Capital of the Licchavis Vaiśālī, the large city' par excellence, is renowned in Indian history as the capital of the Licchavi rājās and the headquarters of the powerful Vajjian confederacy. This great city is intimately associated with the early history of both Jainism and Buddhism.
Vaiśālī claims the founder of Jainism as its citizen. The Sūtrakrtānga, a Jaina canonical work, says of Mahāvīra, the last Tīrthankara of the Jains : Thus spoke the Arahat Jñātrputra, the reverend, famous native of Vaiśālī, who possessed the highest knowledge and the highest faith.'5 Mahāvira is spoken of as Vesālie or Vaiśālika, i.e. a native of Vaiśālī.. Moreover, Abhayadeva in his commentary on the Bhagavatī (2,1, 12, 2) explains Vaiśālika by Mahāvīra and speaks of Viśālā as Mahāvīrajanani or 'the mother of Mahāvīra'.?" Besides, from a comparison of the
1 Indian Antiquary, Vol. XXXVII, 1908, p. 79. 2 The Life of Hiuen-Tsiang by Beal, Intro. p. xxii. 3 Rhys Davids, Buddhist India, p. 40. 4 Jacobi, Jaina Sūtras, S.B.E., Pt. II, p. 261 (Sūtrakytānga, 1, 2, 3, 22). 5 Ibid., Pt. II, Lecture VI, 17, p. 27 (Uttarādhyayanasūtra). 6 Jacobi, Jaina Sūtras, Pt. I, Introduction, xi.
7 Weber, Indische Studien. Band XVI. p. 263: Auch Abhayadeva zu Bhag. 2, I, 12, 2 erklärt Vaicālika durch Mahāvira, und zwar als Metronymicum Viçālā Mahāvirajanani.'
