________________ WEMA. SOME ASPECTS OF THE VAISALI ANTIQUITIES AT THE PATNA MUSEUM S. A. SHERE, M A. (LOND.), CURATOR, PATNA MUSEUM It is interesting to find that Bimbisara, the fifth king of the sisunaga dynasty (who greatly extended the kingdom of Magadha), strengthened his position by taking a consort from the influential Licchavi clan of Vaisali (Basadha, Muzaffarpur). Candragupta I of the Gupta dynasty also married a Licchavi lady. His queen who is mentioned as Mahadevi Kumaradevi, daughter of a Licchavi, has the first place in the genealogical lists. Gold coins of this king depict the actual ceremony of marriage, wherein the wedding ring is being offered. His son Samudragupta by the Licchavi lady in his Allahabad inscription introduces himself as "Licchavidaubitra", the son of the duaghter of the Licchavi and he is always described as such by his successors in their inscriptions. The importance of status of the Licchavi lady may be seen from her title Mabadev1 which looks like corresponding to Maharajadbiraja. The wives of Maharajas had the title Devi, while queens of paramount sovereigos i. e, Mabarajadbirajas were known to have the title Mabadevi. The marriage of Candragupta I with the Licchavi lady is further known by many of the coins of his son which were issued in the joint names of Candragupta, Kumaradevi and the Licchavis probably with a view to place on record the marriage of Candragupta and Kumaradevi and alliance with the poweful Licchavis. Such specimens of coins have on their obverse, "Candragupta standing to left wearing close-fitting boat, trousers and head-dress, ear-rings and armlets, holding in left and a crescent-topped standard bound with fillet, and with right hand offering an object, which on some coins is clearly a ring to Kumaradevi who stands on left to right wearing loose robe, ear-rings, necklace and armlets, and light fitting bead-dress both nimbate," and on the reverse we have "goddess Laksmi, nimbate, wearing long loose robe, seated facing on
