80 Satis Oil. Vidyabliusana. — The Licchavi race of Ancient India [Kov. 



was already the appellation of the great bulk of the admittedly 

 Hindu population in their neighbourhood. The original Rajvam9ia 

 were of Dravidian origin. Near the headquarters of the Koch rule the 

 title Rajvam^i was applied to all alike, and a considerable racial mix- 

 ture took place. But further away the Koches did not so readily obtain 

 recognition as Rajvam9is and remained a distinct community. To this 

 day, in most parts of Rangpur, Koches and Rajvam9is may be seen 

 living in the same village, but in all other respects quite distinct, and there 

 is no intermarriage between them. There is a general consensus of 

 opinion, amongst the persons consulted by the author of this paper, as to 

 the marked difference in physical type between the two communities 

 over the greater part of the Rangpur district. Further north, there has 

 been a good deal of intermingling, but even there the two types can be 

 clearly distinguished. The author goes on to point out other differences. 

 The Koch worships Siva and Sakti while the true Rajvam9i is a Vaish- 

 nava. The former drinks spirits and eats pork, but the latter usually 

 abstains from both. The former shows traces of matriarchal polyandry 

 but the latter does not. 



The paper is an interesting one, and, if the theory advanced in 

 it is accepted, we have at once an explanation of the great differences 

 of opinion which have from time to time been expressed by different 

 observers as to the physical affinities of these people. Some, whose 

 opinion is entitled to the highest respect, have declared them to be 

 Mongoloid, while others, equally competent, have held that they are of 

 Dravidian origin. 



4. The Licchavi race of Ancient India. — By Satis Chandra Vidya- 

 BHU§ANA, M.A., M.R.A.S. 



(Abstract.) 



The Licchavis, mentioned in the Manu-samhita as Vratya-Ksatriyas 

 but described by Sanang Setsen and Csoma as a branch of the Scythian 

 race, came into India about the 8th century B.C. Samuel Beal thinks 

 that the scene found at Sanchi probably refers to the stupa raised 

 by the Licchavis over their share of the relics of Buddha. The ap- 

 pearance, etc., of the men shows that they were a branch of the race 

 called Yue-chi (by Chinese writers) and allied to the people of Kuche, 

 They, as a confederate of eight republican clans, settled in Vai9ali, 

 corresponding to modern Basarh in the Muzaffurpur District. About 

 540 B.C., they were conquered by Ajata-9atru, Emperor of Magadha. 

 But afterwards they became very powerful in India, and about 471 B.C. 

 Qifu-naga. who was a member of their race, became installed in the 

 kingdom of Mngadha. According to the Mahavamsa, the 5i9unaga 



