| Abstrakt: |
It is not known precisely when the Licchavis penetrated into Nepal. Inscriptions and records are fragmented, and much of the data conflicts. There is, however, a consensus among specialists that their rule must have taken hold of the Kathmandu Valley no later than the beginning of the fourth century c.e. A precise chronology of kings and the period of their rule is problematic because the remaining inscriptions and chronicles are fragmentary and do not provide a coherent account. Before the Licchavis, the region was inhabited by a group of people called the Kirātas, a remarkable people known for their skill in archery and warfare, who had held sway in the region for centuries. One record asserts that a Licchavi king who came from the south overthrew a Kirāta king named Galija. Religion in Nepal before the Licchavis largely consisted of a mixture of Buddhism and popular atavistic deities. |
