THE LICHCHHAVI Gana Sangha had 7,707 kings governing its territory. The administration was carried out collectively, with present-day Vaishali in Bihar as the capital. It was in Vaishali that the Buddha delivered his last sermon. It is also the birthplace of Mahavira, whose parents were King Siddhartha and Trishala, the sister of King Chetaka of Vaishali.
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Lichchhavi was part of Vajji confederacy of mahajanapadas―16 oligarchic republics in ancient India. Copper-plate inscriptions and stone pillars have helped prove that they existed.
The Lichchhavis, say historians, had a ballot system to decide on important issues. The chief of the republic was chosen from a general assembly of 7,707 rajas. The chief would then preside over the assembly, which met once a year during the spring season festival to conduct business. A smaller council of nine elected members handled administration. The assembly and the council worked in tandem, with majority votes resolving issues.
According to historian R.C. Majumdar, the republics comprised a number of administrative units, with each unit functioning as a miniature republic with its own administrative machinery.
Lichchhavi was annexed by Magadha, one of the 16 mahajanapadas. The rise of Magadha led to the decline of other mahajanapadas as well.