Shakyas

The Shakyas (Śākya) were an ancient Indian sub-tribe or clan that inhabited the region of present-day southern Nepal and the border areas of northern India. Active from roughly the 6th to 4th centuries BCE, they formed a small polity centered on Kapilavastu and were typically regarded as belonging to the Kshatriya varna.

The Shakya seat, Kapilavastu, lay near the Gandaki River in what is now Nepal. They were neighbors of other early clans, including the Koliyas, and are mentioned in early Indian and Buddhist sources as ruling a localized territory rather than a large empire.

The Shakyas are best known as the clan of Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha. In Buddhist literature he is described as Śākyamuni, the "Sage of the Śākya." Because of this association, the term Śākyan often appears in Buddhist texts to denote the Buddha's lineage, and in some traditions the Shakya name is used symbolically to refer to early Buddhist communities.

In later periods, Shakya identity persisted in religious communities and among populations of the Nepal and northern Indian regions. In contemporary times, the Shakya name survives as a surname and caste designation within the Newar community of Nepal and in parts of India.