Gautama Buddha's portrait at the age of 41, painted by his follower. (The original painting is in the British Museum)
Many thousand years ago, before the Aryan invasion, the land which is now called "India" was the land of the black, brown and yellow-skinned people. They were the people of Negroid and Mongoloid stocks. After the Aryan invasion about 2,000 B.C., these native people who were defeated were called "Milakkha" by the Aryans. They lived scattered along the foot of the Himalayan mountains, in the north, the north-east, and the south of India. Most of the brown and yellow skinned people or the Mongoloids lived in the north and north-east, and the black-skinned in the south.
In the north of India, near the foot of the Himalayan mountains, there was a kingdom of yellow-skinned people - the Sakyans. Their complexion, according to the Lakkhana Sutta, was like bronze; their skin was delicately smooth; their eyes and hair were black. In those days, the Sakyans were the vassals of King Pasenadi of the Kosala. They had to render to him homage and respectful salutation. They rose and did him obeisance and treated him with ceremony.
These Sakyans undoubtedly were of Mongoloid race, for most of the peoples along the foot of the Himalayan mountains even nowadays, including Nepal wherein the Sakyan Kingdom was established, belong to the Mongoloid race. The Sakyans were one of many Mongoloid groups who were scattered in the north of India. Most of them had a special type of administration, different from that of the Aryan people. Most of the Aryans were governed by absolute monarchy; but Mongoloids had republics. Some of the Mongoloids could maintain their independence even in the time of the Buddha, such as the Vajjians, the Mallas etc.