Janapada of Vajji: Map & History
The Vajjika or Vrijika League, Confederacy, or Sangha, also called simply Vajji or Vriji, was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribal league which existed during the later Iron Age period in north-east India.
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The Vajjika or Vrijika League, Confederacy, or Sangha, also called simply Vajji or Vriji, was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribal league which existed during the later Iron Age period in north-east India.
Janapada of Vajji in Depth
History
The Vajjika League was located on the territory of the former Mahā-Videha kingdom founded by the tribe of the Vaidehas, an Indo-Aryan tribe in the eastern Gangetic plain in the Greater Magadha cultural region. Around 800 BCE the Mahā-Videha ("greater Videha") kingdom was established between the Sadānirā river in the west, the Kauśikī river in the east, the Ganges river in the south, and the Himālaya mountains in the north.
Shortly before or during the lifetime of the Buddha, around the 7th or 6th century BCE, the Mahā-Videha kingdom was invaded by the Licchavikas, an Indo-Aryan tribe who temporarily occupied the Vaideha capital of Mithilā, from where they could best administer the territory of Videha.
Location
The area of the Vajjika League was bounded to the north, east, south, and west, respectively, by the Himālaya mountains, and the Mahānanda, Gaṅgā, and Sadānirā rivers.
Within the Vajjika League, the Licchavikas lived in the southwest region, immediately to the north of the Gaṅgā river and to the east of the Sadānirā river.
The Vaidehas lived along the foothills of the Himālaya mountains between the Sadānirā and Kauśikī rivers, in what are now the Tarāī region and the south-eastern parts of Nepal including the lower hill ranges, as well as the northern part of what in present time is the Indian state of Bihār.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Vajjika League (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Janapada of Vajji: Key Facts
| Capital | Vaishali |
|---|---|
| Form of government | republic |
| Founded | 7th century BCE |
| Dissolved | 4th century BCE |
Facts from Wikidata Q605199 (CC0).
Janapada of Vajji Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Janapada of Vajji appears, with the other states of the time.
Janapada of Vajji Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 5,163 km² in 490 BCE.
Janapada of Vajji: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Janapada of Vajji exist?
Janapada of Vajji is dated to 600 BCE – 481 BCE, in the Bronze & Iron Age Civilizations era.
What was the capital of Janapada of Vajji?
The capital of Janapada of Vajji was Vesālī.
How large was Janapada of Vajji at its peak?
At its peak in 490 BC Janapada of Vajji covered about 5,163 km².
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