Vajji (PÃÂli: ) or Vriji (Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Aryan tribe of north-eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The population of Vajji, the Vajjikas, were organised into a (an aristocratic oligarchic republic), presently referred to as the Vajji Republic, which was part of the larger Vajjika League.
The Vajjikas lived in the territory around VesÃÂlë.
The Vajjikas used to be the most powerful tribe in the region around VesÃÂlë, where their territory was located.
The Vajjika League was located on the territory of the former MahÃÂ-Videha kingdom. Shortly before or during the lifetime of the Buddha, around the 7th or 6th century BCE, In the 7th or 6th century BCE, the Licchavikas invaded MahÃÂ-Videha, replaced their monarchy by a republican system, and settled down in the southern part of former MahÃÂ-Videha, where they founded their own republican state.
After setting up their state, the Licchavikas founded the Vajjika League led by themselves, and which was named after the Vajji tribe proper due to them having been the most powerful tribe of the region, and the whole territory of former MahÃÂ-Videha was in turn named after the league. The remaining Vaidehas who were living in the north of former MahÃÂ-Videha's territory, and another Vaideha sub-group named the NÃÂyikas who constituted an independent tribe, and the Mallakas joined this confederacy, although the Vaidehas, NÃÂyikas, and Vajjis did not have sovereign rights as they were dependencies of the Licchavikas, while the independent Mallakas maintained their sovereignty.
Relations between the Vajjika League of which the Vajji tribe proper was a member and Magadha had become progressively more tense during the reign of the MÃÂgadhë king BimbisÃÂra's son with the Licchavika-Vaideha princess VÃÂsavë, after he succeeded his father. The outbreak of the war was caused by Licchavi's support for revolt against AjÃÂtasattu by his younger brother and the governor of Aá¹ ga, Vehalla, whom BimbisÃÂra had chosen as his successor following AjÃÂtasattu's falling out of his favour after having been caught conspiring against him. Tensions between Licchavi and Magadha were exacerbated by the handling of the joint MÃÂgadhë-Licchavika border post of Koá¹ÂigÃÂma on the Gangàby the Licchavika-led Vajjika League who would regularly collect all valuables from Koá¹ÂigÃÂma and leave none to the MÃÂgadhës. Therefore, AjÃÂtasattu decided to destroy the Vajjika League in retaliation, but also because, as an ambitious empire-builder whose mother VÃÂsavë was Licchavika princess of Vaidehë descent, he was interested in the territory of the former MahÃÂ-Videha kingdom which by then was part of the Vajjika League. AjÃÂtasattu's hostility towards the Vajjika League was also the result of the differing forms of political organisation between Magadha and the Vajjika League, with the former being monarchical and the latter being republican, not unlike the opposition of the ancient Greek kingdom of Sparta to the democratic form of government in Athens, and the hostilities between the ancient Macedonian king Philip II to the Athenian and Theban republics.
As a member of the greater Vajjika League, the Vajji republic proper was also threatened by AjÃÂtasattu, and it therefore fought on the side of the other confederate tribes of the league against Magadha. AjÃÂtasattu finally defeated the Vajjika League by 468 BCE and annexed its territories, including the Vajji tribe proper, to the kingdom of Magadha. The Vajji republic ceased to be mentioned as an existing polity after the MÃÂgadhë annexation of the Vajjika League, although the territory of the League itself would later be referred to as the "Vá¹Âji ."
The Vajjis were organised into a (an aristocratic oligarchic republic).
The Vajji tribe's state was part of the larger Vajjika League, with the league having been named after the tribe. Unlike the other tribes within the Vajjika League, the Vajji tribe proper maintained its sovereign rights.