Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c9.s5.135

c9.s5.135

In the attempt to discover the origins of this war we may carry our search into the realm of psychology and suggest reasons for the ambivalent monarch’s deeper attitude towards the Confederation. It was not merely a political situation brought about by his own frustrating military failures. The seeds of his deep-rooted hatred were probably sown in his heart while he was still a youth. His father, either in the battlefield⁵ or in his relations with Ambapālī,⁶ had suffered great humiliation at the hands of the Vajjis. This, it may be suggested, stuck in the mind of Ajātasattu and he vowed to avenge what he considered to be also a humiliation to the kingdom. This would partly explain his firm resolve to annihilate the Vajjians. Moreover, there may also have been some jealousy in king Ajātasattu’s mind, caused by their belief in different political philosophies.