Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c9.s5.86

c9.s5.86

Buddhaghosa completes the story by stating that the Magadhan king, not confident of his strength to overcome the Vajjians, sent the unscrupulous Vassakāra, in the guise of a refugee, to produce discord among the Vajjian kings. Within a period of three years Vassakāra succeeded in his mission to the extent that no two Vajjian nobles would tread the same footpath together. On the ground prepared by his minister for the invasion, Ajātasattu crossed the Ganges and occupied Vesāli with little opposition.⁸