NALANDA UNIVERSITY

Ancient Universities in India Ancient alanda University Nalanda is an ancient center of higher learning
in Bihar, India from 427 to 1197. Nalanda was established in the 5th century AD in Bihar, India.
Founded in 427 in northeastern India, not far from what is today the southern border of Nepal, it
survived until 1197. It was devoted to Buddhist studies, but it also trained students in fine arts,
medicine, mathematics, astronomy, politics and the art of war. The center had eight separate
compounds, 10 temples, meditation halls, classrooms, lakes and parks. It had a nine-story library
where monks meticulously copied books and documents so that individual scholars could have their
own collections. It had dormitories for students, perhaps a first for an educational institution,
housing 10,000 students in the university’s heyday and providing accommodations for 2,000
professors. Nalanda University attracted pupils and scholars from Korea, Japan, China, Tibet,
Indonesia, Persia and Turkey. A half hour bus ride from Rajgir is Nalanda, the site of the world's first
University. Although the site was a pilgrimage destination from the 1st Century A.D., it has a link with
the Buddha as he often came here and two of his chief disciples, Sariputra and Moggallana, came
from this area. The large stupa is known as Sariputra's Stupa, marking the spot not only where his
relics are entombed, but where he was supposedly born. The site has a number of small monasteries
where the monks lived and studied and many of them were rebuilt over the centuries. We were told
that one of the cells belonged to Naropa, who was instrumental in bringing Buddism to Tibet, along
with such Nalanda luminaries as Shantirakshita and Padmasambhava. A small opening in the cell
revealed a tiny room where Naropa supposedly meditated. Nalanda's main importance comes from
its Buddhist roots as a center of learning. Hsuan Tsang, the famous pilgrim from China came here and
studied and taught for 5 years in the 7th Century A.D. Nalanda University at that time had over
10,000 students and 3,000 teachers. For some 700 years, between the 5th and 12th Centuries,
Nalanda was the center of scholarship and Buddhist studies in the ancient world. A great fire wiped
out the library of over 9 million manuscripts and at the beginning of the 12th Century, the Muslim
invader Bakhtiyar Khalji sacked the university. It was in the 1860's that the great archeologist
Alexander Cunningham identified the site as the Nalanda University and in 1915-1916 the
Archeological Survey of India began excavations of the site. What has been excavated to date is only
a small part of the entire site but much of the ruins are beneath existing villages and are unlikely to
be revealed. The present site is well-maintained and very pleasant to visit. Across the street is the
small museum with some excellent Buddhist statues and about a kilometer away is a temple
dedicated to Hsuan Tsang. Nearby are the International Centre for Buddhist Studies and the Nava
Nalanda Mahivihara, set up for the research of Buddhism. Ancient Takshashila University

Takshashila, was an early Buddhist centre of learning. According to available references it is

dated back to at least the 5th century BC. Some scholars date Takshashila's existence back to

the 6th century BC.

Takshashila is described in some detail in later in Jātaka tales, around the 5th century AD. It

became a noted centre of learning at least several centuries before Christ, and continued to

attract students until the destruction of the city in the 5th century AD. Takshashila is perhaps

best known because of its association with Chanakya. The famous treatise Arthashastra
(Sanskrit for The knowledge of Economics) by Chanakya, is said to have been composed in

Takshashila itself. Chanakya (or Kautilya), the Maurya Emperor Chandragupta and the

Ayurvedic healer Charaka studied at Taxila.

Generally, a student entered Takshashila at the age of sixteen. The Vedas and the Eighteen

Arts, which included skills such as archery, hunting, and elephant lore, were taught, in

addition to its law school, medical school, and school of military science.

The ruins of Taxila contain buildings and buddhist stupas located over a large area. The main

ruins of Taxila are divided into three major cities, each belonging to a distinct time period.

The oldest of these is the Hathial area, which yielded surface shards similar to burnished red

wares (or 'soapy red wares') recovered from early phases at Charsadda, and may date between

the 6th century BCE and the late 2nd millennium BCE. Bhir Mound dates from the 6th

century BCE. The second city of Taxila is located at Sirkap and was built by Greco-Bactrian

kings in the 2nd century BCE. The third and last city of Taxila is at Sirsukh and relates to the

Kushan kings.

In addition to the ruins of the city, a number of buddhist monasteries and stupas also belong

to the Taxila area. Some of the important ruins of this category include the ruins of the stupa

at Dharmarajika, the monastery at Jaulian, the monastery at Mohra Muradu in addition to a

number of stupas.

Legend has it that Takṣa, an ancient king who ruled a kingdom called Takṣa Khanda the

modern (Tashkent) founded the city of Takṣaśilā. However Sanskrit Takṣaśilā, appears to

contain the suffix śilā, "stone" with the prefix Takṣa, alluding to Takṣa, the son of Bharata

and Mandavi, as related in the Ramayana.

In the Mahābhārata, the Kuru heir Parikṣit was enthroned at Takṣaśilā. According to tradition

the Mahabharata was first recited at Takṣaśilā by Vaishampayana, a disciple of Vyasa at the

behest of the seer Vyasa himself, at the sarpa satra yajna, "Snake Sacrifice ceremony" of

Parikṣit's son Janamejaya.

According to one theory propounded by Damodar Dharmanand Kosambi, Takṣaśilā is a

related to Takṣaka, "carpenter" and is an alternative name for the Nāgas of ancient India.

According to scattered references which were only fixed a millennium later, it may have

dated back to at least the 5th century BCE. There is some disagreement about whether

Takshashila can be considered a university. While some consider Taxila to be an early

sense, in contrast to the later Nalanda University. Takshashila is described in some detail in

later Jātaka tales, written in Sri Lanka around the 5th century CE.

Takshashila is considered a place of religious and historical sanctity by Hindus and

Buddhists. The former do so not only because, in its time, Takshashila was the seat of Vedic

learning, but also because the strategist, Chanakya, who later helped consolidate the empire

of Emperor Chandragupta Maurya, was a senior teacher there. The institution is very

significant in Buddhist tradition since it is believed that the Mahāyāna sect of Buddhism took

shape there.

Some scholars date Takshashila's existence back to the 6th century BCE. It became a noted

centre of learning at least several centuries BCE, and continued to attract students from

around the old world until the destruction of the city in the 5th century CE. Takshashila is

perhaps best known because of its association with Chanakya. The famous treatise

Arthashastra (Sanskrit for The knowledge of Economics) by Chanakya, is said to have been

composed in Takshashila itself. Chanakya (or Kautilya), the Maurya Emperor Chandragupta

and the Ayurvedic healer Charaka studied at Taxila.

Generally, a student entered Takshashila at the age of sixteen. The Vedas and the Eighteen

Arts, which included skills such as archery, hunting, and elephant lore, were taught, in

addition to its law school, medical school, and school of military science.

Takshashila University Takshashila, was an early Buddhist centre of learning. According to available
references it is dated back to at least the 5th century BC. Some scholars date Takshashila's existence
back to the 6th century BC. Takshashila is described in some detail in later in Jātaka tales, around the
5th century AD. It became a noted centre of learning at least several centuries before Christ, and
continued to attract students until the destruction of the city in the 5th century AD. Takshashila is
perhaps best known because of its association with Chanakya. The famous treatise Arthashastra
(Sanskrit for The knowledge of Economics) by Chanakya, is said to have been composed in
Takshashila itself. Chanakya (or Kautilya), the Maurya Emperor Chandragupta and the Ayurvedic
healer Charaka studied at Taxila. Generally, a student entered Takshashila at the age of sixteen. The
Vedas and the Eighteen Arts, which included skills such as archery, hunting, and elephant lore, were
taught, in addition to its law school, medical school, and school of military science. The ruins of Taxila
contain buildings and buddhist stupas located over a large area. The main ruins of Taxila are divided
into three major cities, each belonging to a distinct time period. The oldest of these is the Hathial
area, which yielded surface shards similar to burnished red wares (or 'soapy red wares') recovered
from early phases at Charsadda, and may date between the 6th century BCE and the late 2nd
millennium BCE. Bhir Mound dates from the 6th century BCE. The second city of Taxila is located at
Sirkap and was built by Greco-Bactrian kings in the 2nd century BCE. The third and last city of Taxila is
at Sirsukh and relates to the Kushan kings. In addition to the ruins of the city, a number of buddhist
monasteries and stupas also belong to the Taxila area. Some of the important ruins of this category
include the ruins of the stupa at Dharmarajika, the monastery at Jaulian, the monastery at Mohra
Muradu in addition to a number of stupas. Legend has it that Takṣa, an ancient king who ruled a
kingdom called Takṣa Khanda the modern (Tashkent) founded the city of Takṣaśilā. However Sanskrit
Takṣaśilā, appears to contain the suffix śilā, "stone" with the prefix Takṣa, alluding to Takṣa, the son of
Bharata and Mandavi, as related in the Ramayana. In the Mahābhārata, the Kuru heir Parikṣit was
enthroned at Takṣaśilā. According to tradition the Mahabharata was first recited at Takṣaśilā by
Vaishampayana, a disciple of Vyasa at the behest of the seer Vyasa himself, at the sarpa satra yajna,
"Snake Sacrifice ceremony" of Parikṣit's son Janamejaya. According to one theory propounded by
Damodar Dharmanand Kosambi, Takṣaśilā is a related to Takṣaka, "carpenter" and is an alternative
name for the Nāgas of ancient India. According to scattered references which were only fixed a
millennium later, it may have dated back to at least the 5th century BCE. There is some disagreement
about whether Takshashila can be considered a university. While some consider Taxila to be an early
university or centre of higher education, others do not consider it a university in the modern sense,
in contrast to the later Nalanda University. Takshashila is described in some detail in later Jātaka
tales, written in Sri Lanka around the 5th century CE. Takshashila is considered a place of religious
and historical sanctity by Hindus and Buddhists. The former do so not only because, in its time,
Takshashila was the seat of Vedic learning, but also because the strategist, Chanakya, who later
helped consolidate the empire of Emperor Chandragupta Maurya, was a senior teacher there. The
institution is very significant in Buddhist tradition since it is believed that the Mahāyāna sect of
Buddhism took shape there. Some scholars date Takshashila's existence back to the 6th century BCE.
It became a noted centre of learning at least several centuries BCE, and continued to attract students
from around the old world until the destruction of the city in the 5th century CE. Takshashila is
perhaps best known because of its association with Chanakya. The famous treatise Arthashastra
(Sanskrit for The knowledge of Economics) by Chanakya, is said to have been composed in
Takshashila itself. Chanakya (or Kautilya), the Maurya Emperor Chandragupta and the Ayurvedic
healer Charaka studied at Taxila. Generally, a student entered Takshashila at the age of sixteen. The
Vedas and the Eighteen Arts, which included skills such as archery, hunting, and elephant lore, were
taught, in addition to its law school, medical school, and school of military science