VOLUME - 11, ISSUE - 03, MARCH - 2022 • PRINT ISSN No. 2277 - 8160 • DOI : 10.

36106/gjra

Original Research Paper History

HISTORY OF CONTRIBUTIONS OF NALANDA UNIVERSITY

Kanu Nath Department of History (Guest Faculty) Tripura Govt. Law College, Agartala.

ABSTRACT Nalanda University is one of the universities of India, knowing the history of which we will be proud to be
an Indian. In the ancient times, many educational institutions were established by adopting the Vedic
process, three of them were such which were counted among the oldest universities of India. Takshila, Nalanda and
Vikramashila. Nalanda University of these three higher education in ancient India Education was the most important and well-
known center of Nalanda University, the largest university of the time in Asia, According to historical evidence, the Nalanda
University was founded by the mighty Emperor Kumaragupta of the Gupta dynasty in about 450 AD Many travelers, including
the Chinese traveler Hiuen tsang, have called the emperor Kumaragupta the founder of this university. This university is located
near Patna, a village 88 kilometers south-east of today's Bihar state and 11 kilometers north of Rajgiri Nalanda. The word is
derived from the Sanskrit language, it is derived from the Sanskrit word na alam da, which means that there is no restriction on
the gift of knowledge, thus the nalanda means to impart knowledge. Its area was 10 kilometers long and 5 kilometers wide
when Nalanda University was at its peak, around 10000 students from abroad were studying here and more than two thousand
teachers were present here to teach them. Its special point was that any decision here was taken on the basis of everyone's
consent i.e. here the democratic system was run Students were provided free education here. Nalanda's library was called
Chakla of Religion. It was the largest library in the world. By far the most prestigious and famous center was the building of this
library was 9 storey Nalanda University library had 352 Names were Ratanganj, Rattan kept two reported and Ratna Sagar
here 9000000 manuscripts and thousands of books In which the world's rarest information was present, this center of knowledge
ourished for 800 years but in the 12th century it suddenly got lost in the darkness of the past.

KEYWORDS : History and Nalanda University

INTRODUCTION done by the Vice Chancellor Chief Acharya, who was also a
Nalanda University is one of the universities of India, knowing Buddhist monk. According to this, when Nalanda University
the history of which we will be proud to be an Indian. In the was at its peak, around 10000 students from abroad were
ancient times, many educational institutions were established studying here and more than two thousand teachers were
by adopting the Vedic process, three of them were such which present here to teach them. Medicine and Ayurvedic etc. were
were counted among the oldest universities of India. Taxila taught in here.
Nalanda and Vikramashila. Nalanda University of these three
higher education in ancient India Education was the most The students studying here had not only learnt about
important and well-known center of Nalanda University, the Bhuddism but also other cultures and religious beliefs,
largest university of the time in Asia, According to historical students got admission in this university with great difculty
evidence, the Nalanda University was founded by the mighty because students had to take entrance test to get admission
Emperor Kumaragupta of the Gupta dynasty in about 450 AD here. This was quite difcult due to which only the talented
Many travelers, including the Chinese traveler Hiuentsang, students could get admission. The students who came here
have called the emperor Kumaragupta the founder of this had to learn Sanskrit language rst, only then they could
university. study further. It was very important to follow the rules of pure
conduct and union. In the university, the Acharyas used to
Nalanda is considered the second largest university in the teach the scriptures through oral lectures, besides books were
world after Takshila. It has been in the sleeve for 800 years. also explained. And Veda, Vedanta and numbers were also
This university is located near Patna, a village 88 kilometers taught grammar, philosophy, astrology were under the
south- east of today's Bihar state and 11 kilometers north of syllabus of yoga and there were various streams of medical
Rajgir Nalanda. The word is derived from the Sanskrit science. Its special point was that any decision here was taken
language, it is derived from the Sanskrit word na lan da, which on the basis of everyone's consent i.e. here the democratic
means that there is no restriction on the gift of knowledge, thus system prevailed. Students were provided free education
the Nalanda means to impart knowledge. Its area was 10 here. To study here students came from across the globe like
kilometers long and 5 kilometers wide. It had 108 hostels and from- Indonesia, Iran Mongolia, Greece, China, Korea,
temples, in its eastern part there was a system of students' Indonesia, Japan Tibet, Persia.
living and reading and in the western part there was a system
of worship and inspection. Today, thousands of hostels are seen all over the world, but no
one has ever wondered where the concept of hostel originated
This university got the full support of the north ofcers of from? It was from this Nalanda University, it was the rst
Kumaragupta. All the ruling dynasties that came after the fall international university in the world where hostels were
of the Gupta dynasty continued to contribute to its prosperity. It available for students. They were together and their food and
also got the help of the great ruler Harshavardhana and the drink was provided free of charge, there were more than 300
Palas and local rulers and various regions of India. Along with rooms for the students to live in it. There were temples and a
this, it got grants from many foreign rulers as well, whose proof beautiful garden also. Besides this, many prayer halls, which
is found from the coins we got from Nalanda. gives us the idea of Guru -Shishya tradition. This was a
university which was very well planned, spread in acres of
Our biggest source about Nalanda University,is from Chinese land and is still a wonderful specimen of established art.
traveler Hiuen tsang's Biography. He remained in India for 15
years. He has told very well about the university. He spent This place was a temple of knowledge, whose light
many years inuniversity as a student and then as a teacher. An illuminated the world. It had a huge library for thousands of
excellent description of the teaching system is found in it, it is students and teachers to study. Nalanda's library was called
written that the whole management of Nalanda University was Chakla of Religion. It was the largest library in the world. By
66 X GJRA - GLOBAL JOURNAL FOR RESEARCH ANALYSIS
 VOLUME - 11, ISSUE - 03, MARCH - 2022 • PRINT ISSN No. 2277 - 8160 • DOI : 10.36106/gjra
far the most prestigious and famous center was the building of international University which will be a residential University
this library. It was 9 storey and had had 352 Names were harboring top students and researchers from around the
Ratanganj, Rattan kept two reported and Ratna Sagar here globe on a site which is in close vicinity to ancient Buddhist
9000000 manuscripts and thousands of books in which the institution in the Indian state of Bihar. This new University will
world's rarest information was present. This center of be multifarious including humanity, substantial development,
knowledge ourished for 800 years but in the 12th century it Oriental languages, economics, management and Asian
suddenly got lost in the darkness of the past. integration as the main streams. Many people are skeptical
about how many international University will setup and
Now the question arises that there are many stories about why ourish in an underdeveloped area but the founders are very
this great university was destroyed. In the sixth century, condent about their Idea and their concept. Sen has replied
Hindustan was called the golden bird. Hearing this, Muslim to this notion by saying that they will not take 200 years but
invaders used to come here, one of these Turkish ruler was only a few decades to make this university a global institution
Bakhtiar Khilji who destroyed and burned Nalanda University. in art and education, despite the fact that they will have to
As a result millions of books were burnt to ashes, the library begin from a scratch. Many South Asian nations like India,
here was so huge that it took 6 months to extinguish the re China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore are joining hands to
here. A story is told behind the burning of Nalanda that once revive the university which will still be based on the vision of
Bakhtiyar Khilji fell very ill and his own Hakim was unable to old Nalanda and the idea has been backed by East Asia
cure his illness. Someone suggested him to get treatment from summit which includes countries like Australia, New Zealand,
Acharya Shilabhadra, head of Ayurvedic department of Russia and US.
Nalanda University, but the pride of Bakhtiar Khilji disallowed
him to do so. He wondered why he would get his treatment The proposed site for the new University is 10 kilometres from
from a non- Muslim and he also wondered how he could have the ancient side at a place called Rajgir. It will host
more knowledge of Indian Vedas than his own people, yet he international staff and international students. According to
had to call him. But Bakhtiar Khilji placed a condition in front Prof Sen there will be active co-operation with 'Yale's school of
of him that he will not eat any Indian medicine but still he forestry studies, Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University
wanted to be treated somehow, otherwise he would kill him. department of history, Seoul University in South Korea and
Acharya thought of a trick and reached Bakhtiyar Khilji with Peking University in China'.
the Quran on the second day and asked to read 5 pages of the
Quran daily for 5 days, after doing this, Bakhtiyar Khilji got We as a student of history are proud that our governance is
cured after 5 days. Actually Vaidya had put a medicine on the taking this international leap to boost India's higher education
pages of the Quran which while turning turning the page sector which has been underestimated and undermined than
using his saliva used to go in his mouth and he was treated like other Asian countries including China. Mr. Sen quotes that the
this, but instead of accepting the favor of Acharya and new University will be very much Asian in inspiration and
Nalanda, he got angry and his pride was hurt. He thought that motivation but not in terms of knowledge, expertise, or
the knowledge which was not with his ofcials, how could that personalinvolvement and he shows that the knowledge
remain with lthy Indian people and he reached Nalanda. imparted here will be workable not only in Asia but also in
After reaching there, he was shocked at the sight of so many Africa & Latin America. Dalai Lama at Jaipur international
universities and so many books, seeing this splendor of India festival in Rajasthan once stated that the source of all
envied him and this out of jealousy, he set the entire Nalanda Buddhist knowledge comes from Nalanda and the new
University on re where thousands of monks got killed. At that Nalanda has promised to match this intellectual regard but it
time many Buddhist monks ran away from here, hiding in their will not be a religious institution; rather it will take up the
clothes many books hence they were able to save a few books. principles which are universal. Nalanda has been and will be
But Alexander Karto's answering works got the library related to secular studies, public health, interest in logic,
repaired and the Nalanda building rebuilt. astrology and mathematics along with the languages. There
have been serious severe doubts about how the university will
Nalanda University was many times ahead of its time and far succeed in a rural backdrop but as we see and we know that
ahead of our thinking, it lost a lot of knowledge in the form of every new innovation has to face severe criticism and doubts
burnt books. According to records, Nalanda University was from the people until it creates a name and let itself stand with
destroyed three times by the invaders but was completed only the head held high in the universe. We hope that the university
twice, in which the rst destruction was during the reign of will become a means to develop the region with 60
Alexander Gupta. And the second destruction was done by surrounding villages and improvement of their livelihoods in
horses in the seventh century, and this time Harshavardhan agriculture and tourism and will enable the state of Bihar to
completed the complete repair work and the third destruction catch up with the rest of India. Initial steps have already been
was done by Bakhtiyar Khilji, which completely destroyed taken like a large amount of infrastructure has been planned
Nalanda. Burning of Nalanda University was India's biggest for Bihar including roads and international airport at Gaya
loss which could never be replenished. with the Bihar State Government fully committed to the
university project. We really hope that the dream comes to
Nalanda in Present times reality and our past Glory is restored in a more dignied form
The University of Nalanda as we have come to known from the then it was in historic times.
above text has had the glorious past, much advanced and much
prior to the eminent centers of learning like Oxford and REFERENCES
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Govt, of India, Calcutta, 1970.
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Establishing a new Nalanda
There is a proposed plan to establish new Nalanda
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