Historical India
Encyclopedia of Indian History
Nalanda was an ancient Mahavihara, a revered Buddhist monastery that
also served as a renowned centre of learning, in the ancient kingdom of
Magadha (modern-day Bihar) in India. It was one of the greatest centres
of learning in the world. If we move about 80 km towards southeast from
the capital city Patna, Bihar; you will find an almost ruined or
destroyed bricks structure spread over 12 hectares. When we go back in
the history, here stood the world’s most prominent educational
institution which comprised of a huge campus area including multiple
colleges, libraries, residential quarters and hostels for students,
places of worship and meditation and statues of Buddha. Nalanda was the
first attempt at organized transmission of knowledge, an attempt that
sustained itself over an uninterrupted 700 years, leaving behind the
ruins that tourists and scholars continue to be amazed by it even today.
Nalanda was Asia’s biggest and most prestigious university that had
students from countries like Japan, China, Korea, Turkey, Tibet, Mongol,
Persia, etc. The university used to teach various subjects like
Mathematics, Science, Ayurveda, Architecture, Medicine, Religion
(especially Buddhism), Vedas, Philosophy, Warfare, History, Literature
and many others. Nalanda University provided high-quality education.
After completion of the education, the students used to get appointed in
the courts of kings, many were even invited by countries like Japan,
Korea for translation, consultation work. The libraries of the complex
deserve a special mention because Nalanda had the best and biggest
libraries. It was a cosmopolitan university with no fee structure. It
was funded by Kings. Its destruction was delivered by the afghan
military chief ‘Bakhtiyar Khilji’ during his invasion at north India in
13th century. He totally ransacked and destroyed the Nalanda University
and set them into fire. Thousands of monks burnt alive and thousands
beheaded as Khilji tried his best to uproot Buddhism. Lakhs of books and
documents were set into fire in order to ensure the total destruction of
university. The burning of libraries continued for several months and
smoke from the burning manuscripts hung, like a dark pall over the low
hills.
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