Nalanda University - world oldest Campus

Nalanda University

• one of the oldest University of India Nalanda university ,first  was takshilaUniversity which was now present in Pakistan.

• Nalanda the name of an ancient centre of higher learning in Bihar, India . The site of nalanda is located in India state of Bihar about 95 kilometres, south - east of Patna and was a Buddhist centre of learning from 427 to 1197 CE.

• Nalanda University flourished under the patronage of the Gupta empire in the fifth and sixth century and later under Harsha the empire of kannauj.

• At its peak the school attracted scholar and students from near and far with some travelling from Tibet, China, Korea and Central Asia.

(History)

• History studies indicate that the University of nalanda was established during the reign of Gupta empire KumarGupta.

• However after the decline of guptas the most notable patron of the underline the was Harsha the seventh century empire ofkannauj.

• Xuanzang (also called as Hiuen Tsang) travelled around India between the years of 6:30 and 643 CE and visited nalanda first in 637 and then again 642 spending a total of around two year at monastery.

• Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang ) had written a lot about University as ,he spent almost two years in university

• To take admission in university was so difficult as it is the best university of that time founded by the great empire .

• From various different - different countries people came to take admission example Japan, Tibet, Indonesia, Iran, Persia, China, mangol etc.

(Library)

• The library of nalanda University was so big ,that it was divided into four parts named. “ Dharmaganja” (Piety Mart) which comprised three large multi- storeyed buildings the “Ratnasagar” ( ocean of Jewels) , the “ Ratnodadhi” (sea of jewels) , and the Ratnaranjaka” (Jewel – adorned)

• There are various different different subject studied by teachers of nandala University, subjects are Sanskrit, psychology ,architecture, law, literature, vades, Brahman, astrology, history ,economics, medicine in Ayurveda etc.

• Can you imagine this all are studied 1500 year ago there is not a single subject which is not started by the University.

• As all the subject was studied there but most of the student are attracted towards the Buddhism study in addition to these they studied other subject such as the Vedas , shabdavidya , chikitsavidiya , samkhya etc.

(Historical Figures)

• Aryabhata

• Aryadeva , student of Nagarjuna

• Atisha ,Mahayana and Vajrayana scholar

• Chandrakirti , student of Nagarjuna

• Dharmakiriti , logician

• Dharmapala

• Nagarjuna , Formaliser of the concept of shunyata

• Shilabhadra , the teacher of Xuanzang

• Xuanzang, Chinese Buddhist traveler

• Yijing , Chinese Buddhist Traveller

(Destruction of Nalanda University)

• When Xuanzang travelled  across the india in the 7^th century , he observed that  his region was in slow decay

• The final wave  was delivered when its still – flourishing monasteries , the last symbols of its existence in india, were overrun during the muslim  invision, that swept across North side India  of 13^th century.

• In around 1193CE, Balhtiyar Khilji, a Turkic Chieftain out to make a name of himself, was in the service of commander in  Awadh.

• The Persian Historian , Minhaj-i-siraj in his Tabaqat-I Nasiri, Recorded his deeds a few decades later. Khilji was assigned two vilages on the border Bihar which had become a political no- man’s land. Sensing an opportunity, he began a series of plundering raids into bihar.

• Since , then it has not been restored until the recent developments.  Disturbed by the fact that an Indian scholar and teacher know more then a doctor of his court, Khilji wanted and then decided to destroyed the knowledge, Buddhism and Ayurveda, from the country . He set fire to great library of nalanda and burned down nearly 9 million manuscripts and grants and other various important books.

• The Library was so vast and strong that it took three months to completely destroyed  it. The Turkish Invaders also murdered monks and scholar in the university.

(NEW CAMPUS)

•  In 1951, the Nava Nalanda Mahavihara , a modern centre for pali and Buddhism in the sprit of the ancient instution , was founded by the government of bihar near Nalanda’s ruins at the suggestion of Dr. Rajendra Prasad. It was deemed to be a university in 2006.

• September 1, 2014 saw  the commencement to be a university , with 15 students, in nearby Rajgir.It has been established in a bid to revive the ancient seat of learning. The university has acquired 455 acres of land for its campus and has been allotted 2727 crores ( around $454) it is also being funded by the government of china, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, and other various country.

Hope you all like the information , please follow the page
Thank You