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The term 'university' as used in ancient times means a centre
where higher education was imparted to the aspiring students.
Though it has distant similarities with the modern universities,
a number of features in these universities find no parallel
in our modern institutions under this name.
The
oldest amongst the universities in ancient Bharat, is Takshasila.(1000
BC to 500 AD) Though
it was well known since 700 B.C. its activities started a few
centuries earlier. The place derived its name from 'Taksha',
the son of Bharat. The famous incidence in Ramayana of the finding
of two cities by Bharat, has the reference of Takshasila. The
incidence mentions that after defeating Gandharvas, Bharat found
the two great cities Takshasila for his son Taksha in Gandharva
Desh and
Pushkalavat for his another son, Pushkala in Gandhara.
After solving numerous problems and considering a number of
views of eminent historians, it has now become possible to locate
the city, covering an area of six square miles, twenty miles
to the west of Rawalpindi.
The
university was one of its kind. There was nothing by way of
coordination of the work done by the teachers nor was there
any external authority, like king that would govern them. Each
teacher was an institution and enjoyed full autonomy in his
work. Takshasila became the centre for higher education because
several teachers who were recognized as authorities in their
respective subjects resided here. This was the reason why hundreds
of students from various part of the subcontinent like Banaras,
Rajagriha, Mithila, Ujjain, Kosala, Madhya Desa, and from Kuru
kingdoms in the North, travelled here in spite of the hardships
they had to undergo. There was no question of competition amongst
the teachers as each one had his own specialisation, had the
freedom to design his course, its duration. Usually the studies
terminated when the teacher was satisfied. Normally the specialization
in any subject took eight years. These institutions imparted
higher education only. At that time the education began in the
home and the students got their secondary education in the Asramas.
Takshasila thus was the intellectual capital of Bharat.
Nalanda
( 425 AD to 1205 AD)was another University that flourished in
Ancient Bharat. This was the place which was sanctified by the
stay of Buddha and witnessed a number of discussions on the
Buddhist doctrines. This was also the place here Mahavira met
Gosala. Before Christian Era it was regarded as a religious
place. Ashoka had built a Vihara and a temple at this place
because it was nearer to Rajgriha. The University was founded
by Sakraditya and extended and followed by his son and grandson
Buddhaguptaraja and Tathagataguptaraja. The important episode
in the history of the University came with its destruction by
Mihirakula, in the course of his pursuit of Narasinhagupta,
in 500AD. But it was raised with new zeal by the flow scholastic
pilgrimage to this place.
The
University of (600 AD to 1200 AD)was situated in Saurashtra
in Western Bharat. For some time the University stood as a rival
for Nalanda. It championed the cause of Hinayana Buddhism. Still
we know of the students coming from the Gangetic plains to learn
in this University. So famous the University became in its later
half that Kathasaritsagar narrates the story of a Brahmin who
preferred to send his son to Valabhi rather than sending him
to Nalanda. We find surprising figures in the time of Hiuen
Tsiang about this University. He states that "around 7th
century there were 6000 monks studying in this University and
100 monasteries were provided for them."
Vikramashila
(800 AD to 1203 AD.)a University in northern Magadha, near Nalanda
was founded by king Dharmapala in the eighth century.
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