Essential Ancient Universities of Bihar History Notes: Perfect for 2025 BPSC & Civil Services Prep

Essential Ancient Universities of Bihar History Notes: Perfect for 2025 BPSC & Civil Services Prep

History of Bihar-4

Here’s a detailed explanation of the ancient universities of Nalanda and Vikramshila, both of which were globally renowned centers of learning located in Bihar, and flourished under the Gupta and Pala dynasties.

Ancient Universities of Bihar

Nalanda University

Overview:

• Founded: 5th century CE (c. 427 CE)
• Founder: Likely during the reign of Kumaragupta I (Gupta dynasty)
• Patronage: Gupta emperors, later especially by Harshavardhana and Pala kings like Dharmapala and Devapala
• Location: Nalanda, Bihar (near modern-day Rajgir)

Features:

• Considered the world’s first residential university
• Had 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers at its peak
• Subjects taught included:
  • Buddhist philosophy (Hinayana & Mahayana)
  • Vedas, logic, grammar, medicine, mathematics, astronomy
  • Arts, politics, and other branches of knowledge

Architecture & Infrastructure:

• 9-story library called Dharmaganja, comprising:
  • Ratnasagara (Ocean of Jewels)
  • Ratnodadhi (Sea of Jewels)
  • Ratnaranjaka (Delighter of Jewels)
• More than 10 temples, monasteries, meditation halls, lecture halls, and hostels
• International students from China, Korea, Tibet, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia

Global Importance:

• Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang), the Chinese pilgrim, studied and taught at Nalanda for several years
• Also visited by Yijing, another Chinese scholar

Destruction:

• In 1193 CE, Bakhtiyar Khilji, a Turkish Muslim invader, destroyed Nalanda by burning it
• Thousands of scholars were killed; the library burned for months due to the volume of manuscripts

Vikramshila University

Overview:

• Founded: 8th century CE (late 700s)
• Founder: Dharampala, the Pala ruler of Bengal and Bihar
• Location: Antichak, Bhagalpur district, Bihar

Academic Significance:

• Established as a supplement to Nalanda, to address declining standards there
• Became a premier center of Vajrayana (Tantric) Buddhism
• 100+ teachers and over 1,000 students

Courses Offered:

• Buddhist philosophy, especially Tantrik Buddhism
• Logic, grammar, metaphysics, Sanskrit, medicine, law, and arts

Notable Scholars:

• Atiśa Dipankara, a great Buddhist scholar who later helped revive Buddhism in Tibet
• Monks from here were sent across Tibet, Java, and Sumatra for missionary and academic work

Architecture:

• Main stupa surrounded by 108 smaller shrines
• 6 large monasteries (mahaviharas), halls, and large library

Decline:

• Destroyed around 1198 CE during the same invasions by Bakhtiyar Khilji, as part of the campaign that destroyed Nalanda
• The intellectual heritage of Buddhist India was severely damaged

Legacy of Nalanda and Vikramshila

Revival Efforts:

• Nalanda University was revived in 2010 as a modern international university in Rajgir, Bihar, supported by India and East/Southeast Asian nations.
• Vikramshila is being considered for restoration and archaeological promotion by the Government of India.