Ancient Indian universities were once the most influential seats of learning. Students from all over Asia flocked to these illustrious centers to gain knowledge and acquire skills.
Back in the day, there was no culture of awarding degrees or formal recognitions. Knowledge was its own reward. The modern-day notion of using education as a means to earn money was considered profane.
A three-tiered educational system prevailed. Children received primary education until the age of 8. For the next 8–12 years, they underwent secondary schooling. University education was considered the zenith of learning.
Students entered universities to explore the final intellectual frontiers. It was at these majestic seats of learning that students were molded to achieve greatness.
The following ten ancient Indian universities became renowned for being the most advanced seats of learning:
1. Takshashila University (600 BCE – 500 CE): The First Ancient Indian University
Located in present-day Pakistan, Takshashila (or Taxila) once upon a time was known as the intellectual capital of India. Long before Alexandria or Constantinople even existed, Takshashila flourished.
Takshashila became a melting pot of cultures as students used to come there from far-off lands. Many influential Indian scholars composed their epoch-making work at this great university.
- It is believed that Chanakya wrote Arthashastra – an ancient Indian treatise on economic policy and military strategy – during his teaching tenure at Takshashila University.
- Maharishi Charak also composed his medical treatise Charak Samhita there.
- The revered Sanskrit scholar and grammarian Panini also taught at Takshashila. He produced his best work called Ashtadhyayi (eight chapters) there. It was a complex, rule-based grammar book of Sanskrit that survives in its entirety to this day.
- According to legend, the famed Jivaka, the personal physician of the Buddha, also studied at Takshashila.
The interdisciplinary approach here set it apart. Students studying medicine were also taught ethics and philosophy. Similarly, those learning statecraft studied mathematics and astronomy.
The dark times befell the university when Kushanas – a central Asian group of people – invaded Takshashila and ruled over it until 250 AD. They added little to the stature of this ancient Indian university. As a result, the education system at Takshashila started to recede.
The final blow came when Hunas – nomads from northwest China, conquered the region around 500 AD and snuffed out the beacon that had once illuminated the minds of many.
2. Nalanda University (425 CE – 1205 CE)
Situated in the eastern state of Bihar, Nalanda University was once the most prominent university in India. The university flourished under the reign of the Gupta Dynasty back in the 5th century.
Excavations carried out in the late 19th-century point towards Nalanda being a place of great repute among Buddhist scholars. There is evidence that at least 13 monasteries stood there once.
Indian Historian DG Apte in his book Universities in Ancient India mentions that Nalanda also attracted scholars from China, Tibet, Korea, Persia and Mongolia.
It’s estimated that Nalanda hosted over 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers at its peak. It specialized in diverse subjects such as logic, medicine, mathematics, and Buddhist philosophy.
Chinese monk and scholar Hieun Tsang who visited Nalanda in early 7th century underlined in his accounts the strict admission process followed at the university. He noted that only a small fraction of applicants passed the entrance examination.
Dharmagunj, its library, was reportedly a multi-storey structure housing millions of manuscripts. It is reported to have housed over 9 million scrolls and manuscripts in various languages.
The destruction of Nalanda by Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1205 CE was one of the darkest chapters in India’s educational history. His army set the library ablaze and reduced centuries of scholarly manuscripts to ashes.
Some historians have documented that the manuscripts burned for three months nonstop. That act of terror set the country back by decades, if not, centuries.
3. Vikramshila University (800 CE – 1203 CE)
The Indian state of Magadha (now Bihar) was home to another great seat of learning. It was founded by King Dharmapala at the end of the 8th century. Vikramshila along with Nalanda formed the era’s powerful duo of knowledge and education.
Subjects such as Sanskrit grammar, Logic, Metaphysics, Philosophy, Buddhist Tantra and Ritualism were taught here.
Unlike other ancient places of learning, Vikramshila opened its gates to only those who wished to become Buddhist monks. After attaining their education, these monks traveled to far-off lands to spread Buddhism.
The practice of awarding academic titles originated here. Scholars who excelled earned the titles of Pandit or Mahapandit. Their portraits adorned the walls.
It is stated that the Vikramshila campus had six different colleges with each one imparting a different specialization.
Vikramshila met the same fate as Nalanda in 1203 AD. It also fell to Bakhtiyar Khilji’s invasions, extinguishing a vital light of knowledge.
In many ways, the fate of both universities was entwined.
In their time, both exceptional universities enjoyed great royal patronage. They built astonishing libraries. Bakhtiyar Khilji, the Turkic invader, ransacked and set both on fire.
4. Vallabhi University (600 CE – 1200 CE)
This ancient Indian seat of learning was situated in Vallabhi (modern-day Bhavnagar) in Western India.
Unlike other universities that emphasized spiritual learning, Vallabhi focused on practical disciplines like statesmanship, agriculture, and commerce.
The lineage of Maitrak dynasty became the patrons of the university and helped in building its infrastructure. Many of its graduates served in high-ranking positions in administration, testifying to its focus on applied knowledge.
By the middle of the 7th century, Vallabhi had become famous for teaching Buddhist philosophy and Vedic sciences.
Arab invasions in the 8th century weakened Vallabhi’s influence, and it eventually faded into obscurity by the 12th century.
5. Nagarjuna Vidyapeeth (600 CE)
Named after famous Buddhist philosopher, Nagarjuna Vidyapeeth was situated in South India on the banks of the Krishna river.
Archaeological evidence suggests that the university and its library flourished in the 7th century.
The university also housed an extensive library, renowned for its five-story structure filled with manuscripts. The library hosted works of scientific knowledge, such as botany, geography, mineralogy and medicine.
It was a great attraction for scholars from other ancient Indian universities and from other countries, like China, Burma and Ceylon.
6. Jagaddala University (1084 CE – 1207 CE)
The Jaggadala Vihara in Varendrabhumi (now Bangladesh) was also an important centre of learning in the early 11th century. It was established by king Kampala, who ruled from 1084 to 1130 A.D.
According to Tibetan works, it was at Jagaddala where many sacred Sanskrit texts were either translated into the Tibetan language.
The university was part of a larger monastic network and was instrumental in the propagation of Mahayana Buddhism. Despite its significant contributions, Jagaddala fell to invasions in the early 13th century.
7. Kanthalloor University (1000 CE – 1300 CE)
Recent excavations near Valiyasalai in the Southern Indian state of Kerela revealed the existence of an illustrious ancient university.
Known as the Nalanda of South, the Kanthalloor Shala was once a famous centre of knowledge. Due to the quality of education provided by this ancient university, it attracted scholars from other parts of India and Sri Lanka.
What set Kanthalloor apart from other ancient Indian universities of that era was the diversity in the subjects it offered.
At Kanthalloor, students were taught subjects such as Vedas, astrology, chemistry, goldsmithy, medicine, music and even atheism and magic which until then were considered taboo in other universities.
8. Mithila University (500 CE – 1200 CE)
Mithila, situated in modern Bihar, was famous for its specialization in Nyaya (logic) and Vedic studies.
What set Mithila apart was its rigorous oral tradition, where students memorized vast texts. This method preserved ancient knowledge even without written records. The university played a crucial role in advancing Indian philosophy.
9. Odantapuri University (735 CE – 1200 CE)
Founded by Pala King Gopala I, Odantapuri in Bihar was a significant center for Buddhist education. Its influence extended to Tibetan monastic traditions, with its architectural design inspiring many Tibetan monasteries.
Odantapuri’s curriculum included Buddhist scriptures and secular subjects, contributing to its broad appeal. It shared the tragic fate of Nalanda and Vikramshila, falling to invasions in the early 13th century.
10. Pushpagiri University (3rd Century CE – 11th Century CE)
Pushpagiri in Odisha was among India’s earliest universities. Its three campuses—Lalitgiri, Udayagiri, and Ratnagiri—were centers of Buddhist learning and cultural exchange.
Pushpagiri was a vital link in spreading Buddhism to Southeast Asia, influencing countries like Indonesia and Thailand. Its remains testify to India’s enduring educational legacy.
The Global Influence of Ancient Indian Universities
These universities were not isolated institutions. They were vibrant hubs of cultural and intellectual exchange. Students from China, Korea, Tibet, Persia, and Southeast Asia journeyed to India, seeking wisdom that would shape their homelands.
Figures like Xuanzang and I-Qing carried Indian knowledge back to China, where it influenced Chinese medicine, philosophy, and religious practices. Southeast Asian temple complexes, such as Borobudur in Indonesia, bear testimony to the ideas propagated by Indian universities.
Indian mathematicians like Aryabhata and Brahmagupta were indirectly connected to these institutions. Their works on zero, algebra, and astronomy were disseminated globally, laying the foundations for modern science.
Bibliography
Apte, DG (c. 1950). Universities in ancient India. Baroda: Faculty of Education and Psychology, Maharaja Sayajirao University
Mukherjee, R.K. (c. 1969). Ancient India Education. Delhi: Motilal Banarsi Das
Misra, Jogesh (c. 1979). History of Libraries and Librarianship inModern India since 1850. Delhi: Atma Ram & Sons
Xuanzang’s Great Tang Records on the Western Regions
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-05/12/c_137172822.htm
I love this so much. Fascinating to look at what remains of the old buildings and imagine what must have gone on there. Thank you for doing the research for this post, and for sharing with us!
Thank you for your encouraging words, Alice.
We should re-create these Sapta Maha Vidhyalas, no other world wonder than this.