BDUcAtIoN IN ANCiBi{r TNNTA 2I

which had international reputation and whicb attracted students

from far and wide.

Patliputra, Mi.thila etc., bccame famous centres of Iea-rnin_g. As

the pilgrims supplied a subsidiary source of income to the famous
teacheis residing at holy places, these places became ceDtres of
learning, e.g. Banaras, Ranchi and Nasik, etc.
Buddbist monasteries existed as corporate bodies. As Buddhist
education was at first confined to the education of monks,
Buddhist monasteries developed into corporate educational
institutions. Later on it was realised that the best way to propagate
religion was to educate the rising generation which had pliable
mind. The Buddhist monasteries, therefore; after taking uP the
education of the lay population became great centres of learning
and came to be known as universities. They were Nalanda,
Vallabhi, Vikramsila, Jagaddala, Odantpuri, Mitbila and Nadia.
Of all these Nalanda was the most famous and the greatest.
Organisation of Buddhist Universities. A Buddhist university
was under the charge of an eminent Bhikshu, reputed for his
character, age and scholarship. The office was elective. The chief
Bhikshu or the principal officer was helped by two councils;
academic and administrative. The first Councrl was r€sponsible
for making admissions, determining courses, assigning work to
diffcrent teachers and arranging for examinations at the end of
courses. Construct.ion and repair of buildings, distribution of
food, clothes and medicine, allotment of rooms in the lrostel and
assignment of monastic work fell within the jurisdiction pf the
administrative council. This council had also to provide finances
by various methods and means. These Universities had huge
buildings of their own for lecture halls and for residential purposes.
Temple Colleges. As the Buddhist monasteries dpveloped into
great ceotres of learning, the Hindus also started-Temple Colleges
as a reaction to the Buddhist Universities. The 'Mathas' and the
Acharyas of the medieval tinres continued the same tradition.
leges were administered by
Iage council. This sub-com
as endowmeuts and appoin
head of the institution was
administration.
Court Assemblies. Debating and learned disputations were
the characteristic features of Indiao intellectual life.
These uere
28 HtsroRy oB TNDTAN EDUcATIoN

Important Centres of Learning

I. KANNN IJJ

of
yho
P 3ffi"iJ?T3i:t"?#f,;'rli! iii, iB5
hu-ti, the tlisciple of Kunrarila Bhatta.
2. KANCHI
Here l{iuen Tsang had conversation on yoga philosophy with
monks from Ceylon. Dharampala of Kanchi is sald to have de-feated
a hundred llinayana sutrakaras in a discussion which tasted for a
week

3. KASHr (BANARAS)

Its learned Brahmans continued to promote ttre cause of

education in the traditionai.unn.r. Ban'aras and Kashmir were
the most famous centres of rearning in ln;i;-i; the llth cenrury
A. D.
EDUCAIION IN ANCIBNT INDIA
29

4, MITHILA (VIDEHA)

5. NADIA

6. NALANDA
 30 HrsroRy oF TNDIAN EDUcATToN

- ltblryV" The University of Nalanda was maintaining a

splendid library to meet the needs of the hundreds of teachers and
thousands scholars used to spend months
together at pies of the sacred texts and other
works of copied at Nalanda 400 Sankrit
rvorks num

inform that the vedas, vedanta and 'samkhya philosopby were

'
taught at the University along with miscellaneous works. '

7. TAXILA

' Jatakas usually state that the world renowned teachers of

Taxila used to have five hundred students under them. itir.
teachers must have maDy assistaots under them.

- Taxila- provided only higher education and only those students

y.h.g, wanled spe-cialisation wJnt there. The three vldas, bi*ru,
Philosophy and eigbteen "silpas" were the priniilfi -rouJ.rtr.
EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA 3t
Among the - latter are included medicine, surgery, archery, astro-
nomy, astrolog-y mensuratio.n, georr,gtry, commeice, agrrculture,
magic, snake charming, music, dancing-and painting -
"ic.

8. VALABHI

9. VIKRAMSHILA
 6
MAIN F'EATURES OF MUSLIM EDUCATION
a. ll. state the main features of Musrim Education in Indir.
Ans. Main Features of the Moslim Education.
. Follo.*ipg were the disting-uishing features
education in India during the Medieval f,eriodr
of the Mustim
S... N. Mukerji,
etigious ideili
even the daily
as a religious

2. countryside as the centres of Education.

educational instiiutions flourishio i, tni-.ouoilvria.. By and rarge,
3. s Disciplirgr. Though education was
primaritv it incruoia-d
- -;^;:, rtuov ;? ;;v;iilii'.rtlur
-- -::^'-
activities o ooi
potitics.- ';.#: 3fiI;rr?J.Tnrar'
politv and

4, Norms of Behaviour. Adequate stress was laid on well-

defined norms of bchaviogr-, pattern of thoulht,
-----o building up
personality and character cf tire'pupils.

g for love of
Mukerji has
as a mark
was never
rrements.
6- close Relation between the Teacher and pupirs. The
relation between, the teacher and th; p"til! ;;e the
based on respect
rhe teach.,s uiJd t" piiI"Ji;il;;i;it*;;;;;"il.
ithT::tion.
7. No set llracbinery for Educationar Administration. The
rulers neithe r cr{pe.d v iuthoritt ;;; iil'.a ul"ti onar nsritut ions
an
i
. nor interfered with their management.
the spread
niversities.
provided
patronised
36 HISTORY OF INDIAN EDUCATi(hI

The Muslim rulers patronised sphotars by giving them jobs in

their courts and opened government schools and colleges.
Mohammad Ghori is reported to
colleges. He gave-his slaves good educat
man of literary tastes and built many m
not only of religious worship but also of education. Altamash is
said to have built a Madrasa and a college existed at Delhi during
the reign of Razia.
Balban's reign many literary societies are said to have
During-Under
flourished. the Khilji <lynasty, Delhi had become a great

Th ucati als-
Babar w shme of
Arabic, taste was
built by Sher

According to Ain-i-Akbari "every boy s or

novels, arithmelic, agriculture, mensuration, oY,
houiehold methods," the rules of governme the
physical sciences and historY."

continued in unabated prosperity.

MuscrM eoucrrrd$ .
t.. 3?

s:,'-til'.l.if *isiil".1oo?tirtf, I,o:?,*:i,,'fr,lJ.h,j

advanced students 1iff
to teach the younger or the junior. '
38 E$ftrny oF INDTAN BDucArroN

ll. Vocrtlonrl Edocrtiou. Provision was also mad: for

vocational, technical and
sys, "The skill of the In
fabrics, in the mixing
cious stones and in all m
a worhl wide celebrity. The fine fabrics, the beautiful shawls, the
gold and silver ornamentg
-proof warcs and the
painted
ol the fact that there were airangements for
ind technical education. The presence of so
buildings shows that the art of stone cutting-regular
had reached its climax.
Feroze- Shah Tughlaq maintained a department of
industries.'l
In conclusion we may say that the system of education
prevalent under the Muslims was suited to tbe ti-me. It helped to
break down caste barriers as Mohammadan schools were open to
all and thus it promoted the cultural unity of India. Many Sanskrit
books were tianslated into Persian bnd Arabic. The system of
education catered to the religious, cultural, intellectual and voca-
tional needs of the people. This system produced great scholars,
seekers after truth. Hindi as well as Urdu got their birth during
the period.
MaLteb. It was a, school for imparting Islamic education.
Maktab is derived from Arabic word 'kutub' (writing), and means
a, place where writing is taught, or a place of books. lt was
generally attached to a mosque. During the muslim period it was
run with the help of well-to-do Muslims or with land or money
grants from ithe rulers. The students began by studying Urdu,
Persian or Arabic. After being able to read the Arabic script, the
students recited Suras or Chapters of Quran. Memorization and

of moral education.
Q. 12. Explain tte term'Madrtsl'. State briefly provision
mrde for the higher leerning in the Moslim period rith particulrr
refererce to r few seats ofhigher leernlog.
Atr!. 'Mldnsl It was an educational instihrte for imparting
lslamic education and higher learning. Madrasa is derived from
Arabic word 'darB' (a lecture) and means a place where lecture is
MusLrM EDUCATTON 39

attached to them which provided free boarding and lodging.

was the court language. Arabic was compulsory for Muslims.

Hindus could study their religious books

CENTRES OF LEARNING

of. time Agr,a grew into a grcat literary city, containing several
schools and colleges wherJ people floitced irorn far..and-wide for
higher education."-
Bidar. I1 was a very important seat of Islamic education in
South India. There rrai a 'big Madrasa rvhich contained about
3000 books on Islamic theololy, culture, ptrilosophy, medical
science, astronomy, history etc. E-ahmani ruleri were very particular
about spreading education.
Delhi. The tradition of learning and education was firmly
establishedin Delhi when the Su-ltanate made Delhi iti