Nalanda University: The Prestigious Center of Art and Learning for The World
“Learned men from different cities who desire to quickly acquire renown in the discussion, come here in multitudes to settle their doubts, and then the streams (of their wisdom) spread far and wide,” Chinese Buddhist monk Hiuen Tsang said, on his visit to Nalanda University in the 7th century CE. The term Nalanda was derived out of three Sanskrit words; Na, Alam, and Da. These put together would mean, “no stopping of the gift of knowledge”, and it won’t be wrong to say that the university did stand up to its title. This center of learning then attracted students from as far away as Korea, Japan, China, Indonesia, Persia, Turkey, and many more. And not everyone who sought it was granted admission. The Nalanda was a fully residential university where the students were tested well before being admitted. At that time, the number of students was about 10,000 and the number of teachers was 2,000. The vast knowledge imparted here in the field of Arts, Mathematics, Science, Medicine, Architecture, etc. influenced the entire world.
In the 6th century BCE, 500 merchants jointly bought this land for ten koti of gold coins and gifted it to the Buddha, who preached the laws of Buddhism here, for the next three months. This original endowment was followed by a continuous flow of other endowments through centuries, by successive sovereigns. Nalanda flourished under the patronage of the Gupta Empire and later under Harsha, the emperor of Kannauj. However, it is more difficult to determine when Nalanda became a cloister and a college with several halls of learning. And there is debate over whether it can truly be called a university, or might more accurately be described as a monastic complex. Whatever the answer, it was one of the world’s first attempts at the organized transmission of knowledge, an attempt that sustained itself over an uninterrupted 700 years, leaving behind ruins that visitors continue to marvel at today.
The great library at Nalanda named Dharma Ganj (Piety Mart; which meant the “Mountain of Truth”), comprised three large multi-story buildings — the Ratnasagara (Ocean of Jewels), the Ratnodadhi (Sea of Jewels), and the Ratnaranjaka (Jewel-Adorned). These buildings must have been home to hundreds of manuscripts and books on topics ranging from the Vedas and religion to grammar, logic, literature, astrology, astronomy, medicine, law, city planning, theosophy, and philosophy.
Destruction of Nalanda University
A renowned repository of flourishing knowledge is bound to be envied against by adversaries. In hope of uprooting Buddhism and Buddhist knowledge, Nalanda was attacked thrice. The first attack was by Huns led by Mihirakula, However, the loss was restored with better facilities by the Gupta Dynasty. The second attack was made by Gaudas which again was restored by the Buddhist King Harshavardhana. But during 1193, the utmost destruction was made by the Turkish leader Bakhtiyar Khilji.
According to the reason behind the burning of many historians of world-renowned Nalanda University, according to which the Bakhtiyar Khilji was very ill and his theatricals did not take any medicine, but there was no benefit, then Khilji was given the Ayurveda Branch of Nalanda University. Chief Rahul Sreedharjee was advised to undergo treatment, but Bakhtiyar banned him before treatment that he was an Indian dwarf will not be used and if it’s not healthy head physician will die of sleep. During the night, Acharya thought about this and took him to the Quran and said that so many pages of the Quran will be read properly every day. Vaidya Rao Rahul Sibhad put a medicine coating on the edges of some pages of the Quran.
He hung up only ten or twenty pages with sputum and became healthy but the poorness of the nagging began to boil and leave his happiness to recover. He was jealous that his knowledge of these Indian doctors is great, after which the fanatics Muslim ruler set fire to Nalanda University in 1199 instead of accepting favor of Buddhism and Ayurveda. He had burnt the entire Nalanda University and there were so many books in the library that the fire was burning for three months, the monks were driven away, burned alive and thousands of them were beheaded.
Nalanda University in modern days
In 2014, the Government of India opened the gates to a revived Nalanda University in Rajgir. It has been designated an Institution of National Importance by Parliament. In keeping with its legacy of excellence and its multicultural past.