News: Prime Minister inaugurated the new campus of Nalanda University in Bihar.
About Nalanda University:
- Location: Bihar, ancient Magadha kingdom.
- Time Period: Early 5th century to 12th century, flourishing for 600 years.
- Founder: Kumara Gupta of the Gupta dynasty.
- Popularity: Flourished during Harshavardhan and Pala monarchs’ eras.
- Curriculum: Taught secular and religious knowledge, including major Buddhist philosophies like Mahayana, Madhyamaka, Yogachara, Sarvastivada, Hinayana, and Samkhya.
- Decline: Declined due to the rise of Tantric practices in Buddhism under the Pala rule.
- Destruction: Destroyed in 1193 by Bakhtiyar Khilji, general of Turkish ruler Qutbuddin Aibak.
- Rediscovery: Rediscovered in 1812 by Scottish surveyor Francis Buchanan-Hamilton; identified as ancient university by Sir Alexander Cunningham in 1861.
- Visitors: Visited by pilgrim monks like Hiuen Tsang and I-tsing from East Asia in the 7th century.
- Recognition: A UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Major institutions of learning in ancient India
- Vikramshila (Bihar): Established by Dharmpala (8th Century CE). Propagated Vajrayana Buddhism.
- Nagarjunakonda(Andhra Pradesh): Named after Nagarjuna, a master of Mahayana Buddhism who propounded the doctrine of Sunyavada.
- Takshashila (Taxila): Now located in northwestern Pakistan. Panini (wrote Ashtadhyayi) , Jivaka (physician) and Chanakya (or Kautilya) are some of the famous pupils from the university.
- Other Universities: Valabhi (Gujarat), Odantapuri (Bihar,) and Jagaddala (now in Bangladesh).
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