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It contained a splendid library of Brahmanical and Buddhist works, which was destroyed at the sack of the monastry and the massacre of its monks by the Muham¬ madans (in a.d. 1197) who dealt a death-blow to the Buddhists and their religion. 1 Sakya :—The great monastery of Sakya, which became the seat of the first grand heirarchy of Tibet (about 1202 a.d.) and 1 V. A. Smith.—The Early History of India (3rd Edition). 7 EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA. followed Odantapuri in the details of monastic discipline and education, was built after its model. Vikramasila :—Gopala’s son Dharmapala (a.d. 800) erected another monastery at Vikramasila in Bihar. With this monastery the University of Nalanda is said to have had intercourse for some time. The monastery of Vikramasila was for long the renowned centre of Tantric Buddhism and attracted numerous students from abroad. Like Nalanda the monastery of Vikrama¬ sila possessed a university with six colleges. These were placed under the supervision of six door or dvara pandits during the reign of king Bhaya Pala. Four of these colleges stood at the four gates of the monastery to which pupils had free access for the purpose of study. The central building called ‘the House of Science’ was used by the monks for studying the Pragna Paramita Scriptures. The two pandits who taught theology in the Central College were called the 1st and 2nd pillars of the University. The resident pupils received their food gratis MIN/Sr^ THE UNIVERSITIES. from the four Satras (free boarding hostels) which were established inside the monastery at the four gates and were endowed by the princes and nobles of the country. The University worked successfully for four centuries and disappeared with the advent of the Muhammadans. During the period of the revival of vedic Hinduism the principal seats of Hindu learning were at Kanouj and Benares in northern India. Under the Sen Kings of Bengal (a. d. 1119-1200), Sanskrit learning was carried on first in Mitliila and then in ISfavadwip. The latter place fortunately survived the shock of the Muhammadan attack and during the mediaeval period gave birth to a long succession of great scholars, hke Raghunath , Ragkunandan and Sri Ghaitanya. The subjects taught here were (i) Logic, (ii) Smriti or ivorks on civil and religious usage, (iii) Jyotish or Astronomy, (iv) Grammar, (v) Kavya or Literature and (vi) Tantra. But the greatest achievements of the university were in the field of logic. In the Deccan Vijayatiagar was for a MIN ISTfy EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA. long time (14th century a. d.) the refuge and centre of literary activity; and it appears from Ayeen Akbari that even at the time of Akbar Benares was a centre of Hindu learning and was in its flourishing condition. Both Benares and Navadwip are still re¬ nowned as the principal seats of Sanskrit learning organized after the ancient manner. References : — 1. Universities in Ancient India by Rai Sarat Chandra Das Bahadur (The Hindustan Review, March, 1906). 2. Civilisation in Ancient India by R. C. DuttaVol. II. 3 Nalanda University by Sukumar Dutta. Dacca Review—July, 1911, August, 1911. December, 1911 and October 1912. 4. Beal’s life of Hiuen Tsang 5. Takakasu 6. Indian Sculpture and Painting by E. B. Havel 1 7 Ayeen Akbari translated by F. Gladwin 8. Vislia Kosh (Bengali) edited by Nogendra Nath Basil 9. The Early History of India by V. A. •Smith. APPENDIX I The following is a list of the subjects that were cultivated by the ancient Hindus. VEDIC LITERATURE, h The Vedas including : — (i) The Samhitas. (ii) The Brahroanas. (iii) The Upanishads. (iv) The Sutras. SANSKRIT LITERATURE. I- Belles-Lettres;— (i) Epic Poetry :— a. Itihasa. b. Purdnas. c. Kavyas. (ii) Dramatic Poetry. (iii) Lyrical Poetry. (iv) Ethico-Didactic Poetry. (v) History and Geography WON' i0 EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA. 2. Science and Art;— (i) Science of Language. a. Grammar. b. Lexicography. c. Metric, Poetics and Rhetoric. (ii) Philosophy including Logic. (iii) Astronomy, Geometry, Arithmetic, Algebra, Tri¬ gonometry. (iv) Medical Scieuce. (v) Art of war, Music, Forma tive and Technical arts. 3. Works of Law, Custom and Religious worship. misT/ff ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OE SOME OF THE SUBJECTS CULTIVATED BV THE ANCIENT HINDUS. In modern times material needs more than spiritual absorb the interests of the people and the various sciences and arts also have been developed, more or less, to meet their material needs and to enable them to hold their own in their political and economic relations. But in ancient India, where the struggle for existence was a comparatively easy one the energies of the people were directed into a different' channel and religion more than any thing else became their all absorbing interest. It embraced not only worship and prayer but also such subjects as philosophy, morality, law and government. Hence literature, science and art all originated from the exigencies of religion and served religious purposes. The Science of Phonetics It arose in India when the Brahmins thought it EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA. <SL necessary to preserve the accurate pronuncia¬ tion of their hymns. It is so perfect that though it had its rise as early as the fifth century b. c. it has not as yet, says Max Muller, been surpassed in its analysis of the elements of language by any representative of phonetics. (Grammar: — It grew up ill India in connexion with the study and recitation of the vedic texts. The subject made such wonderful progress here that eminent authorities like Max Muller and Weber are eloquent in their praise of it. Panini’s work is the magnificient edifice of the Indian science of language. Max Muller has en¬ joyed it so much that he says, “ In grammar, I challenge any scholar to produce from any language a more comprehensive collection and classification of all the facts of a language than we find in Panini’s SOtras.” Metre :—In metre, the success of the Hindus was great. According to Max Muller, the observations made by the ancient Indian authors and their use of the technical -.vrE ‘ 6oi/- terms give a clear confirmation of the latest theories of modern metricians. The same authority saj^s that metres were connected with music and dancing which originally subserved religious purposes and sub¬ sequently helped the development of Drama in India. Story-telling :—About story-tellingMax Muller says, ‘‘ some of the fables of the Panchat antra or Hitopadesa are excellent specimens of what stotw-telling ought to be.” Arithmetic — The decimal notation with¬ out which Arithmetic as a science would have been impossible, was the wonderful invention of the Hindus. The Arabs borrowed it from the Hindus and introduced it into Europe. 1 Algebra: — In Algebra the Hindus attained to a high degree of proficiency quite independently. Aryabhatta (476 A. D.) was the first writer on Algebra. He was succeed- e d by Bhaskaracharja (Lilt). There are solutions of remarkable problems in Bhaskara 1 Maedonell — A History of Sanskrit Literature and R. C. Butt—-Civilisation in Ancient India. WHIST/? EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA. which were not achieved in Europe till the 17th and 18th centuries. Besides, the Hindus were the first to make an application of Algebra to astronomical investigations and to geometrical demonstrations ; and the manner of their conducting it, is so remark¬ able that it has received the admiration of many a modern European mathematicians. Geometry : —Geometry took its rise in India from the construction of the altars and their enclosures. It, however, did not make much progress here. As soon as it was found that geometrical truths could be repre¬ sented by Algebra, Geometry gradually fell out of use. The elementary laws of Geometry that the Hindus had discovered were intro¬ duced into Europe where the science has received its highest development. Trigonometry: —This subject was the peculiar invention of the Hindus. Bhaskara was the first man in India to write on Spherical Trigonometry. Astronomy : —Astronomy, like Geo¬ metry, received its inspiration from religion. The subject in its elementary form was distinct advance, however, was made through the discovery of the planets. The earliest Hindu astronomer of eminence was Arya- bhatta (476 a. d.) who boldly maintained the rotation of the earth round its axis and explained the true cause of eclipses of the , sun and moon. In his Golapada he gives us the names of the twelve divisions of the Solar Zodiac. His calculation of the earth’s circumference is not wide of the mark. He was succeeded by Varaharnihira (505 a. d,), the author of Brihat Samhita. He, again, was followed by Brahma Gupta, the writer of Brahma Sphuta Siddhanta. He described the calculations of lunar and solar eclipses, the positions of the moon’s cusps and the conjunctions of the planets and stars. After Brahma Gupta came Bhaskata (1114), the last star of Indian astronomy. His Siddhanta Siromoni has enjoyed more authority in Itidia than any other astronomical work ex¬ cept the Surja Siddhdnta. After Bhddcara, Hindu astronomy ceased to make any further progress and became merged in astrology. During the eighth and ninth centuries the Arabs were disciples of the Hindus. They translated Aryabhatta’s Surja Sid- dhanta and afterwards made much progress in the Science. Medicine: —The healing art had its beginning in the vedic times. Reference of illnesses and healing herbs are found in the Atharva Veda. Not only did the Hindus thoroughly understand animal anatomy but they showed wonderful skill in the treat¬ ment of snake-bite.