Taksha Sila - The world's first University

  

                               Taksha Shila  University

                             

                TakshaShila, the ancient world’s first international university (c. approx. 400-500 BCE to 550 CE), was named after “Taksha’s Cut-Rock City” in ancient northern India. Situated strategically on a branch of the Silk Road that linked China to the West, TakshaShila was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980 and is located near Rawalpindi in modern-day Pakistan.

At the time, TakshaShila was described as the wealthiest city in India. The campus attracted students from faraway places like China, Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Babylonia and Greece.  It is believed that students started their studies at Takshashila at around age 16, after they had completed their primary education at home, and secondary education in the Ashrams.  Education was considered sacred; an ancient Sanskrit quote says “स्वगृहे पूज्यते मूर्खः स्वग्रामे पूज्यते प्रभुः। स्वदेशे पूज्यते राजा विद्वान्सर्वत्र पूज्यते॥” (A fool is worshiped at his home. A chief is worshiped in his town. A king is worshiped in his kingdom. A knowledgeable person is worshipped everywhere). Education was accordingly undeniable to even the poorest students. Admissions were based on merit and financial support was often provided by the community or through work-study arrangements.

                              

The university accommodated a student body that numbered upwards of 10,000 with two out of three applicants rejected. The campus had 300 lecture halls plus laboratories, an observatory and a huge library that spanned 3 buildings. The university thrived for approximately 9 to 10 centuries, with a resurgence under the rule of King Kanishka, until its destruction in the 6th century CE .

          More than 2700 years back a huge university existed in the ancient India where over 10,500 students from all across the world came for higher studies .

India has a long and venerable history in the field of higher education. In ancient times, the country was known to have been home to the oldest formal universities in the world.

                   

More than 2700 years back a huge university existed in the ancient India where over 10,500 students from all across the world came for higher studies. This was the Takshashila university of ancient India (wrongly spelled as Taxila today). It was an important Vedic/Hindu and Buddhist center of learning but wasn’t as well organized as the University of Nalanda.

 

                    

       According to historical references Takshashila University date back to the 5th or 6th Century BCE. As per the Indian epic, Ramayana, the city name Takṣaśilā came from Taksa, who was the son of Bharata, the brother of the Lord Rama (Don’t confuse with Emperor Bharata). It is believed that Taksa was the first ruler of the kingdom Taksa Khanda and founder of the city Takṣaśilā .

                               

         Taxila is also described in some detail in the Buddhist Jātaka tales, written in Sri Lanka around the 5th century. In this text, Taxila has been mentioned as the capital of the kingdom of Gandhara and a great learning center . Chinese travellers like Fa Hian (Faxain) and Huien Tsang (XuanZang) also speak of Takshashila in their writings . During its times this university was the IIT and MIT of the world. The campus accommodated students who came from as far as Babylonia, Greece, Arabia and China and offered over 64 different fields of study like Vedas, grammar, philosophy, Ayurveda, agriculture, surgery, politics, archery, warfare, astronomy, commerce, futurology, music, dance, etc. There were even curious subjects like the art of discovering hidden treasure, decrypting encrypted messages, etc .

                               

                   Admission into this university was purely based on merit. Students were admitted to this university at the age of 16 after they had completed their basic education in their local institutions. They were supposed to pay for their expenses. However, if a student was unable to pay then he could work for his teacher. Students would come to Takshila and take up education in their chosen subject with their teacher directly. Entrance exam to Takshashila was very difficult and only 3 out of every 10 students passed the admission test .

                              

         Jivak was another genius who came out of the Takshashila university. He was a doctor and an expert in pulse reading. Jivak was the personal physician of Buddha and also cured the Nadi Vran of Buddha. There are over 15000 handwritten manuscripts of Jivak’s expertise passed on by generations to their children and are still preserved in India even today .

                                   

        When Alexander’s armies came to the Punjab in the fourth century B.C., Takshashila had already developed a reputation as an important seat of learning. Thus on his return Alexander took many scholars from there with him to Greece. In the second half of the 5th century, it was severely damaged by Hephthalite (White Huns) invasions. They destroyed the whole city, University and all Buddhist monasteries which never again recovers. During the 7th century it was gradually abandoned by its inhabitants .

                             

         Taxila was excavated by Sir John Hubert Marshall (British Archaeologist) in 1920s who at the time of excavation was the Director General of the Indian Archaeological Survey (1902-31). Takshila was listed by the UNESCO as one of the World Heritage Sites in 1980 .

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 Suvendu Singha & Mamata Singha (India , Odisha , Balasore )