Quick Read: The Mysore Maharajah supported JN Tata’s dream of setting up IISc with land and endowments.

The Indian Institute of Science was started in 1909 in Bangalore. It was the brainchild of JN Tata (IISc is still called Tata Institute locally; he would die before it started though). The Mysore Kingdom provided the financial muscle. It contributed 371 acres of land in Bangalore, funds for capital expenditure and an annual grant. Later on, C.V Raman, the Nobel Laureate would become the first Indian Director of IISc and start the department of Physics.

In the 19th and 20th century, the Mysore Kingdom made major contributions to education under Krishnaraja III, Chamaraja X and Krishnaraja IV. The first free school for English education was established in 1833 in Mysore. Later on the Kingdom would establish special boarding schools for backward classes, college for girls, introduce reservation and mid-day meals. Mysore University and several technical institutions were established by the kingdom.

Source: IISC
Karnataka Gazetteer, Mysore District, 1988
M.R. Ravi, Modern Education and Social Change

Picture: The contrast of wooded IISc Campus in Bangalore with the concrete backdrop of Bangalore.

Quick Read: The kings and the society supported Agraharam as a settlement of Brahmins which provided free education to people.

In south India, agraharas served as centers of learning and teaching. An agrahara was a whole settlement of learned Brahmins. It was typically, but not always, two rows of houses along a street with a temple at one end. It had its own powers of government and was maintained by generous donations from the society.

South Indian kingdoms also had other cultural institutions known as Ghatika and Brahmapuri. A Ghatika was a centre of learning including religion and was small in size. Temples, Mathas, Jain Basadis and Buddhist Viharas also existed as other sources of learning during this period.

An inscription at Ennayiram in Tamil Nadu describes in great detail how temple schools and universities were financed by the Cholas. Trivandrum housed the Kanthalloor Sala, known as the Nalanda of South India and taught around 65 subjects.

Source: NCERT, Ancient Education System of India

Picture: A Jain Agraharam in Mannargudi, Tamil Nadu. S. R Ramanujam

Quick read: Nalanda had entrance tests conducted at its gates, and admitted only 20% of aspirants.

Nalanda was already well known during the time of Mahavira and Buddha. Kundalpur, one of three claimed birthplaces of Mahavira, is near Nalanda. Buddha meditated and taught at the nearby Rajgir. Nalanda was known as a centre of learning during Magadha period.

Its growth as a university started during the Gupta period. It became the most sought after university across Asia and focused mainly on higher studies. It received endowments from several Kings which helped students focus on studies. Revenue of 100 villages were allocated to Nalanda to support the education system.

Students came from China, Tibet, Korea and Mongolia to study in Nalanda. Scholars guarded the entrance gates of Nalanda and conducted oral tests for aspirants. Only 20% of the aspirants could successfully clear these tests and gain admission.

It boasted a splendid library called Dharmaranjana spread over three buildings, one of which was nine storeys high. It was destroyed by Bakhtyar Khilji in late 12th cent CE, and it is said to have burnt for months. Chinese scholars made copies of sacred Buddhist texts from Nalanda. I-tsing copied 400 Sanskrit works amounting to 5,00,000 verses.

Any association with Nalanda evoked respect across Asia. We can unequivocally state that never again has a university as renowned as Nalanda existed in India.

Sahana Singh writes that a system of coaching existed nearby to help aspirants (Byju’s would have liked to acquire Nalanda!)

Source: Dr P Suresh, Higher Educational Institutions in Ancient Indian History
Sahana Singh, Educational Heritage of Ancient India

Picture: Nalanda University, S. R Ramanujam

Quick Read: Taxila is believed to be the oldest university of India and was in existence during Buddha’s time.

Taxila or Takshashila, is in modern-day Pakistan. It is Bharat’s oldest centre of learning. It was the capital of Gandhara. It is believed to have been founded by Bharata (Sri Rama’s brother) and named after his son Taksha. It was destroyed by white Huns in 5th century CE. It attracted students from all over India (as far as Benares from the east) for higher education and specialization.

It was famous for its philosophers in the days of Alexander. Panini (who wrote Ashtadayi on Sanskrit grammar in 6th cent BCE) and Chanakya (the author of the Arthashastra on statecraft in 4th cent BCE) are from Taxila.

King Prasenajit of Kosala, a contemporary of the Buddha, was educated there. So was Prince Jivaka, an illegitimate son of King Bimbisara of Magadha. He learnt medicine & surgery and became a renowned practitioner.

Taxila taught Vedas, arts, medicine, law, military and many other technical fields. 103 princes from different parts of India were enrolled in its archery school. On graduation, students also undertook foreign visits to learn further.

Source: Dr P Suresh, Higher Educational Institutions in Ancient Indian History
Radhakumud Mukherjee, Ancient Indian Education.

Picture: Dharmarajika stupa at Taxila. Sasha Isachenko, Wikimedia Commons

Kashi was a centre of learning cutting across Hindu, Buddhist Jain and Sikh religions.

Parsvanath, the 23rd Jain Tirthankara and three other Thirthankaras were born in Kashi. Buddha’s first sermon was at Sarnath near Benares. He taught the essentials of Buddhism to his first five disciples. Kashi was a great centre of Upanishadic learning. Shankaracharya and Ramanuja lived and composed their works in Kashi. Guru Nanak, Guru Teg Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh visited Kashi. Sant Ramanand, Sant Kabir, Sant Ravidas and Sant Surdas belonged to Kashi.

Kashi like now, was a magnet for wise men even then. The earliest Buddhist texts call Sarnath ‘Isipatana’ – a place where holy men landed. True to its name, it remains a centre of pilgrimage for Buddhists, Jains & Hindus.

Source: https://www.peepultree.world/livehistoryindia/story/monuments/sarnath

GS Randhawa, IIT Roorkee

Picture: Wikimedia Commons

Quick Read: Brhadaranyaka Upanishad describes the famous debates of Gargi and Maitryi with Yajnavalkya

Gargi was a philosopher who lived during the time of King Janaka, according to the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad. She was bestowed with the title of BrahmaVadini. She participated in the philosophic debate organized by King Janaka.

Yajnavalkya considered himself invincible in debates. Gargi started asking questions that Yajnavalkya could not answer. Gargi continued day in and out to test and challenge Yajnavalkya on the soul, existence, the universe and the environment. The questions drove him to a point where he beseeched Gargi to stop.

Maitryi is credited with 10 hymns out of 1000+ verses in the Rig Veda. Maitryi was the niece of Gargi and was the second wife of Yajnavalkya. He wanted to take sanyas and wished to divide his material wealth between his two wives. Maitryi then debated him on the meaning of wealth. This debate is captured in one of the most important sections of the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad.

Source: Radhakumud Mukherjee, Ancient Indian Education

Picture: Gargi College

Quick Read: The Palas of Bengal and Magadha maintained a network of five universities in the region.

Pala period saw the growth of a number of monasteries in ancient Bengal and Magadha. Tibetan sources point out five great Mahaviharas: Vikramasila, Nalanda, Somapura, Odantapura, and Jaggadala. These formed a network and teachers moved from one to another. All of them were under state supervision and the universities co-ordinated with each other.

All these universities fell under the invasions of the Delhi sultans.

Source: Dr P Suresh, Higher Educational Institutions in Ancient Indian History

Picture: Ruins of Vikramsila. Surav Sen, Wikimedia Commons

Quick Read: Vallabhi is not far from IIM Ahmedabad.

Vallabhi taught Niti (Political Science, Statesmanship), Varta (Business, Agriculture), Administration, Theology, Law, Economics and Accountancy. Students from Vallabhi used to present themselves at the Courts of Kings to demonstrate their administrative talent to be employed in Government services. The Kathasaritsagara tells a story of how a Brahmin of the Ganga valley chose to send his son to Vallabhi and not Nalanda as he wanted him to serve in a royal court. It is fitting that IIM Ahmedabad is close to this ancient university.

Valabhi (modern Vala in Kathiawad) was termed by Hiuen Tsang on par with Nalanda. It flourished about the same time as Nalanda in the 4 to 7th centuries CE. Vallabhi has been a famous Jain center. In 5th cent CE the Vallabhi council of Jains wrote down their religious canon. It was the capital of the Maithraka kingdom and was destroyed in 775CE, likely by the early Muslim invasions but historians are not sure.

Source: Dr P Suresh, Higher Educational Institutions in Ancient Indian History
Radhakumud Mukherjee, Ancient Indian Education
D.G. Apte, Universities in Ancient India

Picture: IIM Ahmedabad Campus

Quick Read: Mithila specialized in Nyaya Shastra. It forbid taking notes and learning had to be memorized.

Mithila (claimed by both Bihar & Nepal) was the seat of King Janaka who figures prominently as an intellectual patron in the Upanishads and is well known as Sita’s father. It is hard to say whether these refer to the same person or Janaka was a royal title of the region.

A tradition of philosophical debate emerged in the region and carried on till the 20th cent CE. It was not concentrated in large buildings and it was spread out in Gurukuls. Therefore it escaped the fate of Nalanda and others. It was famous for Nyaya Shastra (logic). So esteemed was the university that Akbar made some grants.

Gangesa Upadhyaya lived in Mithila in the 12th Century and wrote the Tattva Chintamani propounding Navya Nyaya (New Logic). Subhash Kak has pointed out that George Boole, one of the pioneers of computers, was influenced by Navya Nyaya as attested by letters written by his wife, Mary Boole.

One intriguing aspect of Mithila university was that instruction was entirely oral, students were allowed to memorise but not take down notes. An angry student, Sarvabhuma, memorized the teachings and set up his own university at Nadia that eclipsed Mithila in Nyaya shastra. Notes were allowed at Nadia!

Source: Sahana Singh, Educational Heritage of Ancient India

Radhakumud Mukherjee, Ancient Indian Education

Picture: Yajnavalkya and King Janaka

Quick Read: Mahatma Gandhi made these comments in London round table conference and his follower Shri Dharampal wrote a book on this.

Gandhi made the comment at the round table conference at London in 1931. He was challenged by Philip Hartog, British scientist to prove his statement. Later one of Gandhi’s followers, Shri Dharampal, published a book “The Beautiful Tree” on this subject.

Using Britishers’ own survey data Dharampal proved how widespread traditional Indian education was in each village before British intervention. He demonstrated the prevalence of girl education, presence of all castes in student & teacher population and vernacular education. He highlighted how the formal system of education introduced by the British killed the village schools. They were deprived of the traditional financing from local communities. Illiteracy grew since the new formal schools were concentrated in towns and not in villages.

Source: B Nivedita, “the Destruction of Indian System of Education,” Speech at IIT Madras in 1998

Picture: The Beautiful Tree Book by Shri Dharampal

Quick Read: Kulpati was the chief administrator of a gurukul and the title of the Vice Chancellor flows from this role.

मुनीनां दशसाहस्रं योऽन्नदानादि पोषाणात। अध्यायपति विप्रर्षिरसौ कुलपति: स्मृत:।

Sages who nourished ten thousand sages or students and gave education were called the Kulpati. The responsibility for a gurukul student’s mental and intellectual development rested with the Kulpati. Nowadays the term is used for the ‘Vice Chancellor’ of the university.

There was even a controversy in Bangalore University on whether the term Kulpati should refer to the Chancellor (Governor of a State) or the Vice Chancellor. Karnataka even amended its Universities Act in 1986 to clarify that Vice-Chancellor will be referred to as Kulpati.

Source: https://vediconcepts.org/history-of-gurukul-education-system

The Hindu

Picture: Singpost for the residence of Kulpati at Bangalore University

Quick Read: Samavartana is the graduation ceremony which included reciting of the Snataka Dharma or vow.

Vidyarambham (in south) or Haathekhori (in Bengal) marked a baby writing the alphabet. ‘Upanayana’ or the thread ceremony symbolized initiation into studies.

At the end of a student’s studies, the student went through the ‘samavartana’ or the graduation ceremony. Graduation was an important rite of passage in life. In the presence of students, teachers and invited guests, the graduating student offered guru Dakshina (gift to guru). Thereafter the guru recited the snataka-dharma from the Taittirya Upanishad. This was followed by homa (fire ritual) and snana (ceremonial bath).

The Snataka Dharma recites vows that include,

“ never deviate from truth, never deviate from dharma, never neglect your well being, never neglect your health, never neglect worldly activities, never neglect self study and teaching of Vedas”.

The Taittiriya Upanishad sloka, “…. Acharya Devo Bhava, Athithi Devo Bhava,” was also recited at this time.

Even today, a graduate with a bachelor’s degree is called a ‘snataka’ in Hindi. Some graduation ceremonies are even now called Samavartana.

Source: Sahana Singh, Educational Heritage in Ancient India

Picture: RK Mission invitation for Samavartana function