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Discovering Nalanda: the Indian university that revolutionized culture
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Discovering Nalanda: the Indian university that revolutionized culture
Today's journey takes us to India, to the University of Nalanda, what can to all intents and purposes be considered the oldest university in the world, founded a good five centuries before the oldest European universities, namely Bologna and Oxford. Founded in 427, some think that it was in this faculty that the zero was first introduced as a numeral, but that is not the only reason why the university was revolutionary. It was a real campus, with over 10,000 students and over nine million books in its library. To this day, only the archaeological ruins, a Unesco heritage site, remain to remind us of this marvel that was once a great university, and which also made a great contribution to Buddhist studies over the centuries.
By Mrityunjay.nalanda - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2136
Discovering Nalanda: the Indian university that revolutionized culture
In its heyday, the University of Nalanda was also home to 10,000 students from all over Central Asia and even East Asia. Founded in 427, it is far older than the universities of Oxford and Bologna quintessentially the two oldest universities in all of Europe.
By Agnibh Kumar - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49217690
Discovering Nalanda: the Indian university that revolutionized culture
Students gathered at this university to study mathematics, astronomy and, above all, Buddhist principles directly from some of the most prominent scholars of the time. This university thrived for over seven centuries, and has made a huge contribution in shaping the culture of all of Asia to this day.
By Bholi.aman - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60333491
Discovering Nalanda: the Indian university that revolutionized culture
Throughout its existence, Nalanda was a place of enormous harmony and spiritual tolerance. The founders of the university were in fact devout Hindus (the monarchs of the Gupta Empire), but they accepted Buddhist writings without question. Therefore, the school was founded around liberal thinking that also permeated into the culture and art produced in Nalanda. For example, the ancient Indian medical system of Ayurveda, rooted in nature-based healing methods, was widely taught in Nalanda and then migrated to other parts of India through alumni.
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Discovering Nalanda: the Indian university that revolutionized culture
Anuradha Mitra, a Calcutta-based mathematics professor, speaks of Nalanda as the place where zero was first assigned as a digit, a revolutionary concept that changed world mathematics forever, beyond linear calculus and algebra. It is thought that the credit for this discovery, which had already been studied theoretically for hundreds of years, was due to Aryabhata, considered the father of Indian mathematics and director of the university in the 6th century.
By Mrityunjay.nalanda - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2136
Discovering Nalanda: the Indian university that revolutionized culture
The university also made a great contribution to the spread of Buddhism throughout Asia. In fact, ancient exchange 'Erasmus exchange programs' were organised in Nalanda, with the best students believed to be sent to other places such as China, Korea, Japan, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, precisely to spread Buddhist teachings and philosophy.
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Discovering Nalanda: the Indian university that revolutionized culture
The end of the university was in 1190, when the site was completely destroyed by troops from the Turkish-Afghan military general Bakhtiyar Khilji, who tried to extinguish the Buddhist centre of knowledge during his conquest of northern and eastern India. Today, the site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is thought that the fire that destroyed the library and large parts of the structure burned for over three months due to the size of the site.
By Tajdaar Aman - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=110494638
Discovering Nalanda: the Indian university that revolutionized culture
Admission to Nalanda University was very tough, as strict as those of modern elite colleges. To be admitted, the student had to pass a very strict selection process through an oral interview with Nalanda's best teachers and scholars. Those who entered, however, were taught by the best minds of the time, and revered Buddhist masters such as Dharmapala and Silabhadra.
By Slbhushan - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72645295
Discovering Nalanda: the Indian university that revolutionized culture
More than nine million volumes bound in palm leaves were stored there: it was the most important repository of Buddhist knowledge in the world. As reported by the BBC, one of the three library buildings was described by a monk as 'a nine-storey building hovering in the clouds'. Only very few volumes survived the catastrophe, saved by the monks during their escape. Today, these volumes can be found in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in the United States and the Yarlung Museum in Tibet.
By Hideyuki KAMON - originally posted to Flickr as Nalanda Buddhist University Ruins, CC BY-SA 2.0,
Discovering Nalanda: the Indian university that revolutionized culture
Nalanda is also said to have contributed to the spread of Buddhism in China and Japan. The famous travelling Buddhist monk Xuanzang is said to have studied and taught in Nalanda. He brought back almost 700 Buddhist volumes, which he translated into Chinese and contributed to the spread of Buddhism in China. His disciple, Dosho, would do the same on the Japanese island.
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