Takshashila University
Takshashila University (also known as the Hellenized
Taxila) was an important institution of learning in
Ancient India. Legend has it that
Taksha an ancient Indian king who ruled in a kingdom called Taksha Khanda (Tashkent) founded the city of Takshashila. The word Takshashila, in
Sanskrit means "belonging to the King Taksha".
Taksha was the son of
Bharata (brother of the legendary
Rama) and Mandavi (cousin of
Sita), historical characters who appear in the Indian epic
Ramayana. Today, the ruins of the ancient city can be found at
Taxila in the
Punjab province of
Pakistan, about thirty kilometres northwest of
Islamabad. It is known as one of the oldest
universities in the world.
Although Takshashila lies in modern-day Pakistan, it is revered most in India, especially by Hindus and Buddhists. It is revered by Hindus because the great strategist,
Chanakya, who later consolidated the empire of the emperor
Chandragupta Maurya, was a senior professor there. It is also revered by Buddhists because it is believed that the Mahayana form of
Buddhism was founded there.
Some scholars date Takshashila's existence to
c.700 BCE. It became a noted centre of learning at least four centuries before Christ, and continued to attract students from around the old world until the destruction of the city in the
6th century AD. Takshashila is perhaps best known because of its association with Chanakya, celebrated king-maker mentor of Chandragupta Maurya, founder of the
Maurya empire. The famous treatise of
Arthashastra (
Sanskrit for The knowledge of
Economics) by Chanakya, is said to have been composed in Takshashila itself.The institution is also significant in Buddhist tradition since it is believed that the Mahayana sect of
Buddhism took shape there.
Generally, a student entered Takshashila at the age of sixteen. The four
Vedas (Rig-Ved, Sama-Ved, Yajur-Ved, Atharva-Ved) and the Eighteen Arts were taught, in addition to law, medicine and warfare. Skills such as dhanushvidya (Sanskrit for archery), hunting and elephant-lore were also taught.
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Ancient Universities of India*http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040111/spectrum/book5.htm
