History of Nalanda University

History of Nalanda University

When the Gupta Empire was in power, several Indian sponsors helped create Nalanda. Its faculty over 750 years comprised some of the most renowned experts in Mahayana Buddhism. Grammar, medicine, logic, and mathematics were among the six main Buddhist schools and philosophies taught by Nalanda Mahavihara, along with Yogacara and Sarvastivada. Many books written at Nalanda contributed to the growth of the Mahayana and Vajrayana schools of Buddhism. By the time Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji’s army plundered and destroyed it, it had been partially reconstructed, and it had survived until around the year 1400 CE....

Nalanda University

At the time that Chinese pilgrim Xuan Zang travelled to India, Nalanda was a center of study. He spent time learning in Nalanda with other pilgrims, and he characterized it as:...

Destruction under Bakhtiyar Khalji

Nalanda and other nearby monasteries, including the Odantapuri Vihar, were demolished and the decline of the Ghurid dynasty general Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji was started. Three sources that are consistent but contain certain gaps that cause doubts and a small disagreement about the precise date support this destruction. A Muslim historian provides the first piece of proof. The second is Buddhist monks’ records that were uncovered in Tibet. The third form of proof comes from archaeological digs when layers of charcoal deposits were found covering damaged artwork, ruins, and Nalanda library remnants....

Revival of Nalanda University

For several centuries, Nalanda University remained abandoned and largely forgotten. The site gradually became covered with vegetation and fell into disrepair. The decline of Buddhism in India, along with political and social changes, contributed to the neglect and abandonment of the once prestigious institution....

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