History Of Nalanda University: Nalanda University in the 5th century attracted students from all corners of the world to get better education. This ancient university flourished for 800 years until it was attacked by invaders in the 12th century and India continued to gain pride in the world due to this achievement. Even today, every Indian is filled with pride after reading its glorious history, but the story of this ancient university becoming a ruin makes an Indian feel repeatedly that he has lost something great.
The present government took the initiative to establish this ancient university as an international center of education and study, which would remind the people of the 21st century of the greatness of ancient India. Today, on June 19, new history is going to be made, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the newly constructed building of Nalanda University. The history of this first university of the country has been very interesting. Let us know how this university, which was at the top at one time, was burnt to ashes with such cruelty…
It is going to create new history after 825 years
This university was established in 427 AD, which was built by the ruler of the Gupta dynasty, Kumar Gupta (I). After this, its fame spread all over the world year after year. In this way, for about 800 years, it remained the most prominent center of education in the whole world. Bakhtiar Khilji set fire to Nalanda University. According to historians, there were so many books in its library that the fire did not extinguish for many months. Now, after 825 years, Nalanda University is going to create new history. Khilji destroyed it
Mohammad bin Bakhtiar Khilji was the commander of the then Delhi ruler Qutubuddin Aibak, who later became the first Muslim ruler of Bihar. Khilji killed thousands of religious leaders and Buddhist monks and destroyed Nalanda University. According to historians, when Khilji burnt the university, its 3-storey library had about 90 lakh books and manuscripts.
These subjects were taught
10,000 students from all over the world used to study together at Nalanda University. It is said that the arrangement for accommodation and food for the students was completely free here. Subjects like religion, philosophy, logic, painting, architecture, space and metallurgy, economics were taught here. Knowledge of modern medicine and Ayurveda was given here. Not only this, the university was also gaining fame for the study of mathematics and astronomy. Aryabhatta, the father of Indian mathematics, was the head of Nalanda University in the 6th century. According to history, Chinese traveler and scholar Xuanzang visited India in the 7th century. During this time he went to Nalanda University and also taught here. In 645 AD, he also translated many Buddhist religious texts he had taken with him into Chinese language.
Net ‘0’ Carbon Campus
Now the new university campus has been prepared in 455 acres area at the foothills of Vaibharagiri in Rajgir. This university, which is the world’s largest net zero carbon campus, has been built on the basis of ‘Panchamrit’ formula. The then Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj laid the foundation stone for its construction on 19 September 2014.
The new campus of Nalanda University is close to the ancient ruins of Nalanda. The new campus was established under the Nalanda University Act, 2010. This act has a provision to implement the decision taken in the second East Asia Summit held in the Philippines in 2007 for the establishment of the university.
These countries also have participation
The construction work of the university started in 2017. Apart from India, the 17 other countries participating in this university include Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. These countries have signed MoUs in support of the university.
Scholarships for students from these countries
The new university started functioning from a temporary space with 14 students in 2014. The university offers 137 scholarships to international students. Students from Argentina, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Laos, Liberia, Myanmar, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, USA, Vietnam and Zimbabwe are enrolled for PG courses for the academic year 2022-24, 2023-25 and PhD for 2023-27.
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