Takshashila: World’s First University

India has a long and venerable history in the field of higher education. In ancient times, the country was known to have been home to the oldest formal universities in the world. More than 2700 years back a huge university existed in that ancient India where over 10,500 students from all across the world came for higher studies.

This was the Takshila/TakshaShila university of ancient India (700 BC). During its times this university was the IIT and MIT of the world. During the 800 years that Takshila was operational, it attained great fame. The University consisted of

300 lecture halls with stones benches for sitting.
Laboratories.
Observatory called the Ambudharaavlehi for astronomical research.
Massive Library called Dharma Gunj or Mountain of Knowledge.
consisting of 3 buildings: Ratna Sagar, Ratnodavi and Ratnayanjak.

The Vayu Purana traces the start of Takshila to Taksha, son of Bharata and is also mentioned in Mahabharata, citing Dhaumya as one of the Acharyas. There are several mentions of this University in the Buddhist Jataka Tales. Chinese travellers like Fa Hian (Faxain) and Huien Tsang (XuanZang) also speak of Takshila in their writings.

COURSE AND CURRICULUM:

The university offered 68 different courses in various field such as science, mathematics, medicine, politics, warfare, astrology, astronomy, music, dance, religion, vedas, grammar, ayurveda, agriculture, surgery, commerce, futurology, and philosophy were taught by nearly 2000 master-teachers. There were even curious subjects like the art of discovering hidden treasure, decrypting encrypted messages, etc. The Vedas and the Eighteen Arts, which included skills such as archery, hunting, and elephant lore, were taught, in addition to its law school, medical school, and school of military science. Takshila was specialized in the study of medicine.

ADMISSION CRITERIA:

Students were admitted to this university at the age of 16 after they had completed their primary education at home (until the age of eight), and secondary education in the Ashrams (between the ages of eight and sixteen). Every single graduate who passed out of this university would become a well sought after scholar all across the subcontinent! Admission into this university was purely based on merit. The students would opt for electives and then would do indepth study and research into their field of choice. Entrance exam to Takshila was very difficult and only 3 out of every 10 students passed the admission test.

DIVERSITY!

More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied here. The campus accommodated students who came from as far as Babylonia (Iraq), Greece, Egypt, Syria, Asia Minor (Turkey), Arabia, and China.

AUTONOMOUS UNIVERSITY!

No external authorities like kings or local leaders subjected the scholastic activities at Takshashila to their control. Each teacher formed his own institution, enjoying complete autonomy in work, teaching as many students as he liked and teaching subjects he liked without confirming to any specific centralized syllabus. Study terminated when the teacher was satisfied with the student’s level of achievement. In most cases, the schools were located within the teachers’ private houses, and at times students were advised to quit their studies if they were unable to fit into the social, intellectual and moral atmosphere there. The teachers were exempted from the payment of taxes and they were given ample amounts of money on the the occasion of various sacrifices and rituals as well.

NO ADMISSION FEE!

Knowledge was considered too sacred to be bartered for money, and hence any stipulation that fees ought to be paid was vigorously condemned. Financial support came from the society at large, as well as from rich merchants and wealthy parents. Though the number of students studying under a single Guru sometimes numbered in the hundreds,teachers did not deny education even if the student was poor; free boarding and lodging was provided, and students had to do manual work in the household. Paying students like princes were taught during the day; non-paying ones, at night. Guru Dakshina was usually expected at the completion of a student’s studies, but it was essentially a mere token of respect and gratitude – many times being nothing more than a turban, a pair of sandals, or an umbrella. In cases of poor students being unable to afford even that, they could approach the king, who would then step in and provide something. Not providing a poor student a means to supply his Guru’s Dakshina was considered the greatest slur on a King’s reputation.

EXAMS NO CONSTRAINT!

Examinations were treated as superficial, not considered part of the requirements to complete one’s studies. The process of teaching was thorough- unless one unit was mastered completely, the student was not allowed to proceed to the next. No convocations were held upon completion, and no written degrees were awarded, since it was believed that knowledge was its own reward. Using knowledge for earning a living or for any selfish end was considered the ultimate Disaster.

ALUMNI: Takshashila’s famous researchers and teachers include

Panini, the great grammarian of Sanskrit, to whom Prof. Noam Chomsky of MIT attributes the origin of linguistics. He was an expert in language and grammar and authored one of the greatest works on grammar ever written called Ashtadhyayi. Ashtadhyayi means eight chapters and is more complicated and at the same time highly technical and specific defining the features and rules of Sanskrit grammar, like how we have modern day books on computer programming languages like C/C++.
Charaka, the famous ancient Indian ayurvedic physician was a product of Takshashila university. He originally authored the Charaka Samhita (simplifying an even older ayurvedic work called the Agnivesha Samhita) which along with Sushrutha Samhita, Ashtanga Sangraha and Ashtanga Hrudayam forms the root of modern Ayurveda. Charaka said, ‘A physician who fails to enter the body of a patient with the lamp of knowledge and understanding can never treat diseases’ .
Jivak, was a doctor and an expert in pulse reading (understanding the health status of the body by just listening to the person’s pulse!). He studied Ayurveda in Takshashila University for seven years. His areas of specialization was Panchakarma, Marma and Surgery.Jivak was the personal physician of Buddha and also cured the Nadi Vran of Buddha! He also worked with the great classic beauty Amrapali and ensured that she retained her youthful countenance and performed many amazing operations on her using only Marma points and surgical procedures! He also invented a cure for Filariasis. There are over 15000 handwritten manuscripts of Jivak’s expertise passed on by generations to their children and are still preserved in India even today.
Chanakya, the great political master also called Kautilya/Vishnugupta who not only authored the world’s finest work till today on political duties, statecraft, economic policies, state intelligence systems, administrative skills and military strategy, called the Artha Shastra which consists of 15 books, but who also guided Chandragupta Maurya as a mentor who founded the Great Mauryan Empire, and also served as the prime minister of the Mauryan Empire! In fact Chanakya is known to be the third most famous management consultant in India after Krishna and Shakuni.
Vishnu Sharma , the author of the great book that teaches the art of political science in the form of simple beautiful stories called the Pancha Tantra (meaning the five techniques). It is said that Vishnu Sharma wrote these stories in order to convert three dumb princes of a king into able political administrators within a span of six months!
Jotipala, son of the Purohita of the king of Banaras, returned from Takshashila with great proficiency in archery or military science and was later appointed commander-in-chief of Banaras.
Prasenajit, the enlightened ruler of Kosala, who is intimately associated with the events of the time of the Buddha.

Takshila’s prosperity resulted from its position at the junction of three great trade routes. In the second half of the 5th century, it was severely damaged by Hephthalite invasions; during the 7th century it was gradually abandoned by its inhabitants. Excavations begun in 1913 finally gave the world a peak into the best minds in Indian history. Takshila was listed by the UNESCO as one of the World Heritage Sites in 1980.

As an ancient sanskrit quote says “स्वगृहे पूज्यते मूर्खः स्वग्रामे पूज्यते प्रभुः। स्वदेशे पूज्यते राजा विद्वान्सर्वत्र पूज्यते॥” (A fool is worshiped at his home. A chief is worshiped in his town. A king is worshiped in his kingdom. A knowledgeable person is worshipped everywhere)