Takshashila University: Difference between revisions

John Marshall noted that Taxila became a prominent center of learning following the Persian conquests, owing to its strategic location "at the North-Western gateway of the subcontinent" and the "cosmopolitan nature of its inhabitants". Initially established as a Vedic seat of education, it laid the groundwork for future Buddhist institutions. According to Frazier and Flood, the well-structured Vedic model of learning facilitated the establishment of the Mahavihara at this site, which later inspired institutions like Nalanda (mid 5th century CE), Odantapuri (8th century CE), and Vikramashila (late 8th century CE).

These Buddhist universities not only focused on Vedic texts and rituals but also encompassed various theoretical disciplines linked to the sciences of the Vedas. This included fields such as linguistics, law, astronomy, and logic. Takshashila gained particular acclaim for its teachings in Vedic science, medicine, and the arts, offering an extensive curriculum that included both religious and secular subjects, even covering practical skills like archery and astrology.

John Marshall stated that "In early Buddhist literature, particularly in the ''Jatakas'', Takshashila is frequently referenced as a university center where students could receive instruction in nearly any subject, whether religious or secular, ranging from the Vedas to mathematics and medicine, and even astrology and archery". The significance of Takshashila as a hub of knowledge intensified during the Maurya Empire and under Greek rule (Indo-Greeks) in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE. It did not function as a university in the contemporary sense, as teachers residing there may not have held official affiliations with specific colleges, unlike the later [[Nalanda University]] in Bihar.

The destruction wrought by Toramana in the 5th century CE appears to have marked the end of Takshashila's role as a center of learning.