Nalanda University – Simple History

What was Nalanda University?

Nalanda University was an ancient center of learning in India. It is considered one of the oldest universities in the world.

It was located in Bihar, India, near Rajgir.

When was it built?

• Nalanda University was started around the 5th century CE.
• It was built by King Kumaragupta I of the Gupta Empire.

Why was it famous?

• It was a residential university, where students lived and studied.
• More than 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers studied and taught there.
• Students came from China, Korea, Tibet, Sri Lanka, and other countries.

What subjects were taught?

Students studied many subjects, such as:

• Buddhism and philosophy
• Mathematics
• Medicine (Ayurveda)
• Astronomy
• Logic and grammar

Library of Nalanda

• Nalanda had a huge library called Dharmaganja.
• It had thousands of handwritten books.
• It was one of the largest libraries in the ancient world.

Famous students

• Xuanzang and Yijing, famous Chinese scholars, studied and wrote about Nalanda.

How was it destroyed?

• In the 12th century, Nalanda was attacked by Bakhtiyar Khilji.
• Buildings and libraries were burned.
• After this, the university slowly stopped working.

Nalanda today

• The ruins of Nalanda are still in Bihar.
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• A new Nalanda University was opened by the Indian government in 2010.