“Nalanda”: 3 Attacks on the Hub of Knowledge
Resilience, Destruction, and the Eternal Flame of Wisdom
Nalanda: An ancient symbol of human intellect, resilience, and the thirst for knowledge. Its story is one of greatness, destruction, and the ongoing pursuit of understanding. Join me on a journey through time to uncover Nalanda’s rise, fall, and the global quest for knowledge that once thrived here.
Infact, if you’ve been keeping up with the news, you’d know about the recent G20 summit in India. President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted a dinner for G20 leaders on September 9, with a backdrop featuring Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University), an ancient monastic institution. Prime Minister Modi also discussed the university’s importance with some G20 leaders.
let’s move forward with the main topic:
In the heart of the ancient kingdom of Magadha in what is now Bihar, something remarkable happened. It was the birth of Nalanda, the world’s first residential university. Nalanda was a special place for learning that welcomed people from different places, who spoke different languages and had different cultures.
The name “Nalanda” itself tells us a lot about what it stood for: “no stopping the gift of knowledge”. Kumaragupta I, a forward-thinking leader from the Gupta dynasty, started Nalanda University. It became a shining example of wisdom and learning in a world that was eager to gain knowledge.
Its influence extended, drawing scholars from India, China, Tibet, Persia, and beyond. Nalanda was more than a university; it was a hub of diverse ideas. Students studied Mahayana Buddhism and various Buddhist sects, as well as subjects like the Vedas, logic, Sanskrit grammar, medicine, and philosophy.
The campus housed meditation centers, temples, and libraries with manuscripts on religion, science, literature, astronomy, and more. It was a sanctuary of knowledge and innovation.
Yet, the zenith of Nalanda’s glory was not destined to last.
1/ The Hunas Invasion (455–470 AD): Plunderers of Knowledge
The first threat emerged between 455 and 470 AD when the Hunas, a Central Asian tribe, invaded Nalanda during Emperor Samudragupta’s Gupta Empire rule. Their primary aim was to plunder valuable resources from the university. Although the damage was not extensive, Skanda Gupta, another Gupta Emperor, diligently embarked on the university’s reconstruction. During his reign, the renowned Nalanda library was reinstated.
2/ Goudas Rajvansh’s Incursion (Early 7th Century): Political Rivalry and its Consequences
The second incident unfolded in the early 7th century when Goudas Rajvansh, the Bengal emperor, targeted Nalanda due to political tensions with Emperor Harshavardhana of Kannauj. This attack stemmed from political rivalry and led to some damage. However, Harshavardhana’s determined efforts ensured the university’s restoration, allowing Nalanda to resume its global knowledge-sharing mission.
3/ Bakhtiyar Khilji’s Devastation: Jealousy, Healing, and Destruction
Then entered Bakhtiyar Khilji, a Turko-Afghan military general who would irrevocably alter the course of history.
It is said that once Bakhtiyar Khilji fell severely ill and sought treatment from his Hakims, but without success. Eventually, someone advised him to consult Rahul Shribhadra ji, the head of Ayurveda at Nalanda University. Initially hesitant to receive treatment from an Indian doctor, Khilji had more faith in his officers. Nevertheless, after consulting multiple Hakims, Khilji finally summoned Rahul Sribhadra for treatment, unknowingly setting in motion a chain of events that would lead to destruction.
However, Khilji’s arrogance exceeded his own well-being. He imposed a condition that Rahul Shribhadra must not use any Indian medicine, and failure to cure him would result in death. Contemplating this challenge, Rahul Shribhadra accepted Khilji’s conditions. After a few days, he presented Khilji with a Quran, advising him to read a specific number of pages each day for recovery.
How did Rahul Shribhadra ji manage to cure Khilji’s illness? — In reality, Rahul Sribhadra had applied a medicinal paste on some pages of the Quran. Khilji, unaware of this, would moisten these pages with his saliva while reading, and this gradually facilitated his recovery. However, Khilji’s gratitude was short-lived, overshadowed by jealousy that a Hindustani Vaidya had succeeded where his Hakeem had failed. This jealousy led Khilji to contemplate the elimination of the entire source of knowledge, Nalanda Vishwavidyalaya.
What role did Khilji’s jealousy play in the subsequent destruction of Nalanda University? — Out of sheer jealousy, Khilji ordered the burning of Nalanda University. Even after this act, Khilji’s mind remained unsatisfied. He also ordered the massacre of thousands of religious leaders and Buddhist monks from Nalanda. Furthermore, he ordered the complete destruction of Nalanda itself. Minhaj Siraj’s account in “tabakat-I-Nasir” mentions that it took three months to burn all the books. Thousands of religious leaders and Buddhist monks met a tragic end. This episode stands as a dark stain in history, as an eccentric repaid the favor of a Hindustani Vaidya, an act history has never forgiven him for.
My question is- Did knowledge, in a twist of irony, play a role in its own demise? — The destruction of Nalanda raises profound questions about the value of knowledge, the fragility of human achievements, and the folly of arrogance.
Can the flames of knowledge ever truly be extinguished? — Nalanda’s peak of fame was during the 8th and 9th centuries CE under the Pala dynasty. Today, its ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage site, a reminder of a glorious past and a promise to safeguard knowledge.
One of the distinguished figures who once walked its corridors was Aryabhata, the mathematician-astronomer credited with introducing the concept of Zero in the 5th century CE. Their enduring legacy serves as a testament to human curiosity, resilience, and the timeless pursuit of knowledge that transcends both time and location.
In the end, Nalanda University’s story is not just about its rise and fall; it’s a reminder that knowledge, once ignited, is an eternal flame that can never truly be extinguished.
Thanks for reading!
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