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constructed in the name of the Buddha. He made The Nalanda University
numerous endowments to the university at which was set up during
Nalanda. The university prospered and became a the Gupta period,
famous centre of learning due to his financial attained its glory during
support. Harsha’s death brought the downfall of the rule of
the kingdom. Harshavardhana. The
Activity university had a six-storey Nalanda University
building, with several
How does the foreign travellers account of colleges and three large libraries. The students
description about that time help us to know about were not made to pay any fee including for
that era?
lodging and boarding, but the conditions of
We get detailed information about Harsha’s reign admission were strict. The subjects in the
from the account of Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang curriculum included grammar, logic, medicine,
who came India in the fourth century CE and astronomy, philosophy, metaphysics, Brahmanical
stayed here for about 15 years. Another source of studies and Buddhist studies etc. The number of
information is the biography of Harsha named students in the university was put at 10,500, who
Harshacharita , written by Banabhatta , a sanskrit were taught by 1510 scholars of repute. The head
scholar of Harshavardhana’s court. Besides, of the university was Shilbhadra , a famous
Harsha’s own dramas in Sanskrit, his coins and Buddhist scholar of rare ability. Harshavardhana
inscriptions throw light on his reign. had earmarked the revenue of 100 villages to
meet its expenditure. In addition, the rich people
Info Bits generously donated to the university.
Info Bits
Hiuen-Tsang too taught at this university for five
According to the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen-Tsang, who years.
visited Harsha’s empire in 636 CE, his army had
60,000 war elephants and 10,000 horses. Society
Administration The people during Harshavardhana’s rule were
simple in food, cloth and shelter. They ate
Hiuen-Tsang has admired Harshavardhana for his
vegetarian food and avoided onion and garlic.
administration. He says that it was well organised
They wore unstitched garments. The poor people
and generous. Taxes were reasonable. The total lived in mud houses and the rich lived in brick
income of the kingdom was spent thus—one-
houses. The floors were plastered with cow-dung
fourth on government, one-fourth on public regularly.
services and welfare, one-fourth on helping the
holy men and elementary education in temples; The people were categorised into traditional four
and one-fourth to help scholars and higher varnas and further into many castes and sub-
education. Thus, we see that he paid particular castes. There were many restrictions within and
attention to education. outside the castes, especially concerning food and
marriage. The low-caste people were treated as
Harshavardhana maintained a large and strong
army. The crimes were scarce, but punishments untouchables and they lived outside the towns.
The Sati system was prevalent, in which the wife
were harsh. The capital punishment too was given set herself ablaze at the pyre of her dead husband.
for certain crimes.
Education
Info Bits
Info Bits
Elementary education was imparted at temples
under the supervision of holy men, while higher The evil Sati system was abolished in the
education was imparted at the Nalanda nineteenth century.
University.
Contemporary Social Science-6
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