Ancient Indian Education: A Timeless Legacy

“Education is not just the preparation for life, Education is life itself”

 

Did you even realise that India has long been the epicentre of knowledge? 

When compared to other nations, Indian education has a rich historical background. The writings on stones, metals, and palm leaf papers, as well as in our texts, serve as the foundation for our knowledge. With the passage of time, this method changed, and today's educational institutions use textbooks, exams, and a condensed curriculum.Ever thought about how things used to be? Humanity's forming and inspiring information, traditions, and practices were believed to have come from the previous educational system.

Most people believe that changes are always positive, but when we reflect on our education system which is nothing less than a marvel we see the exact opposite.

Let us understand our ancient educational system  in this article.

 

Why were travellers attracted towards India?

Our Indian education system started from the 3rd century B.c in a form of religion training and evolved with time. Different parts of India have long been visited by tourists from several regions. India was a magical place to them! Indian culture, wealth, philosophies, religions, art, architecture, and educational methods were well-known around the world. Apart from all the attractions, education is the topmost priority of the travellers. Indian lands offered the best methodologies and were extremely advanced in the ancient times.Travellers like Marco Polo from Italy, Ibn-e-Batuta from Morocco,Nicoloi Conti from Italy, Tsang Hi from China, Abdur Razzak-Ambassador from Iran,Athnasius Niketin from Russia,Bartholomu Diaz-Italian boat man,Eduardo Barbosa-Portuguese,Ralph Fisch (First English traveller),Ralph Fisch (First English traveller),Lama Taranath (Tibetian Bauddha),Captain Hawkins (English traveller),Nicholos Doughton (English Navy Officer) and many more.

 

How did the educational organisations emerge?

 

1. The family was the only agency of education during the prehistoric period down to about 1000 B.C. for both literary and professional education
2. With time, education started getting complex. That's when the specialist came into the picture in the form of ‘a private teacher’.
3. The followers of Vedas had no doubt formed their own literary organisations like the ‘Parishads’, and the ‘Chararias’.
4. Each learned ‘Brahmana’ is an educational institution by himself.
5. Many scholars were centered in well-known cities and sacred places like ‘Taxila’ and ‘Benares’, but they also provided instruction in their own right and typically did not come together to form universities. If a teacher had a large number of students under him, he would either take help of an assistant teacher or give some of his work to exceptionally gifted advanced students. But none of these actions would alter the unique nature of the school.
6. Buddhist monasteries gave rise to the corporate educational institutions in India. It was during the time of Ashoka when Buddhist monasteries developed into big establishments and eventually with time took the form of educational institutions.

 What were the sources of the Ancient education system?

• The education of the ancient scriptures like Vedas, Brahmanas, Upanishads, and Dharmasutras comprised the ancient educational system.
• The Scholars, ‘Aryabhata’, ‘Panini’, ‘Katyayana’, and ‘Patanjali’ must be familiar to you. Among the learning resources were their writings and the medical texts of ‘Sushruta’ and ‘Charaka’.
• Additionally, a distinction was made between ‘Kavyas’ (creative and imaginative literature) and ‘Shastras’ (learned sciences).  
• Diverse fields of study were consulted for information, including history (Itihas), logic (Anviksiki), interpretation (Mimamsa), architecture (Shilpa Shastra), politics (Arthashastra), agriculture, trade, commerce, and animal husbandry (Varta), and archery (Dhanurvidya).
• A significant portion of the curriculum included physical education, where students engaged in a variety of activities such as Yoga sadhana (mind and body training), Dhanurvidya (archery for learning martial arts), Vyayamaprakara (exercises), and Krida (games and leisure activities). Together, the Gurus and their students diligently studied to master all areas of knowledge.
• Old students mentored newly joined students. There was a peer-learning system in place, which involved group and peer work.

     

An illustration of the different fields covered by the Veda:

 

 

 The features of the education system in Ancient India:

Ancient India had both formal and informal educational systems. Native American education was given at ‘Chatuspadis’, ‘Gurukuls’, ‘Pathshalas', tols, temples, and homes. There were saints who helped young children adopt religious lifestyles in households, villages, and temples. Temples used to be  both educational institutions and hubs for the advancement of information in our prehistoric system. In search of deeper learning, students traveled to universities and viharas. Most of the time, instruction was given orally, and the learner documented the teachings.

‘Gurukuls’, famously referred to as ‘Ashrams', served as residential educational institutions. Gurukuls are surrounded by beautiful forests,  where hundreds of students study together. Even in the early Vedic era, women had access to education. We come across allusions to a number of notable female Vedic academics, including ‘Maitreyi’, ‘Viswambhara’, ‘Apala’, ‘Gargi’, and ‘Lopamudra’.

 

 How was the “Guru Shishya" relationship back in time?

The gurus and their shishyas co-existed at that time, supporting one another in daily life. Realising one's inner potential, living a disciplined life, and obtaining comprehensive education were the key goals. The students obtain their education from their gurus in the ashrams by staying  distantly from their families.The guru-shishya relationship developed over time in the gurukul as well. The emphasis was placed on developing the inner aspects of the personality as well as the external aspects of the various disciplines they were pursuing, such as history, debate art, law, medicine, etc.

 

 Education of ‘Nuns’ and ‘Monks’.

In their pursuit of knowledge, monks and nuns built several monasteries and viharas where they could meditate, engage in discourse, and confer with scholars. Other higher education institutions grew up around these viharas, drawing the attention of monasteries—a site where monks congregate and practice their religion 2022–2023. The Ancient Education System of India attracted students from far-off places such as China, Korea, Tibet, Burma, Ceylon, Java, Nepal, and others.

Universities and Villages The Jataka stories, the testimonies of Chinese academics Xuan Zang and I-Qing, and other evidence indicate that monarchs and society were actively involved in advancing education. Numerous well-known educational institutions were established as a result. During this time, some of the most prominent universities that emerged were in Takshashila, Nalanda, Valabhi, Vikramshila, Odantapuri, and Jagaddala. These universities came into being in relation to the viharas. These at Benaras, Navadeep, and Kanchi grew up in close proximity to temples and turned into hubs of local society in the areas where they were located. The requirements of advanced students were met by these establishments. These students enrolled in universities and advanced their knowledge through mutual discussions and arguments with distinguished academics. In addition, every now and then a monarch would call scholars from all throughout the nation's universities and viharas to a conference where they would convene, discuss, and share opinions.

 

‘TAXILA’ OR ‘TAKSHASHILA’ 

Located in northwest Pakistan, ‘Takshashila’ was formerly a historic Indian metropolis. In 1980, UNESCO designated this significant archeological site as a World Heritage Site. The University, where Chanakya is supposed to have written his Arthashastra, was the center of its renown. The mid-19th century saw the discovery of its ruins by archaeologist Alexander Cunningham.

Takshashila was a renowned center of study, encompassing Buddhist religious teachings, for many centuries in the past. Up to its demise in the fifth century CE, it attracted students from all over the world. It was renowned for having a higher Ancient scriptures, law, medicine, astronomy, military science, and the eighteen silpas, or arts, were among the subjects included in the curriculum and instruction. Takshashila's reputation as a learning destination stemmed from the skill of its instructors. Among its illustrious students was the renowned Indian grammarian Panini. Being a master of language and grammar, he wrote the Ashtadhyayi, one of the most influential grammar books ever. Here studied Jivaka, one of the greatest physicians of ancient India, and Chanakya, often called Kautilya, a master of statecraft. Despite the difficult and lengthy travel, students from Kashi, Kosala, Magadha, and other nations flocked to Takshashila.

 

The role of a teacher

Educator's role Instructors had total control over everything, including choosing which students to teach and creating curriculum. The course ended when the instructor was happy with the students' performance.

He taught what his students were eager to learn and would take as many students as he liked. The main teaching approaches were debate and discussion. Students at the advanced level helped the teachers.

 

NALANDA UNIVERSITY 

From the fifth until the twelfth centuries CE, the historic city of Nalanda served as a center for learning. UNESCO designated the ruins of Nalanda Mahavihara as a world historic site. Nalanda was one of the oldest universities in the world, and it was situated in what is now Rajgir, Bihar, India. It is intended for the future Nalanda University to serve as a hub for intercultural communication.

When Xuan Zang visited Nalanda, it was known as ‘Nala’ and was a center for advanced learning in a number of subjects. Scholars from around the nation and the world were drawn to the university. In the seventh century CE, two Chinese academics, I-Qing and Xuan Zang, made a trip to Nalanda. They have provided detailed descriptions of Nalanda. They have observed that up to one hundred discourses in a range of disciplines occur every day through the techniques of discussion and debate. Xuan Zang enrolled in Nalanda University to study yogashastra. He said that the greatest living authority in yoga was Shilabhadra, the Chancellor of Nalanda. The range of studies that Nalanda University provided was extensive, nearly the whole field of knowledge at the time was covered by the courses that Nalanda University offered. In addition to studying the Vedas, students at Nalanda received instruction in the fine arts, medicine, astronomy, mathematics, politics, and battle tactics.

How did society help in the education of the students?

Knowledge was free at the time and was regarded as sacred. Donations for education were regarded as the highest category of giving. Everyone in the community made a contribution of some kind. Society, wealthy parents, and wealthy businesses provided financial support. In addition to buildings, gifts of land were given to the universities. Similar free education programs were offered at other historic universities like ‘Jagaddala’, ‘Valabhi’, and ‘Vikramshila’. Agraharas functioned as educational hubs at the same period throughout southern India. Other cultural institutions known as ‘Ghatika’ and ‘Brahmapuri’ were also present in the kingdoms of South India. A Ghatika was a little educational institution that taught both religion and other subjects. An Agrahara was a larger establishment, a community comprising knowledgeable Brahmins, had independent governmental authority and was sustained by kind contributions from the community. Additionally, there were Buddhist viharas, Mathas, Jain basadis, and temples at this time.

A contrast of Ancient Indian education and today!

The Indian educational system persisted as native schools, ashrams, and temples. In the Middle Ages, madrassas and maktabas were incorporated into the educational system. Indigenous schooling was quite popular in pre-colonial India. This was a development of the earlier-implemented formal system. The majority of the schooling in this system was spiritual and religious. There were similar schools in various parts of India, such as pathshalas in western India, chatuspadis in Bihar, and tols in Bengal. Education was funded by donations and local resources. In southern India, locals also supported education, according to references found in writings and memoirs. As far as we can tell, the goal of India's traditional educational system was to prepare pupils for life by emphasizing their overall growth on the inside as well as the outside.

Educationists today acknowledge the value of multilingual and multicultural instruction in bridging the gap between traditional and ancient knowledge and modern education.

 

An educator's only goal is to impart knowledge and enable students to become lifelong learners. Learning the best practices and putting them into effect is always a good idea. While it's true that we should learn from the past and move forward, some parts of the past—like our fantastic Indian educational system—can never be replaced.

 

FAQs

1. Is education free in India?

In India, public higher education is usually not free.Even though children between the ages of six and fourteen are guaranteed free and compulsory education under the Right to Education Act, there may still be some costs associated with it, such as those for textbooks, uniforms, and transportation. 

2. What are the major boards of education in India?

The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education, the Central Board of Secondary Education, state boards, and others are the main education boards in India.

3. What is the education system like in India?

India's educational system is based on the 10+2+3 framework. It comprises two years of higher secondary school (grades 11–12), three years of undergraduate study, and ten years of elementary and secondary education (grades 1–10).

4.  What is the government doing to improve the Indian higher education system?

The Indian government is improving the higher education system in a number of ways, such as:

• Spending more on higher education: Recently, the government has raised its expenditures for higher education.
• Enhancing education quality: The government is trying to raise educational standards by training teachers and making infrastructural improvements.
• Increasing access to education: By constructing additional colleges and universities, the government hopes to increase access to education.
   

5. What are the fees for higher education institutions in India?
   The cost of attending a higher education institution in India varies based on the kind of school and the program a student is interested in. In general, fees at government institutions are less than those at private ones. Specialized program fees, like those for MBBS and LLB, are typically more than those for ordinary programs.