TakshaShila is a City in
ancient India, the site of the ancient world's supposed first international
university (c. 800 BCE - 550 CE). It is described as the wealthiest city in
India. The designation "Taksha" symbolizes the abiding ideals of
solid and deep-rooted respect for teachers, unfettered freedom of
thought, learning of different streams of knowledge, excellence in
education, and extraordinary
discipline, that prevailed at the ancient University.
Some scholars date
TakshaShila’s existence back to the 8th century BCE. It was known as a centre
of learning at least several centuries before Christ, and continued to attract
students from around the ancient world until its destruction in the 5th century
CE. At ancient Takshashila University, 10,500 students who came from within
India and outside (Babylonia-now Iraq, Greece, Egypt, Syria, Asia Minor-now
Turkey, Arabia, and China), to be taught by nearly 2000 master-teachers. The
curriculum consisted of some 68 elective courses, including philosophy, law,
state-craft, defence, warfare strategies, grammar (several languages), the arts
(music, dance, fine arts, etc.), mathematics, astronomy, astrology, plants
& herbs, medicine (Ayurveda, Ayurvedic acupuncture, etc.), and surgery.
Some of these, such as medicine, were taught for up to seven years before
graduation.
TakshaShila’s famous researchers and teachers include: Panini (the great grammarian of Sanskrit); Kautilya, also known as Chanakya (king-maker, astute political advisor, and author of ArthaShastra, c. 300 BCE, deemed by social and economic historian Max Weber as one of the greatest political state-craft books of the ancient world); Charaka (the distinguished physician, whose research on the region’s flora and fauna described in his CharakaSamhita strengthened the development of Ayurveda); and Jivaka (the great physician to Gautama Buddha and his followers).
The archaeological site of Takshashila was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.
TakshaShila’s famous researchers and teachers include: Panini (the great grammarian of Sanskrit); Kautilya, also known as Chanakya (king-maker, astute political advisor, and author of ArthaShastra, c. 300 BCE, deemed by social and economic historian Max Weber as one of the greatest political state-craft books of the ancient world); Charaka (the distinguished physician, whose research on the region’s flora and fauna described in his CharakaSamhita strengthened the development of Ayurveda); and Jivaka (the great physician to Gautama Buddha and his followers).
The archaeological site of Takshashila was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.