Centres of education

The essentials

Education in early India took place in many settings. The gurukula was the teacher's household where students lived and studied. Temples supported schools and colleges; in south India, temple colleges called ghatikas and Kerala's salais taught Vedic and other subjects. Agraharas were villages granted to learned Brahmins, which became centres of scholarship. Mathas (monastic establishments) also taught.

Buddhist viharas became large centres of learning. Takshashila (Taxila, now in Pakistan) was famous for teachers of many subjects; Buddhist tradition says the physician Jivaka studied medicine there. Nalanda in Bihar, which grew under Gupta patronage from the 5th century CE, became a great monastic university attracting scholars from across Asia; it was supported by grants of villages from kings such as Harsha and later the Palas. Vikramashila, founded by the Pala king Dharmapala, and Odantapuri were other Buddhist centres in eastern India. Valabhi in Gujarat was an important centre in western India.

Education was largely community-supported: kings, merchants and villagers donated land, money and food. Teachers in many traditions did not charge fixed fees; students offered gurudakshina at the end. Later, pathshalas, tols, maktabs and madrasas served Hindu and Muslim communities.

Key points

• Gurukula, ghatika, salai, agrahara, matha, vihara.
• Nalanda – Bihar; Vikramashila – founded by Dharmapala (Pala).
• Takshashila – north-west; Valabhi – Gujarat.
• Funding: land grants and donations rather than fees.

Exam tips

• Remember founder or patron for each university and its region.

Common mistakes

• Thinking Takshashila was organised exactly like a modern campus university; it was a cluster of independent teachers and monasteries.
• Attributing Vikramashila's foundation to the Guptas.