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Monday, March 6, 2017

Indian Centers of Learning

Introduction
India's educational system has been around for millennia.  There were different methods of learning and 6 types of teachers.  India had 2 systems of education in India.  Indian women were highly educated.  Most people got a vocational education.  There were various educational institutions, some of which were famous. India's stellar educational systems fell off after the Muslims invaded.

Way of Diversity
Teachers sometimes told stories to explain certain concepts to students.  Sometimes students ask the guru questions.  The guru would talk at length about the answer to the questions.  Students would observe gurus so they could know how to complete a task.  Listening and meditating were tools for learning.  Some students would break down what was taught them and study each part.  The art of debating was used to gain knowledge.
Teaching Variety
Gurus that taught their pupils the Vedas were called Acarya.  They didn't charge.  Professional teachers were called Upadhyaya.  They charged.  Charakas were wandering scholars.  They traveled throughout India learning.  They told people what they if they were willing to listen.  Yaujanasatikas were teachers that taught international students.  Sikshaka were dance instructors.

Yin-Yang
Vedic Educational System: The educational system was called Gurukulas.  The Brahmins and Kshatriyas learned this educational system.  Sanskrit is the language of this system.  The pupil would live with the Guru for a number of years.  Education was used for self-actualization.  It helped people intellectually, socially, economically, and spiritually.  Mothers teach their children manners, so they would respect their elders. Women had the same freedom as men in education and they had to be celibate while studying.

Buddhist Educational System: The goal of this system is wisdom and its language is Pali.  This form of education wasn't caste focused.  BES was only for monks, then it was open to the public.  At first, women weren't allowed in the BES, but Buddha changed his mind.  Women monks had to stay away from male monks so they wouldn't have sex.  To become a teacher you had to be a monk for 10 years.  The pupil cooked for the teacher and washed their clothes.
Indian Women
A lot of women in India learned music and dance.  Some women studied till they were married, while others studied their whole life.  Some women even debated!!!!!  Women composed hymns and played musical instruments.  Women were taught parts of Vedas.
Vocational Education
There were 64 professions in ancient India.  They were known as the 64 arts.  An apprentice was taught a vocation a number of years and his/her teacher took care of him/her.  Some professions were training elephants or horses, dancing, farming, architecture, art, medicine, jeweler, etc.

Educational Institutions
Parishads: Colleges that teachers and students met 4 discussions and debates.
Goshti: Gatherings of the Masters.  The academia came to a temple at the behest of a king.  They discussed different subjects.  One scholar got 1000 cows with horns covered in gold.

Agraharas: A place in a village where Brahmins taught.

Mathas: Pupils would receive religious and secular teachings here.

Vihara: Buddist monasteries where pupils were taught Buddist philosophy.

List of Universities
Takshasila/Taxila: This university was founded over 2500 years ago!!!!!!  The 16 branches of learning were taught here.  64 subjects were taught at this university.  Some of the subjects were philosophy, grammar, politics, astronomy, heka, and languages.  There was a great medical school in Takshasila. You had to be at least 16 years old to be a student here.  At one time it had over 10,000 students. People from Canaan, Babylon, China, Greece and other countries came to this university.  This was a Hindu university.

Nalanda:  This was a Mahayana Buddhist monastery in East India that became a world-renown university.  It lasted for about 1900 years.  Students came from China, Tibet, Central Asia, Korea, Indonesia, and other places.  Mahayana & Hinayana Buddhism was studied there.  The Vedas, Sanskrit, Samkhya, and medicine were also studied.  There were huge libraries at Nalanda.  They contained over 100,000 books.  Nalanda is the birthplace of Tibetan Buddism.
Vallabhi: This university promoted Hinayana Buddhism.  It lasted as long as Nalanda, but it was in West India.  Politics, business, farming, theology, law, economics, public administration, and accounting.  When pupils graduated from here they became government workers.  This was a school for rich people.  Like my university Hampton University.  Go Pirates!!!!!!!!!

Vikramashila: Vajrayana was taught here.  Students from, Kashmir, Java, Tibet, and Nepal came there.  It lasted for about 1700 years.

There were other great universities as well.  Many people from aboard went to India to learn.  But Indians stayed home to learn.  Muslims leaders got Indian scholars to work for them and help them with astronomy.

Destruction of Learning
Muslims started invading India in the 1100's.  They destroyed the universities.  A lot of Indians got killed.  It was so sad.  If Indian universities never were destroyed the world would be a better place.
Cheer Up
These ancient universities were recreated by the Indian government.  I assume they give students stellar education like they did in ancient times.  India is the mother of Asia!!!!!!!!!  I was told I was an Indian in a past life.
Conclusion
India had great educational systems in ancient times.  It had diverse ways of learning and different kinds of teachers.  There were Vedic and Buddhist educational systems in India.  Women played a big role in education.  There were great vocational training and educational institutions.  There were several stellar universities.  University may be an Indian idea!!!!!!!  The universities were destroyed by Muslims.  Indians recreated the universities. Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!

References
https://www.quora.com/How-was-the-Gurukul-education-system-in-ancient-India
http://www.indiatva.com/ancient-education-system-in-india
https://archive.org/stream/educationinancie032398mbp/educationinancie032398mbp_djvu.txt
http://www.thisismyindia.com/ancient_india/ancient-india-education.html
Ancient Indian Education
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Ancient_universities_of_the_Indian_subcontinent
http://www.aicte-india.org/downloads/ancient.pdf
http://www.hitxp.com/articles/history/ancient-universities-india-takshashila-nalanda/
http://www.vkmaheshwari.com/WP/?p=522
http://astonishingindia20.blogspot.com/2011/02/takshasila-university.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_conquests_of_the_Indian_subcontinent
10 Indian Universities
Taxila 
Nalanda
Vikramshila Ruins
Muslim Destruction of India's Universities

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