Who Destroyed the Nalanda University of Ancient India and why?

In 1202 AD, Turkic invader Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji destroyed and ransacked the Nalanda University. He burnt thousand of monks alive and thousands were beheaded. 

But do you know why Bakhtiyar Khilji did such a regressive act of destroying a centre of learning and gaining knowledge? In this article, we will know why Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji destroyed Nalanda University.

Nalanda University: A great centre for learning in Ancient India

Nalanda University was established by Gupta emperor Kumargupta I, the ruler of the Gupta Empire in 427 CE. Kumargupta I is also known as Sakraditya. Ancient Nalanda University was situated in the Kingdom of Magadh (modern-day Bihar) in India. In today’s time, Nalanda University is located in Rajgir of Bihar’s Nalanda district.

The campus of Nalanda Unversity was spread over 12 hectares of land and had 8 large halls with 300 compartments. The University had the biggest libraries, it has 4 libraries namely Dharmakunj, Ratnasagar, Ratnodadhi, and Ratnajaka. The library of Nalanda University had more than 90 lakh books and all of them were handwritten and only copies available.

Students came from countries like  Japan, China, Korea, Turkey, Tibet, Mongolia, Persia, etc. to gain knowledge in Asia’s biggest and most prestigious Nalanda University. Students don’t have to pay any fees at that time because education was completely free.

According to Hiuen Tsang, a Chinese scholar who studied at the University of Nalanda, the university had more than 1,500 teachers and 10,000 monks to teach various subjects like Mathematics, Science, Ayurveda, Architecture, Medicine, Religion (especially Buddhism), Vedas, Philosophy, Warfare, History, Literature, and many others.

Read About: Top 5 Ancient Universities of Indian for learning in Ancient India and their Astonishing History

In 1202 AD, Turkic invader Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji destroyed and ransacked the Nalanda University. He burnt thousand of monks alive and thousands were beheaded. When Islamic fanatic Bakhtiyar Khilji set the Library of Nalanda University on fire it kept on burning for more than 3 months, Lakhs of books and Manuscripts were burnt.

Why Bakhtiyar Khilji Destroyed and Ransacked the Nalanda University?

According to a historical source, once Bakhtiyar Khilji got very ill and the Haqims of his court were not able to cure him. Then someone told him about Ayurveda scholar Acharya Rahul Sribhadra, although he was not ready to take treatment from an outsider, he had to call Acharya Rahul Sribhadra to save his life.

Acharya Rahul Sribhadra did the treatment of Khilji and saved his life. Khilji was not able to digest the fact that an Indian scholar and teacher knew more than his Haqims and countryman.

That’s why Khilji decided to destroy all the sources of knowledge in Ancient India. Fanatic Bakhtiyar Khilji set the Library of Nalanda University on fire, it kept on burning for more than 3 months, and more than 90 Lakhs of books (Manuscripts) were burnt.

The Revival of Ancient Nalanda University

The University of Nalanda was a great centre of learning in Ancient India for around 800 years until the Turkic Invader Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji destroyed this education centre in 1202 AD.

Students came from countries like  Japan, China, Korea, Turkey, Tibet, Mongolia, Persia, etc. to gain knowledge in Asia’s biggest and most prestigious University.

In March 2006, the former President of India Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam came up with the idea of reviving the ancient Nalanda University while addressing the Bihar Legislative Assembly.

Read About: Somnath Temple: A Temple which was Destroyed and Looted 17 Times by the Islamic Invaders

The ancient University of Nalanda was revived and re-established by an act of the Indian Parliament in the year 2010. The new campus of Nalanda University is located in Rajgir of Nalanda District in Bihar.

FAQs About Nalanda University

Answers to some of the most Frequently Asked Questions about Nalanda University, the world’s first International University of Ancient India.

Who destroyed Nalanda University?

In 1202 AD, Turkic invader Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji destroyed and ransacked the Nalanda University. He burnt thousand of monks alive and thousands were beheaded. 

Who Founded Nalanda University?

Nalanda University was founded by Gupta emperor Kumargupta I, the ruler of the Gupta Empire in 427 CE. Kumargupta I is also known as Sakraditya.

Where is Nalanda University Located?

Ancient Nalanda University was located in the Kingdom of Magadh (modern-day Bihar) in India. In today’s time, Nalanda University is located in Rajgir of Bihar’s Nalanda district.

How many books were burnt in the library of Nalanda University?

Fanatic Bakhtiyar Khilji set the Library of Nalanda University on fire which burned down more than 9 million Books (Manuscripts). The library of Nalanda University kept burning for more than 3 months.

How old is Nalanda University?

Nalanda University was built-in 427 CE by Gupta emperor Kumargupta I, the ruler of the Gupta Empire and it is more than 1500 years old.

Conclusion

The ancient University of Nalanda was a great centre of learning in ancient India but fanatic Bakhtiayr Khilji destroyed and ransacked the university in 1202 AD.

Bakhtiyar Khilji was not able to digest the fact that an Indian scholar and teacher knew more than his Haqims and countryman. That’s why Khilji decided to destroy all the sources of knowledge in Ancient India and set the library of Nalanda on fire.

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