A country’s educational institutions are potent symbols of its soft power; they mirror the forward journey of a nation as it surges ahead on the road to development while keeping its civilizational and cultural heritage intact. The modern education system of a country thus, ideally speaking, should not be an antithesis of its civilizational ethos, but rather successfully merge the narrative of its cultural and civilizational valor with the foundational values of education.
Taking forward Bharat’s mission of preserving and promoting its ancient wisdom and civilizational and cultural values within the construct of a modern education system, Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the new campus of Nalanda University in Bihar’s Rajgir.
The ceremony was attended by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and ambassadors from around 17 countries. The inauguration of the new campus begins a new chapter for the 1600-year-old historic university which would have been giving tough competition to the likes of Ivy League universities, had it not been destroyed by Islamic invaders.
Situated in the ancient kingdom of Magadha (modern-day Bihar), Nalanda University was established in the 5th century CE. It was located near the city of Rajagriha or the present-day Rajgir, close to present-day Pana known as Pataliputra at that time. Nalanda University also earned the title of the world’s first residential university. A multicultural institution, it attracted students from across the world including Japan, China, Korea, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, and Southeast Asia.
Nalanda University excelled in the teaching of subjects based on Bharatiya knowledge systems. Subjects taught at the ancient university included Ayurveda, Buddhism, Medicine, Mathematics, astronomy, grammar, and Bharatiya philosophy. Nalanda reached its pinnacle under the patronage of the Pala dynasties during the 8th and 9th century CE; it was during this time that the news of its popularity traveled all over the world.
It’s especially known for its significant contributions to astronomy and mathematics. Aryabhatta, the inventor of Zero and the pioneer of Bharatiya mathematics was amongst the esteemed educators of ancient Nalanda during the 6th century CE.
The ancient Nalanda University was destroyed in 1193 AD when it suffered a devastating attack by Bakhtiyar Khilji, a General serving under Qutubuddin Aibak. The scale of Khilji’s attack was catastrophic; he targeted the university’s library which housed an eclectic collection of approximately 9 million books and manuscripts. He set fire to the library and according to various historical estimates, it took three months to burn down the library completely. Besides burning the library, Khilji also killed the scholars and monks residing within the university. His motive was to attack and destroy the ancient knowledge systems of Bharat and further prevent the transmission of that knowledge from one generation to the next.
Because of the painful history of its destruction by Islamic invaders, the story of the revival of Nalanda University assumes immense significance. Most importantly, the revival comes at a time when the NDA government under the leadership of PM Modi started its third term barely 10 days back. The first two terms of the Modi government have been characterized by a focus on rebranding Bharat from the vantage point of its ancient cultural, philosophical, and civilizational ethos and Vedic history.
The project of rebranding Bharat as a Vishwa Mitra (friend of the world) combines the national project of forging Bharat’s unique cultural identity with the international one of expanding Bharat’s varchasv (soft power). The inauguration of the new campus of Nalanda University when the NDA government has been in office barely 10 days sends a strong signal regarding its core commitments and values.
Ever since the BJP formed the government at the Centre for the third time under the aegis of the NDA, speculation has been rife that the Modi government will be probably moving away from its core commitments of Hindu nationalism since it’s a coalition government and BJP doesn’t have a clear majority of its own. It’s too early to tell but what the early signs show is that rather than moving away from its core commitments, the BJP is rather also drawing allies into its set of core values.
First, PM Modi visited Kashi and offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and then he inaugurated the Nalanda University. This is certainly symbolic that the NDA government under the leadership of PM Modi will continue with the project of reawakening Bharat’s civilizational and cultural ethos during its third term.
The modern Nalanda University started its operations in 2014 from a temporary location with 14 students. The construction of the new campus commenced in 2017.
The university currently hosts six schools: the School of Buddhist Studies, the School of Historical Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions, the School of Ecology and Environmental Studies, and the School of Sustainable Development and Management.
A hub of international students, Nalanda University enjoys the support of 17 other countries including Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Thailand, Indonesia, and Australia, which have signed MoUs. The university offers 137 scholarships to international students. Students from countries as diverse as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ghana, Argentina, Nepal, Kenya, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Argentina, the USA, etc. are currently enrolled in various programmes of Nalanda University.
PM Modi, during his inaugural speech at Nalanda University’s new campus, aptly highlighted the esteemed positioning of the University within the changing educational landscape of Bharat; one that focused on synthesizing ancient knowledge systems with modern educational values and ethos. PM Modi highlighted the increasing prestige of Bharatiya educational institutions in the global landscape and also talked about the New Education Policy. The overall thrust of his message was that the revival of Nalanda University needs to be looked at in the larger context of Bharat building world-class educational institutions by generously drawing from its own ancient value system and the vast corpus of common cultural heritage of the world.
“Nalanda was once the epicentre of India’s educational identity. Education goes beyond the realm of borders, profits and losses… Education shapes our thoughts and behaviour. During ancient times, admission to Nalanda University was not based on the nationality of the student. People from different walks of life used to come here in pursuit of education”, said PM Modi.
Emphasizing the symbolic value of the legacy of Nalanda and its profound implications, the PM said, “Nalanda is an identity, an honour. Nalanda is a value, a mantra, a pride, a saga. Nalanda is the proclamation of this truth… that books may burn in the flames… but these flames of fire cannot destroy knowledge”.
Envisaging a great future for Nalanda University, PM Modi further said, “Nalanda University will soon become an important centre for our cultural exchange programmes. Documentation of various artworks from India and Southeast Asia is being undertaken here…Common Archival Resources Centre is also being established here. Nalanda University is working towards making ASEAN-India University Network… Many leading global institutions have joined in, and the 21st century is being called the Asian century”.
External Affairs S. Jaishankar also spoke after the Nalanda University campus inauguration. He highlighted the importance of Nalanda University within the framework of Bharat’s Look East policy.
“It also served a larger role by connecting our society with those of our near and far neighbors through land and sea. The exchanges that it fostered enriched our entire continent. The university’s destruction marked a downturn in our history and that dark phase continued through the colonial period.
In that era, we not only saw a decline in our capabilities and confidence but in our connectivity as well with those nations who are now members of the East Asia Summit. In the rebuilding of the Nalanda University, there are multiple messages, both national and international. Friends, today we are here to witness the revival of a global bridge of learning that can build relationships even further than in the past. Education, training, and capacity building are the most effective ways of promoting international understanding.
This is a particular commitment that we all must have towards the global south. I am especially glad to note that Nalanda University is already working both in India and ASEAN member states towards creating an ASEAN India university network”, he said.
