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Education System in Ancient India: a Historical Review Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-5, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in Education System in Ancient India: A Historical Review Dr. Devidas B. Waydande Head, Department of History, M.S. Kakade College, Someshwarnagar Dist –Pune (Maharashtra). Abstract: India has a rich tradition of education heralding the bursting of the monsoon by their right from the ancient period .these was handed cracking . The learned Chinese traveler I-tsing over by the oral history, there was a long history of ,who visited India between A.D. 6712 and learning and education among the Hindu people .A 695,say’s that “The four Vedas ,containing about feature of Hindu Civilization is that it has been one hundred thousand verses , have been handed molded and shaped in the Course of its history down from mouth to mouth not transcribed on more by religious and than by political and paper or leaves in every generation there exist same Economical influences. The fundamental principles intelligent Brahmins who can recite 100,000 of the social, political and economical life were verses.”1 welded into the comprehensive theory which I called religion in Hindu thought. In the term of ancient education we had to use two terms, Upanayana and Brahamacharya Our knowledge of the Indo – Aryan is derived which was explained in general terms as being the from the Vedas .The education system in India ceremonies concerned with the investiture of the come from the Vedas and their culture .The word sacred thread and the studentship respectively .But ‘Veda ‘ means wisdom and orthodox Hindu if we are to understand the full significance of regards the Veda as eternal and reevaluated to the their two terms we must consider the system of sages or Rishis . The vedic hymns have come to us education in ancient India as this is intimately in the three recencsim the Rig-Veda ,Samveda and associated with these two ceremonies . the Yajur veda . The Rigveda is oldest it Consist of 1028 hymns .They were mostly in prai of deferent The Upanayana signified the conclusion gods and were intended for recitation by the hotri of the on stage of life and the commencement of or a chief priest at the sacrifices . The Sam Veda another that that of the student .Literary translated , consist of verses from the Rig veda arranged in the Upanayana séance leading a student to the teacher form of hymn book for the use of udgatri or charter though in later ages the ritual became compulsory , the yajurveda on the other hand is interpolated originally, it was not obliquely and it was usually with prose passages or prayers to be recited by the with the initiation of the student of the Vedas .But priest who performed the manual act. Beside this it was considered essential when the student desire we have the Atharveda which is on the different to began his studies and thus upanayana become plans it contains some fine hymns, but it consists an educational ‘sanskar’ In antiquity the ritual principally of spell and magically formulate. goes back to the Indo-Iranian period and Brahmans , kshitriya and vaisyas both men and women were Key Wards: Vedas, Civilization, Philosophy, eligible for it .later however when Vedic studies Hymn, Buddhist, Gurukulas, Vedic text, University, come to looked upon as the sole concern of the Mahayana, Hinayana, Mahayana, Education, priestly class upanayana lost much of its meaning Spirituality. for the kshatriya and vaisya and it gradually fell in to discus among these two classes. But the smrities Introduction:- make it obligatory for all Arayans ,and indicate an age betweens and 12 as the most suitable time for The Vedic hymns wise handed down from father the sanskara .In ancient period ‘Gurukuala’ system to son in the families of the sages who composed has started and the student resident in the teachers them. They were regarded as a jealously – guarded house where he had to live till the completion of secrets to be preserved at all cost from profane his studies .what were the ideas of this system of ears.the revolution of the Vedas to a shudra would education ? stated in the general terms its aim were bring untold disaster. For this resons they were to emparrting learning and inculcate righteousness never committed to writing and learning .in one of . It was so designed as to broaden the students the hymns the pupils learning to repeat the Vedas outlook and life , give him enlightenment sharpen after their teacher are comically compared to frogs Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 1237 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-5, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in his intellect ,and establish his character through the lived . If the teacher was highly renowned for his development of his personality . “This process of learning and piety ,many students from far and new education was seen at work in the gurukulas and in ,flocked to him and in course of him the simple the later university like Nalandas. The Gurukulas Gurukula developed in to centers of learning or imported advantage instructions for when the child universities .well known historian Dr.B.G.Gokhale arrived at their portal he had already tearnt the says that “Takshshila ,in the far north west ,was three ‘R’s.at the home in the Gurukulas he lived one of such ancient university ,the earlier to be under the personal care and guidance of the teacher described in the literature of ancient India”.4 was his spiritual parent .The teacher was excepted There was following ancient universities in ancient to possess the highest moral , intellectual and India. spiritual qualification .”2 his other qualifications are described as sense of description and ability to 1. Takshashila :( Ancient university as a import instructions with understanding and skill. main Education center) Curriculum: Takshashila was an important center of Brahamnical education during the The educational session commenced Buddhist period its fame continued in the northern soon affair the beginning of the rainy session in the India .it traced hundreds of students from various month of ‘Shravana’ with the performance of countries of the world .Takshashila was the capital rituals of Upakarma also known as of the Gandhar Kingdom. “The Buddhist Jatakas ‘shravani’.There were highly devolved intellectual give us ample information of this seat of learning live as well as the mass of Vedic literature and well students arrived at Takshshila at the age of 16,and planned system of education .There were many they spent a numbers of years learning ,another grate centers of Gurukul “The chief subject of center of learning of those days was Banaras ,it study were undoubtedly the Vedic text ,including was subsidiary center of learning for students of history ,and purana (old historical tradition )as well Takshashila often became a teacher at Banaras” 5 as the Brahmviday (Philosophy of Spiritual Banaras come in to prominence later as a center of knowledge)and the subject included in the Brahamnical and sanskritic studies. Takshashila vedangas.But other and more secular branches of had been was very famous as a center of training in studies were not neglected the upnishidas contain Indian Military Science. several list of subject which must have formed the regular curriculum of study .these included 2.Nalanda : dialectic, mathematics ,chronology ,military sciences ,science of snakes ,knowledge of portent During the age of imperial and several who exact scope or nature cannot be Guptas were laid the foundation of Nalanda ,the ascertained ,such as pitray devvidaya ,bhutvida]ya best known university of ancient India .Nalanda is and devanavidya .which evenly related to gods and identified the Borgoan ,near Patana in Bihar .This earthly elements ethics also formed a subject of place began to grow in important since the rise of study and high moral training leading to the Mahayana branch of Buddhism in the first century formation of character and development of A.D. “This was Mahayana Buddhist University and personality formed backbone of the educational naturally all the students are Buddhist monks As system”.3 there was always a great rush for entry to Nalanda the rules of admission were very strict.”6 The The course of instruction in these admission of this University was vasted in a Gurukulas included the Vedas and Vedic literature, hierarchy of official of whom the highest was grammar, logic and philosophy and also vacationed Kulpati( Vice Chancellar) ,head with the pandita as subjects like medicine, the use of weapons and the deputy. The University has excellent library which science of government in the same cases .The was localized in their buildings. called method of instructions involved of judicious use of Ratnaranjakara .There were those methods of recitation, demonstration, repetition, memorization, teaching ,namely ,verbal and explanatory, lectures discussion and debates, the practical work if and debates and discussion .in it evident that necessary .there were no examination and student Nalanda was an eminent center of learning and were go allocated. To go home the teacher was illuminated of country for countries to come with satisfied with his progress. But after the completion his undimmed light of the knowledge . of course the scholar was presented to an assembly of learned more who same time examined him. 3. Vallabhi: The teachers have normally situated Vallabhi was another important within the limits’ of the town or village when he center of Buddhist period .it was a capital city of Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 1238 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-5, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in the Maitrika king between 475 and 775 A.D.
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