A TO Z INDIA - AUGUST 2022

Takshashila, north-western region of Bharat:
Takshashila: The World’s oldest University
Srinivasan
A wide range of subjects
were taught by experienced
masters: Vedas, Language,
Grammar, Philosophy,
Medicine, Surgery, Archery,
Politics, Warfare,
Astronomy, Astrology,
Accounts, Commerce,
Futurology,
Documentation, Occult,
Music, Dance, etc. The
minimum entrance age was
16.
Admission into this
university was purely
based on merit. And there
were 10,500 students.
The panel of masters
included renowned names
like Kautilya (author of the
Arthashastra), Panini
(codifier of Sanskrit into
today’s form), Jivak
(medicine) & Vishnu
Sharma (Panchtantra).
When Alexander’s armies
came to the Punjab in the
4th century B.C.,
Takshashila had already
developed a reputation as
an important seat of
learning.
Thus on his return
Alexander took many
scholars from there with
him to Greece.
Takshashila had to face the
brunt of attacks.
A TO Z INDIA AUGUST 2022 PAGE 29
And invasions from the
north & the west. Thus the
Persians, Greeks, Parthians,
Shakas and Kushanas laid