Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c16.s1.t6.3

v2.c16.s1.t6.3

Nalanda was built in the Gupta Dynasty in the first half of 5^th century, and was a centre of Buddhist learning and the world’s earliest international university. It had been successively expanded and was reputed for grand buildings and rich collections. According to *Eminent Monks* (Vol. 3), “Nalanda occupies 48 *li*, has nine temples and one entrance gate, and was built by Sakraditya”. At its peak, it has thousands of excellent scholars and tens of thousands of students studying Buddhism and other disciplines, but it was ransacked and destroyed by a Turkish Muslim army in the 12^th century. In early 20^th century, based on relevant records in Xuanzang’s *Great Tang Records on the Western Regions*, that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) excavated, brought Nalanda to limelight again.