The State in Ancient India: A Study in the Structure and Practical Working of Political Institutions in North India in Ancient Times c20.82

c20.82

that the poet and his ancestors enjoyed the patronage of Magadha rulers for generations.¹ Of the seats of learning endowed by royal munificence during this period, Vikramaśilavihāra is probably the finest example. It was founded by Dharmapāla, second of the Pāla dynasty, in the 9th century A.D. The institution was housed in a magnificent building which made room for 107 temples within its precincts. It included six different scholastic institutions where teaching was imparted by 108 masters. Altogether, it could accommodate 8,000 men. The head called Adhināyaka was appointed by the king. This seat of learning had an all-India fame and attracted scholars and students from far and near. There was a tradition that even its gate-keepers were Paṇḍitas and had to be defeated in scholastic discussion before one could enter the precincts. The institution flourished until the 12th century A.D. when it was engulfed in the rushing tide of the Muslim conquest.²