Ancient Indian Education: An Inquiry into its Origin, Development, and Ideals c4.176

c4.176

Throughout the centuries since the Sūtras were written the history of Brāhmanic education is difficult to trace. There was probably very little development with regard to either theory or practice, and the subjects of the curriculum remained very much the same. The development of monastic institutions, and of *guru* worship, has already been referred to. In the Buddhist period the Brāhmanic learning continued side by side with the Buddhist. The latter was indeed largely influenced both in its ideals and practice by the Brāhmanic education, and borrowed many of its text-books from the Brāhmans, especially when the Buddhists adopted Sanskrit as a vehicle of instruction. The educational institutions of the Buddhists, like Nālanda, were at one period probably more influential and popular than those of the Brāhmans. When the Muhammadan invasions burst upon India both Brāhman and Buddhist educational institutions suffered severely, and those of the Buddhists gradually decayed and disappeared, a process which was helped by the assimilation of Buddhism in India with Hinduism. But the Brāhman education continued in spite of difficulties, and as the Buddhist centres of learning decayed those of the Brāhmans became more prominent.