Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c19.5

c19.5

**Examples of Organization in Education : Vedic Saṁghas, Parishads, Charakas, Maṭhas.** The beginnings of collectivism or of organization in education may be traced to the earliest Vedic times. As we have seen, even the Rigveda has several significant references to the *Saṁghas* or Assemblies of learned men meeting for those fateful and formative discussions which hammered into shape both the language and philosophy of the Vedas. The Upanishads tell of regular learned Conferences meeting at the courts of Kings by royal invitation and companies of *Chārakas* or wandering scholars touring the country in quest of higher knowledge, its centres and exponents. Then there were also stabilized institutions, the Academies of Science, like the Pāñchāla Parishat, which produced some of India's highest philosophy. Later came Jainism and Buddhism with their emphasis upon the system of organized brotherhoods accommodated in the rock-cut halls; *vihāras* and monasteries. The Brahminical system followed suit with similar institutions like *Maṭhas* and regular colleges, as we know them now.