The University of Nalanda c2: Preface

The University of Nālandā c2

Language: English

Preface

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The monastic revolution started by Gautama Buddha in the sixth century before the Christian era developed into such an extraordinary institution that, even after its division into the two large branches of *Mahāyāna* and *Hinayāna*, it produced extraordinary results in knowledge and civilization. During a period that lasts roughly twelve centuries, all the wisdom of Northern India was centred round the Buddhist *vihāras* and *sanghārāmas*.

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Many Buddhist monasteries undoubtedly flourished in India, about which we know practically nothing. Sānchi, Kānheri, Ajanta, Ellora, Sāranāth, and a hundred more are only known through their archæological remains and a few inscriptions found on their walls of pillars. The ancient inhabitants of Āryāvarta were not fond of writing their own deeds. The most interesting information we possess about the Buddhist centres of learning in Northern India comes through the Chinese pilgrims. Mr. H. D. Sankalia in this work has taken two Chinese pilgrims as his main guides in the study of the history of one of those Buddhist institutions of learning, perhaps the greatest we know, the so-called University of Nālandā.

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Now, that the Archæological Department of the Government of India has unearthed several monasteries of this institution, where Hiuen Tsiang and I-Tsing lived in the 7th century A.D. Mr. Sankalia considers it opportune to publish the result of his research in the history of Nālandā. The word "history" is rightly understood by the author of this book in its widest meaning. In this book the lover of Oriental learning will find not only a list of historical events, but also an account of the origin and a full explanation of the extraordinary spread of culture throughout the whole of Asia in the great days of Nālandā.

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This preface, contributed at the request of Mr. Sankalia, is being written in front of another Buddhist [illegible text] which may also have been in communication with Nālandā. Bāmiyān, in the centre of Afghanistan, was the last outpost of Buddhism towards the West. Hiuen Tsiang passed through it in the first half of the 7th century, and from Bāmiyān he visited India and Nālandā. Bāmiyān was in those days the centre of communications between India and Central Asia. Situated practically midway between Purushapura (Peshawar) and Bactres (Balkh), this valley (which was even then adorned with the beauties of nature that are reflected in the waters descending from the Koh-i-Baba snows) inherited the religion of India and the art of Bactriana. The large Buddhist communities that practised ascetism in this place, have left marks of their devotion to their Master and of their fondness for art, in the sculptures and paintings that still adorn their dwellings; their learning and condition of life is revealed in the scanty fragments of MSS. lately found in one of the caves by the French Archæological Delegation, which have been studied by Monsieur Silvain Lévi.

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There are many points of contact between Nālandā and Bāmiyān which have been communicated to us by Huien-Tsiang. He tells us that in Bāmiyān there are ten convents and about one thousand priests. The number of caves found and examined hitherto ascend to the respectable figure of 2,000, which is a striking confirmation of the information given by the Chinese pilgrim. He mentions "a mountain, on the declivity of which is placed a stone figure of Buddha erect, in height 140 or 150 feet. Its golden hues," he continues, "sparkle on every side and its precious ornaments dazzle the eyes by their brightness." He also speaks of another convent "which was built by a former king of the country," who seems to be Kanishka. "To the east of the convent," he adds, "there is a standing figure of Sākya Buddha, made of metallic stone, in height, 100 feet." As I write, I have only to turn my head to see the two colossal figures spoken of by the Chinese pilgrim.

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In his book Mr. Sankalia enables the reader to visualise the wonders of Nālandā which were first described by the devout Chinese. Writing from Bāmiyān, I wish every success to this book on Nālandā.

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Bāmiyān, Afghanistan, 8th September, 1934. } H. HERAS, S. J.

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the Roman world, and the most important events of the reign of Constantine are thus represented as the immediate consequences of his conversion. But the historian, who must be content with the evidence of the times, will not be easily persuaded that the zeal of Constantine was not stimulated by the hope of political advantage, or that the conversion of the empire was not the result of a long and gradual process of change.

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The conversion of Constantine is a subject which has been discussed with great warmth by the historians of the church, and it is not surprising that their opinions should be divided. The panegyrists of the emperor, who were eager to celebrate his piety and his zeal, have represented his conversion as a miraculous event, which was confirmed by the appearance of a cross in the sky, and by the victory which he obtained over his rival Maxentius. The critics, on the other hand, who are less disposed to believe in the supernatural, have sought to explain the conversion of Constantine by the influence of his mother Helena, or by the political necessity of securing the support of the Christians, who were already a powerful and influential body in the empire.

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It is probable that the truth lies between these two extremes, and that the conversion of Constantine was the result of a combination of motives, in which the influence of his mother, the political advantages of the Christian religion, and the genuine conviction of his own mind, all played a part. The character of Constantine was complex and contradictory, and it is not easy to determine the precise nature of his religious beliefs. He was a man of great ambition and of great ability, and he was always ready to adapt his conduct to the circumstances of the time.

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The conversion of Constantine was a turning point in the history of the Roman empire, and it had a profound influence on the development of the Christian church. The emperor, who had once been the persecutor of the Christians, became their protector and their patron, and he used his power to promote the interests of the church and to suppress the pagan religion. The conversion of Constantine was the beginning of a new era in the history of the world, and it is a subject which will continue to be discussed by historians for many years to come.

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Guptas, under Samudragupta, had ensured peace, prosperity and orderly government not only in Magadha but throughout the greater part of India. They brought back, besides these, all the great virtues—Holiness, Nobility and Toleration. It was, however, left to the successors of Samudragupta to utilise this heritage. To a man, they practised these virtues with an impartiality that was unimpeachable. They encouraged and patronised artists, poets and philosophers irrespective of caste and creed, with the result that the country rang with the exploits of these savants in the fields of art, literature and philosophy. Thus it was that Nālandā, though primarily a Buddhist institution, came to be founded by King Śakrāditya (Kumāragupta I), who himself was a devout Hindu.

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Why the Guptas bestowed all their wealth and generosity upon Nālandā, of all the places in Magadha, I have explained in Chapter III. Nālandā, even in the days of Buddha and Mahāvīra, was considered a fit place for spending the cāturmāsa (rain-retreat). And imbued with the holy memories of these Great Teachers, it gradually became a centre of learning and pilgrimage. Nālandā, therefore, was not such "an obscure and unimportant place" as Dr. Altekar has tried to make out in his recently published volume, *Education in Ancient India* and much less, a place that was "not in any way connected with the life of Buddha, and therefore of any particular sanctity to the Buddhist world." But centuries before the Guptas turned their eyes to Nālandā, it had become famous in the Buddhistic world.

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A mere reference to Tāntrism in Chapter IV as a subject taught at Nālandā could hardly have been understood but by a few scholars had I not traced its growth and explained its nature in detail. Scholars interested in Tāntrism may be referred to the recent publications of the Oriental Institute, Baroda, under the able guidance of Dr. Benoytosh Bhattacharyya. He was particularly helpful to me in solving the Tāntric problems in the course of this thesis.

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The chapter on "Ritualism of Nālandā Buddhism" deals, first, with the religious rites and ceremonies that were performed at Nālandā; secondly, it describes the various images found at Nālandā from the point of view of their iconography.

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The chapter on "Nālandā To-day" sets out the nature of excavations and arrangement of buildings at Nālandā. Therein an attempt is made to identify the buildings so far excavated, with those of the kings mentioned by Hiuen Tsiang. This identification, though perhaps uninteresting, is not a conjecture, but based on all the available evidence. Personal inspection of the site was necessary before writing this chapter. I was very fortunate in obtaining the help of the Rev. H. Heras, Director, Indian Historical Research Institute, St. Xavier's College, Bombay, who not only guided me during the whole course of my work, but also undertook the journey with me to the ruins and enlightened me on some archæological peculiarities of Nālandā.

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The chapter on "Art and Architecture of Nālandā" is written to acquaint the reader with the importance of Nālandā finds: it must find a place in the book, for it presupposes, as I have said in that chapter, the existence of a school of art and crafts there.

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Some of the conclusions that are deduced as regards Nālandā, for instance, conclusions with regard to the date of the foundation of the University, its patrons etc., must, however, remain provisional, till not only the site at Nālandā but many others in Magadha are completely excavated; for at any moment, a coin, an image or an inscription may be discovered, which may, if not completely ups the findings, necessitate a revision thereof.

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The history of Nālandā, based entirely on the Chinese and Tibetan sources and on the inscriptions of the Pālas, may be deemed one-sided as long as a confirmatory opinion is not available from the contemporary Hindu sources. The silence of Bāṇa, the famous contemporary historian of the Court of King Harṣa, with regard to Nālandā, is not a little surprising. If the Harṣa Carita were written after Harṣa built Saṅghārāmas at Nālandā, Bāṇa might have referred to it. It is possible that Bāṇa wrote the Harṣa Carita before Harṣa patronised Nālandā; but it is more probable that he passed over Nālandā as it was a Buddhist institution. However, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, I have thought it expedient to rely upon the Chinese and Tibetan documents.

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BOMBAY, 5th September, 1934. } H. D. SANKALIA.

Linked texts (1)

Harṣacarita — Bāṇabhaṭṭa, Sanskrit