COMPREHENSION
CHECK I PAGE
92
1. Why were travellers attracted towards
India?
Answer:
To the foreigners, India was a land of wonder. Travellers from right across the
world were allured by India’s culture, wealth, art, philosophies, and
religions. Furthermore, the education practices followed in India, which were
regarded as a source of knowledge guiding humanity, had spread far and wide.
This unity in diversity attracted travellers towards India
2. What were the sources of the ancient
education system?
Answer:
While Vedas, Brahmanas, Upanishads and Dharmasutras, were the main sources of
the ancient education system in India, the writings of Aryabhata, Panini,
Katyayana and Patanjali along with medical treatises of Charaka and Sushruta
were also considered to be important sources of learning. There was a
distinction drawn between learned disciplines (shastras) and imaginative and
creative literature (kavyas), and Itihas (history), Anviksiki (logic), Mimamsa
(interpretation) Shilpashastra (architecture), and Arthashastra (polity), among
other disciplines also significantly influenced the ancient education system.
3. What were the features of the
education system in ancient India?
Answer:
Unlike today, the ancient education system in India was a way of life, and both
formal and informal ways of education existed. Students attended Buddhist
monasteries called viharas and universities for gaining higher knowledge.
Another important feature was the focus on oral teaching methods. Instead of
learning by rote, students tended to remember what was taught and reflected on
their learnings dutifully. Gurukuls were situated in the woods, and the
environment used to be calm and peaceful. Not only would hundreds of students
gather knowledge together in these gurukuls, but women had access to education
as well, especially during the early Vedic period.
4. What was the role of guru in pupils’
lives?
Answer:
In those days, a guru was accustomed to spending a considerable amount of time
with his pupils. Pupils used to live with their guru and get instructed in
various disciplines. The role of a guru, was, therefore, profound. While the
primary role was to ensure his pupils complete learning, thereafter leading a
disciplined life and realising their inner potential, he would also emphasize
on both the outer dimensions of the discipline and the inner dimensions of the
personality.
COMPREHENSION
CHECK II PAGE
97
1. Where did nuns and monks receive their
education?
Answer:
Viharas or monasteries were founded for monks and nuns to receive their
education. This was also the place where they meditated, discussed and debated
with other scholars.
2. What is Panini known for?
Answer:
Panini was known for composing Ashtadhyayi, one of the greatest works on
grammar.
3. Which university did Xuan Zang and
i-Qing study at?
Answer:
Xuan Zang and i-Qing, who were scholars from China, studied at Nalanda
University.
4. Which subject did Xuan Zang study in
India?
Answer:
Xuan Zang studied Yogashastra in India.
5. How did society help in the education
of the students?
Answer:
In ancient times, the society played a major role in the education of the
students as knowledge was considered sacred and no fee was charged. It was the
members of the community who made contributions to keep educational
institutions like viharas and universities running. Financial support came from
various quarters including merchants and parents. Moreover, universities were
also given lands as gifts. Agraharas, that imparted education in the South,
flourished on account of the donations made by the society.
All members of the society contributed in some form
or the other. Financial support came from rich merchants, wealthy parents, and
society. Besides gifts of buildings, the universities received gifts of land.
This form of free education was also prevalent in other ancient universities
like Valabhi, Vikramshila, and Jagaddala. At the same time in the south of
India, agraharas served as centres of learning and teaching. South Indian
kingdoms also had other cultural institutions known as Ghatika and Brahmapuri.
A Ghatika was a centre of learning including religion and was small in size. An
agrahara was a bigger institution, a whole settlement of learned Brahmins, with
its own powers of government and was maintained by generous donations from the
society. Temples, Mathas, Jain Basadis and Buddhist Viharas also existed as
other sources of learning during this period.
EXERCISE PAGE
97
Discuss the following questions in smaller
groups and give your answers.
1. Which salient features of the ancient
education system in India made it globally renowned?
Answer:
The salient features of the ancient Indian education system that made it
globally renowned were:-
(i) Focus on overall development and less emphasis
on learning by rote
The prominent learning centres encouraged holistic
development as opposed to memorising before exams. Students were encouraged to
lead disciplined lives, 1and focus was laid on both inner and outer aspects of
life.
(ii) Students got instructed in various disciplines
Spiritual, moral and intellectual growth was
considered important, and the teachers would go to the extent of ensuring their
pupils realised their inner potential. And because the focus was on both
intrinsic and extrinsic growth, the teachers would not ask students to restrict
themselves to a particular field of study.
(iii) Students stayed away from homes
Pupils stayed away from homes for years to learn and
master certain skills. They spent most of their time in gurukuls with their
teachers and returned to their respective homes only after completing their
education. Only when the teacher was satisfied with the students, did the
course conclude.
(iv) Education was free
Knowledge being considered sacred, so education was
mostly free in ancient India. Universities and viharas, however, flourished as
they got donations from wealthy people besides contributions made by the
society.
(v) Attracted scholars from across the globe
The universities in India were renowned for the
quality education they imparted. Thus, people from right across the world came
to study in these institutes of higher learning.
2. Why do you think students from other
countries came to India to study at that time?
Answer:
The fame of India’s educational practices, along with its culture, philosophy,
art and architecture had spread across the globe. India, therefore, attracted a
lot of students from all over the world. Moreover. viharas were founded for
monks and nuns to meditate and have discussions with learned men and women. The
educational centres that developed around these viharas had students coming in
from neighbouring as well as distant countries.
3. Why is education considered ‘a way of
life’?
Answer:
Education is considered a way of life as it teaches people to lead disciplined
lives. In ancient times, education did not mean memorising or learning with
textbooks, but the focus was laid on holistic development. Spiritual and moral
aspects played a vital role, and the students lived away from their families
for years together to get instructed in various disciplines. Gurus also saw to
it that their pupils led disciplined lives after leaving the gurukul. Teachers
and students, moreover, shared a close personal bond.
4. What do you understand by holistic
education?
Answer:
Holistic education, to put it simply, makes one holy. It hardly deals with
aspects having to do with memorising and learning by rote, but focuses on both
the inner and outer dimensions of personality. Holistic education aims at
readying people to lead disciplined lives and cultivate virtues like restraint,
humility, honesty, and the like. Physical, moral, intellectual, spiritual, and
academic aspects find equal importance in holistic education.
5. Why do you think Takshashila and
Nalanda have been declared heritage sites?
Answer:
According to me, Takshashila has been declared a heritage site as it was an
important archaeological site. Besides, Chanakya is said to have composed his
Arthashastra in Takshashila. Archaeologist Alexander Cunningham discovered its
ruins in the mid-19th century. Nalanda, on the other hand, happens to be one of
the oldest universities on the planet. The new Nalanda University is regarded
as a centre of the inter-civilisational dialogue.
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