Education Heritage of Ancient India

Why Indians are highly motivated to study hard??

Why Indians are strongly wish to educate their children and master in specific subjects??

Why India is in mess even if many Indians are highly skilled, educated & intelligent??

If you also have such a questions than you should go in to history of India and look within. Below contents describes very minuscule details of Education system in Ancient India.

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India was an education capital of the World when little age child mostly go to ceremony called 'Vidhayaarambha' / 'Aksharabhiyasha' / 'Saraswatipujan' / 'Hathikhodi' in which children are introduce to alphabets initially using some grains like Wheat, Rice etc.

For Higher educations ceremony is called 'Upnainam' after which they are exposed to higher studies or specialization in any subject at forest universities. 

Forest universities are Holistic learning in midst of Nature which are later on called Ashramas. Each Ashrama has specialist in different subjects for learning like Vedas, Yagna, Mathematics, Grammer, Zoology, Physics and Medicine. Specialist are usually called Rushi / Acharya. Ashramas also have female Rushi / Acharya. There are Temple Pathshala / Schools were also in existence where Vedas, Yagna and basic education can be provided to boys & girls based on their interests.

Students came to India for higher studies from many counties including china, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia & West Asian countries. Many famous scholar's from these countries written a biography where they admitted from where they have gained knowledge in specific subjects like from China : Fa-hien (Faxian), Xuanzang, Yijing.

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Debates are the most common method to gain knowledge between various Rushis / Acharyas / scholars. These Debates have various part like Hetu (Reason), Udahaarana (examples), Pratyakasha (perception), Anuman (inference), Pramana (Proof). In debates points were given to respective side based on above mentioned parts of Debates. More systematic & theory of Debates is explained in Nyāya Sūtras. There are many examples where Women had also participated in Debate.

Adi Shankaracharya debating with Mandal Mishra in presence of Ubhaya Bharati

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There were many universities across India and couple of university are very famous and running with full of their capacity like Takhkhasilā, Nālandā, Vikramaśilā, Sharada Peeth, Valabhi, Pushpagiri, Odantapuri, Kanchipuram etc.

Ujjain was most famous university to learn Mathematics because most of the Mathematics rule was made here specifically by Varahamihira, Brahmagupta, Bhaskaracharya, Bhaskara and many others time by time. These mathematicians are inspired by Aryabhata who believed to be Head of Mathematics in Nālandā University.

                Most of these universities destroyed by Arab & Turkish invaders between 11 & 12 century. For example, Bakhtuyar Khalji invasion Nālandā, Vikramaśilā, & Odantapuri.

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In year 1835, Mr. Thomas Macaulay released Minutes upon Indian Education System which changed Education system in India and systematic wiping out of traditional and ancient Indian Education and Vocational system as well as Sciences. Mr. Macaulay played major role in the introduction of English and western concepts to Indian education system. He supported English as medium in all schools and training of English speaking teachers. He always asserted :
"I believe that all the historical information which has been collected from all the books written in Sanskrit language is less valuable than small write-ups of preparatory schools in England". 

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From archival material of extreme significance in London which has records of a series if surveys commissioned by British government in 18/19 century on Indigenous education.

1. Every village in India has Pathshalas / Schools

2. 1,00,000 Pathshalas in Bihar & Bengal Region

3. 30,000 Gurukulas / Ashramas in Orissa State

4. 80,000 Gurukulas / Ashramas in Tamilnadu Region 

5. High Attendance in most of the Pathshalas / Schools and Gurukulas

6. Superior teaching methods & Very dedicated teachers

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Mr. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi / Mahatma Gandhi (said in 1931) -
"The British had left India more illiterate than it was just 100 years ago...