Tuesday 10 April 2018

Nalanda University under Pal dynesty. Part - 5



The Pala dynasty established them in North-eastern India in the 8th century and reigned until the 12th century. 

Although they were a Buddhist dynasty, Buddhism in their time was a mixture of the Mahayana practiced in Nalanda and Vajrayana, a Tantra - influenced version of Mahayanist philosophy. 

Nalanda was a cultural legacy from the great age of  Guptas and it was prized and cherished.

The Palas were prolific builders and their rule oversaw the establishment of 4 (four) other Mahaviharas modeled on the Nalanda Mahavihara – 

1. Jagaddala       
       
2. Odantpuri     
               
3.  Somapura and     
                   
4.  Vikramshila respectively. 

Remarkably, Odantpuri was founded by Gopal, the progenitor of the royal line, only 6 miles (9.7 km) away from Nalanda. 

Dharmapal who founded the Mahavihara at Vikramashila, also appears to have been a benefactor of the ancient monastery in some form. 
 
It is however, Dharmapala's son, the 9th century emperor and founder of the Mahavihara at Somapura, Devpal, who appears to have been Nalanda's most distinguished patron in this age.

A number of metallic figures containing references to Devapala have been found  in its ruins as well as two notable inscriptions. 

The first, a Copper plate inscription unearthed at Nalanda, details an endowment by the Shailendra King, Balaputradev of Suvarnadvipa (Sumatra in modern-day Indonesia).  

This Srivijayan king, "attracted by the manifold excellences of Nalanda" had built a monastery there and had requested Devapala to grant the revenue of five villages for its upkeep, a request which was granted. 

 The Ghosharam  inscription is the other inscription from Devapala's time and it mentions that he received and patronised a learned Vedic scholar named Viradeva who was later elected the head of Nalanda. 

5 seats of learning during Palas are – 

1. Jagaddala,

2. Odantpuri            
        
3.  Somapura       
               
4.  Vikramshila and

5. Nalanda. 

These 5 (Five) different seats of Buddhist learning in eastern India formed a state-supervised network and it was common for great scholars to move easily from position to position among them. 

Each establishment had its own official seal with a Dharmchakra flanked by a deer on either side, a motif referring to Buddha's deer park sermon at Sarnath (Mahaparinirvana place of Buddha). 

Below this device was the name of the institution which in Nalanda's case) read, "Śrī-Nālandā-Mahāvihārīya-Ārya-Bhikṣusaḿghasya" which translates to "of the Community of Venerable Monks of the Great Monastery at Nalanda".

End of Nalanda - 

Nalanda was ransacked and destroyed by an invader army of the Muslim (Mamluk Dynasty)  under Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1200 AD.  

There is a small town near Nalanda known as ‘Bakhtiyarpur’ the place of Bakhtiyar Khilji.  

Bakhtiyar Khilji and his army camped at this place and burnt Nalanda Mahavihara.

It is said that during winter season the invaders army boiled their water to bath and day to day work from burning the books of the library of the Nalanda Mahavihara.

 It lasted for 6 months. One can see the burning signs even today.

Now Bakhtiyarpur’ is famous for its sweets and edibles. 

One type of sweet is known as “Khaja” It has 2 types one is Sweet and other is Salt very testy and light.

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