Sahana Singh's Revisiting the Educational Heritage of India
- In Book Reviews
- 10:04 AM, Jun 21, 2024
- Richa Yadav
In the last few weeks, while there was disappointing news rampant about the filth of one of India’s elitest exams-NEET, a new ray of hope sparked this week, when PM Modi inaugurated the new Nalanda University Campus. It is a reassurance that we recognise our rich educational heritage and are bound to restore it back.
Putting education on a high pedestal in every family, having right policies at the government level, and continuously building the infrastructure to augment international students are key aspects for a nation’s youth. The author Sahana Singh writes profusely about the glorious past of education in Bharat by pulling nuggets of information and weaving them together into a beautiful story.
The first chapter of the book, “A Civilization Defined by Education” meticulously dovetails different aspects of education in the ancient period and explains how it had been so integral and all-encompassing. She talks about the two main aspects of learning prevalent in those times- the intellectual and experiential exploration of truth by the students. For this purpose, it was not enough to just cram the material provided by the teachers. There were several subtle ways in which a holistic education was imparted to the students.
We have ceremonies like upanayana conducted when the first time a child learns to write, or a child begins his/her education says a lot about the culture. Guru-Shishya parampara prevailed which shaped the entire personhood of a student. Living away from parents, completely under the shadow of the guru, ‘the significant other’ inculcated some valuable skills in the students. Utmost reverence for the guru and his family was taught; practicing other life skills was an integral part of education. For instance, students learned to prepare meals after arranging groceries through ‘bhiksha’. Maintaining celibacy while being in the tutelage of a guru was extremely important. Students were expected to be in harmony with nature and learn in a natural setting. Such holistic learning encouraged students to understand and learn the intellectual and experiential aspect of truth.
So why is Nalanda University news so significant in today’s context? The news covers the world's first residential University of Nalanda founded in the year 427 CE in the ancient kingdom of Magadha. Sahana Singh also reveals a lot of interesting facts about Nalanda University in her book. For example, Nalanda had a very tough entrance examination. The acceptance rate of the university was only about 20 percent. A wide range of subjects were taught here. In its prime, the university had around 1,500 teachers and 8,500 students from all over the world.
A chapter on universities highlights that India had several universities like Nalanda, Ratnagiri, Mithila, Kanchipuram and others spread across the country. Takshashila University was a leading centre of education and specialisation in ancient India. Renowned physician Charak, grammarian Panini, and Acharya Chanakya have been known to have an association with this university.
How many of us will think of the rich intellectual tradition of debating as an integral part of education when we talk about the cultural heritage of India? The book brings out how logic and debate were extremely significant for India’s philosophical tradition. “Faith and scepticism co-existed”, notes the author when she explains how Aryabhata was not imprisoned like Galileo for his incredible astronomical finding but was challenged and debated for finding further evidence. (pg.48)
Ujjain University stands out for its academic work in the fields of astronomy and mathematics. Varahamihira (505-87 CE) is well known for his contribution to astronomy. “His encyclopedic work Brihatsamhita covered a gamut of subjects from planetary motion to water resources,” writes Mrs. Sahana. (pg.43) She highlights in different ways how spirit was rational inquiry was quite well developed in Bharat.
Temples were known as centres of education. As mentioned in Rig Veda, temples attracted several intellectuals as conferences and assemblies of learned scholars were held there for disseminating Vedic philosophies and literature. “It was emperor’s wish that the sounds of the Vedas should constantly reverberate from the temple,” says the author while discussing Tamil emperor Rajendra Chola (who ruled 1014-44 CE).
It was not just about academics that Bhartiya traditions were deeply rooted in. Industrial and vocational training was never considered secondary. The country was well known for its excellence in manufacturing a variety of products like textiles, furniture, arms, and jewellery etc.
There is an entire chapter on vibrant and extensive women’s education in the book. However, I specifically was surprised at the mention of ‘ganikas’ from the Mauryan period. Today, much glamorised ‘Heeramandi’ series has become the talk of the town, with all pervading Islamic culture. Interestingly, the author brings out how these highly educated and beautiful women called ganikas were government servants and had an important role in society even in ancient Bharat. Quoting Sithannan, V. from his book Immortal Traffic-Prostitution in India, the role of ganikas is explained as they “were used by kings in matters related to diplomacy, espionage and other important state function.” (pg.81)
Yet another chapter dwells on how playing board games was a part of imbibing Dharma. Games involving dice, chequered boards, cowries, shells were prevalent. These were used as a teaching aid for Dharmic lessons. Similarly, fables were used to teach wisdom. India is a reservoir of short stories found in Panchatantra, Hitopadesha, and Jataka tales.
In the age of AI, the author highlights the importance which was given to rote memory in the Indian educational system. She also talks about how maintaining celibacy or control of senses was needed in the pursuit of knowledge and purification of the mind.
The serious question is that when all this was covered through our traditional education system then why did India lose its world-class education status in modern times? If we had such a glorious past in education why could the tradition not survive for long? In the chapter, “Lethal Assault On Learning”, the author explains that during the Mughal invasion several universities, temples, libraries, manuscripts were destroyed. She adds, “The account of Brahmins fleeing to different parts of India to escape Muslim persecution are too many to be missed.” (pg.198) Also, the transfer of knowledge from India to other countries like China, Greece, Japan and Europe happened even before the Mughal invasion. It is a matter of dismay as to how much we have given to the world but it goes unrecognised.
Mrs. Sahana also connects this rich tradition with the enticement of Europeans as to why they so vehemently tried to find a maritime route to the Indian peninsula and why over the years another chapter of destruction was opened by Anglicists and the Orientalists.
Toward the end of the book, she talks about what lessons and elements we can learn from our past. She recommends that some of these aspects of rich heritage should be revived without fail. The holistic character-building nature of our heritage gets supreme attention in the book. Dharmic education upholds having a deep connection with nature and communities. Vernacular languages should not be neglected in the digital age where translations and learning of language have become much easier. The author also recommends giving back memory training, games, and stories as an integral part of education.
Overall, an excellent book on our educational heritage. The author has plotted a map with all the different educational centres on it. There are interesting pictures being used to showcase different aspects of education. Despite so much information, the book is an easy read with a storytelling format. The chapter and subsections are brief therefore easy to comprehend. There are several quotes from various ancient scriptures and contemporary scholars working on similar subjects. The book includes a plethora of reading references to books, encyclopedic entries, and web, for further research.
This book must be part of the syllabus for high schoolers and college goers for a comprehensive understanding of the education system in India.
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