“EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF KASHI: ANCIENT TO MODERN PERIOD” BY: SHREYA TIWARI (Student, Dept.Of Arts, Shyama Prasad MukherjiCollege,University of Delhi) (Intern, Kashi Foundation 2020) INTRODUCTION: Kashi also known as Varanasi or Benaras is one of the ancient cities with a continuous history since 1000 B.C. Situated on the bank of Ganga in Uttar Pradesh (India), the city derives its name from the Rig Veda (root Kash meaning light, Luminous in Rig Veda) (Kashatepra- kashate iti kashihi). Kashi literary means the city of lights, a place which shines and it does shine through its glory of learning, mythological significance and continuous flow of culture since time immemorial. It is said; as one sails up the river Ganga at night, the city with myriad temples, mansions and palaces glows like festival of light. As it is often said; Kashi is without a doubt one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. Mark Twain(an American author) who visited India in the last decade of the nineteenth century said,“ Kashi is older than history, older than tradition ,older even than legend,and looks twice as old as all of them put together” When Athens was not even thought of Kashi was,When Rome did not even exist in people’s minds Kashi was, When Egypt didn’t exist Kashi was, that is how ancient Kashi is. Kashi is the holy city not only for the Hindus but also for the Buddhists, the Jains and the Sikhs.It has also been a major center of education, of dialectics, of philosophical debates, of traditional medicine(Ayurveda), yoga and astrology. The city is known for heritage, religion, beliefs, values, norms, nature and individualities. The city comprises of religious monuments, which include 4000 temples, monasteries, mosques etc. The city boasts of religion, spirituality, philosophy, education and vividness of culture which can be termed as the confluence of the Indian cultural ethos and values. Mirza Ghalib ( a prominent urdu poet ) in a letter to his student Miyan-Dad Khan Sayyah wrote, “Oh! Banaras is a unique city. What to say more about! When is such city born? At the end of my life I visited the city. If I had been young, then I would have settled there and left Delhi” The city inculcate the mind of visitors with the feeling of self fulfillment as it has something to offer to every visitor. The historicity of Varanasi and its heritage value stand even today the examples of assimilation of different thoughts, philosophies and religions. In Northern India, this city has been a cultural and religious center for thousands of years. The culture and religion that the city is known for has generated significant awareness among individuals from not only throughout country, but also international countries. When individuals pay a visit to the city, they not only acquire knowledge in terms of religious values and beliefs, but also crafts, arts,music and other principles and standards. Prominent poets, authors, philosophers and musicians that have been referred to in the Indian history ,normally belong to the city of Kashi. Gautam Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath. Further Four of 24 Tirthankars of Jainism were born here. This city was home to Sant Kabir and Ravidas. Many scholarly books have been written here including Tulsidas’ Ram Charit Manas. Kashi is known as the spiritual and cultural capital of India as well as ‘the city of Shiva’ and ‘the city of learning’ As Alain Danielou said,“Kashi, the city of refinement and beauty was the spiritual and cultural capital of ancient India. It had always been a sacred city, a centre of learning (jnanapuri), of art and pleasures, and the heart of Indian civilization. PURPOSE OF THE PAPER: Although there are many amazing aspects of Kashi spanning from its history to culture and tradition but education has always had an important connection with Kashi. Many philosophers, poets, scholars and learned men live here and gain knowledge. This is paper is going to deal with the evolution of education system and the type of institutions setup in Kashi from ancient period to present day. The Indian education system has evolved to a great extent since the Vedic days. A major chunk of the knowledge that our generation is dealing with has been passed on to us from the Vedic times. Initially, The Gurukul system of imbibing knowledge was followed where the students and teachers resided together. However, later with advancement, the texts were recorded on palm leaves with the use of sharp writing instruments. However, during the Vedic times, everyone wasn’t as privileged to be a part of the Gurukul education system. It was only the higher castes like the Brahmins and royals who could avail this mainstay of education. For higher education, students had to travel abroad as there were no universities in India. The famous universities in Nalanda, Taxilla, Benaras were set up much later. It was only during the Buddhist period that the Nalanda and Taxilla universities were first set up where a multitude of disciplines were taught including philosophy, mathematics, grammar, astronomy, psychology, and arts. The Vedic tradition of education was followed during the Mughal and British Raj. While the Mughal period brought Islamic influence in education, the British Raj opened many Christian Missionary schools and colleges. Moreover, after the British Raj and the colonial system came into the picture, the use of English language expanded. The language was now being used everywhere for learning, giving instructions and even in everyday communication. It would not be wrong to say that during this time, the entire landscape of education system in India changed. This period formed the base for higher education during the 20th century. After independence, a host of educational institutions were set up by the government to ensure that the students didn’t have to go abroad to pursue higher quality education. From government schools to IITs and IIMs, many premier institutions were set up to ensure students receive the proper education. In fact, some of the institutions have been recognized all over the world for the excellent education they provide and the institution of Kashi i.e. Banaras Hindu University is one of them. For centuries, Kashi, also known as "SarvaVidya Ki Rajdhani" (Capital of knowledge) [a phrase used in the BHU “Kulgeet” by Shanti SwarupBhatnagar] is reputed as a great centre of education and learning. It’s because since the ancient times, people from all parts of the world have been coming to Kashi to learn philosophy, Sanskrit, Astrology, modern sciences and social science. Kashi retains its ancient fame as acenter of learning. According to JitendranandaSaraswati, the city has seven universities, 40 degree-granting colleges and 1,600 Sanskrit vidyalayas (traditional schools and colleges). In early Vedic literature, Kashi does not figure either as acenter of pilgrimage or a center of learning. It took many centuries for Vedic religion to reach Kashi. The people of Kashi took so much time to accept Vedic religion.They accepted the new religion unwillingly and for a long time. It seems that Taxilla and Kashi attained its importance after Mahabharata.During the period of the Epic,Vedic religion and its culture started spreading in Northern India.Taxilla,Kashi and Mithilla developed as important centers of learning and philosophy. Kashi became the famous centre of Aryan religion and culture during the Upanishad period. Ajatshatru was a patron of learning and literature but very few details are available. (Sukul,P88). However, for a time Taxilla was a more famous centre of learning than Kashi. The rulers of Kashithemselves used to send their sons to Taxilla and many teachers of this city are seen to be past students of the Taxila University. In 7th century B.C Kashi became the most famous centre of education in eastern India; The description of educational centers during this period deals specially with Buddhist subjects but Kashi finds respectful mention along with Sarnath. Buddha at first publicized his gospel here. Under the patronage of Asoka (Magadha King) Sarnath monastery in Kashi became a famous center of learning. KOSIYA AND TITTER JATAKAS clearly mention that teachers at Kashi taught the three Vedas and 18 crafts. KHUDDAKAPATHA ATTHAKATHA tells us that some educational institutions at Kashiwere older than those of Taxilla (Sukul,p88). It continuously prospered in 7 th century AD. It possessed splendid and beautiful buildings with tiers of balconies and rows of halls. It had 1500 monk-students. It is said that Sarnath continued to be a flourishing centre of Buddhist learning and pilgrimage down to 12 th century A.D. By the 8th century AD education started spreading in Kashi. Hindu sages who were scholars started establishing Ashrams, Gurukuls etc. These Ashrams grew as a center of Brahmanic learning.Famous religious personalities such as Panini, the author of Ashtdhyayi, Shankaracharya, the religious reformer of Hindu school of monism (Advaita Vedanta), Ramanujacharya the great teacher of Vaishnavism, Madhavacharya, the famous Vaishnava teacher who propagated Dvaita (dualism), Tulsidas (Ramanandi Vaishnava saint and poet ) Kabirdas (poet) and many prominent learned men were enlightened here in Kashi. Shankaracharya, by visiting many pilgrim centres, in Kashi, experienced the Advaita doctrine, surprisingly through a pariah. He wrote many books, poems and philosophical works. Tulsidas lived in Kashi for a long time and also gained enlightenment here. He gained the knowledge of Sanskrit grammar, Hindu literature and philosophy, four Vedas, six Vedangas, Jyotishaetc from his guru Shesha Santana at Panch Ganga Ghat, Kashi. In ancient Kashi, both formal and informal ways of education system existed.Indigenous education was imparted at homes, temples, pathshalas, gurukuls etc. Temples played an important role as a center of learning. Unlike the education system of modern era the education of that period was focused on learning and not so much on writing and copying .The main objective was to have a complete learning ,leading a disciplined life and realizing one’s inner potential. We can take the example of Kabirdas who was not well educated but isconsidered a learned man because this is the education culture of Kashi . The seals which have been discovered in Rajghat excavations in Kashi show that there was atleast one Bahvricha Charana for the teaching of Rigveda and a Charaka Charana for the teaching of Krishna Yajurveda. For Samaveda there were several institutions (Sukul, P90). Students from all over the world gathered at Kashi for education and all these institutions were being run by individual acharyas and that there were no organized schools. During the Gupta period, when Nalanda and Vikramshilla had come up as organized centers of education, Kashi did not consider it worthwhile to establish such institutions and this tradition is still practiced here. Acharyas of Kashi used to teach students at their homes. In 11th and 12th century rulers of Gahadwaal dynasty constructed huge temples, ashramasand Buddhist vihars at Kashi or Sarnath. Gahadwal king and his queen are credited for the development of Kashi as a center of learning and pilgrimage. He was agreat patron of education andhis queen was a follower of Buddhism, she restored several monuments at Sarnath and also built many Baudh Viharas for monks. During 11th and 12th centuries A.D., Sanskrit education at Kashi was divided in two sections. In both the pathshalas students were taught about astrology, Yoga, Vedanta, eighteen sippas, arts etc. These pathshalas were connected with famous temples and muths providing knowledge of six shastras. In these monasteries and pathshalas students with education got food and other necessities of life. King of Ghadwala village to learned person living at Kashi.The father of Indian medicine Dhanayantri was born as Kashi Raj in this city who taught science to Sushrut who became specialist of not only Rasa-Prakriya (use of metal and their salt as medicine ) but also in surgery (Altekar p 189). The surgery of today has been born from his writings only. In 1194 A.D., when Kashi was conquered by Qutub-ud-din-Aibak, Sanskrit education received a setback but remained quite alive. In Kashi, the teachers continued their work as before but they had to keep it quiet. During the reign of Mohammad Bin Tughlaq (1325-1351A.D), Kashi again flourished as a center of Sanskrit learning. The court poets inform that there were a number of specialist scholars in grammar, Ayurveda, Astrology, Astronomy and Dhatuvidya. Feroz Shah Tughlaq ordered destruction of Hindu Temples in Kashi in 1376.Sikander Lodi continued the suppression of Hinduism in the city and destroyed most of the remaining older temples in 1496.The educational institutions connected to them suffered the same fate.bIndividual teachers were thus the only source of education left.Despite the Muslim rule, Kashi remained the center of intellectuals and theologians during the middle ages. Several major figures of the Bhakti Movement were born in Kashi including Kabir and Ravidas who worked for socio- economic reforms and literary development. Many eminent scholars and preachers visited the city from across India and South Asia. Sikh Gurus also visited Kashi and spread their teachings. Mughal Emperor Akbar conquered Kashi in 1567A.D. and ordered to plunder it. Later Akbar became a patron of Hinduism and built many monuments in Kashi.After that many learned families from Maharashtra and Karnataka came to Kashi and permanently settled down here. They promoted scholarship in Kashi. Contribution of Kashi to Sanskrit scholarship and literature during the period of 1500AD-1800A.D is much greater than others.With the course of time Shah Jahan and Darashikoh became patrons of famous scholars of Kashi. Before the plunder of Muslim rulers Kashi was observed as a center of Sanskrit education and itwas the only education given in Kashi( before 1194 AD) apart from Buddhist education at Sarnath, but after that era Persian and Arabic education also became a part of education in Kashi.(Sukulp 108) The aim of this education in India were twofold : For Hindus a knowledge of Persian became essential for getting employment and earning favor of Muslim rulers and for Muslims there was additional aim of developing deep into religious mysteries. Maulvis used to teach the students in Maktabs, Madarsas,Masques and mousolea. Many Muslim intellectuals also learnt Sanskrit for the translation of all written Sanskrit works into Persian. Faizi had learnt Sanskrit at Kashi in the guise of a Hindu and translated the Ramayan. Prince Dara Shikoh also translated the Upanishads while staying here. Dara Shikoh’s translation of 52 Upanishads from Sanskrit to Persian, reflected his commitment to India’s Sanatan culture and traditions. For which he faced a lot of hardels in his life but did not leave his path and commitment to justice and humanity. He symbolizes the multiplicity and richness of India and it’s composite culture of Ganga Jamini Tehzeeb. He had become messenger of India’s harmonious culture for the entire world. Kashi has produced learned scholars in Persian. Sir Syed Ahmad belonged to Kashi and wrote his textbook in Urdu here. Ghalib too had reclined here; and brilliant star Hazin, decided to settle down at Kashi in 18 th century and refused to leave it even to return to his native land Even in 18th and 19th centuries the court language used to be Persian and several Persian scholars graced this illustrious town. In present day Kashi has a large number of Maktabs teaching Persian and Arabic at elementary level and several high schools and intermediate colleges teach Persian and Arabic as an optional subject. The Banaras Hindu University has a full-fledged Persian Department and the Government of India also runs an Arabic Institute for Higher studies here. Describing about education in Kashi in 1600A.D.,Bernier writes that there were no organized institutions in Kashi .Teachers use to teach students at their residences. The First step in establishing a proper educational Institution was taken by Maharaja Jai Singh of Amber near BinduMahadev Temple built by him in 1585 A.D. It provided education to the sons of social high ups only. However, the real step in the direction of establishing formal Educational institution in Kashi was taken in 1791 when Jonathan Duncan the agent of East India Company founded the Sanskrit Pathshala to train the servants of East India Company. It later became the Government Sanskrit College and since 1958 has been raised to the status of Varanaseya Sanskrit Vishvavidyalaya. (Sukul,P). In the beginning, it was only a Sanskrit College which was later converted into the Sanskrit University in the year 1958 by the endeavors of Dr. Sampurnanand. It was then renamed to Sampurnanand Sanskrit University in the year 1974 after the name of Dr. Sampurnanand. Now its work is contributed towards keeping Sanskrit alive. The university maintains a collection of 1, 50,000 rare and ancient manuscripts in its library.There is an arrangement for the teaching of subjects such as Veda, Vedanta, Puranas, Ayurveda, Sahitya, Astrology, Theology, Mimamsa, Nyaya etc. The number of affiliated colleges in U.P. alone was 1441. Thus, this college acted like a University not only for this country but also for other countries. In 1910,the British made Kashi a new Indian state,with Ramnagar as its headquarters. In 1904 the great reformer Pt.Madan Mohan Malviya began campaigning for modern Hindu University to preserve classical cultural tradition and Modern Science. Annie Besant (The founder of the Theosophical Society in India) started a Central Hindu College in 1898.This School later formed the core of the prestigious Banaras Hindu University in 1916 which at present is among the leading Universities of the World.BHU played an important role in Indian Independence Movement. The BHU has produced many great freedom fighters and nation builders. It has immensely contributed to the progress of the nation through a large number of renowned scholars, artists and scientists. The Banaras Hindu University has a sprawling campus, spanning across 1300 acres.The BHU comprises of 3 Institutes, 14 Faculties, 124 Departments, 4 Interdisciplinary Centers and 3 Constituent Schools, spanning a vast range of subjects pertaining to all branches of humanities, social sciences, science, technology, medicine, fine arts and performing arts.This University also has a Center ofBhojpuri studies:The primary aim of this centre would be to contribute to the growth of Bhojpuri through in-depth studies or the various aspects that will include cultural and other historical traditions. Very few universities in India provide study in Bhojpuri or Sanskrit and BHU of Kashi is one of them. Like Bhojpuri studies there is one department called Faculty of Performing Arts.The Faculty of Performing Arts is a premier institution in the country that inculcates the students both Kala and Vidya through Performing Arts. No other universities have such big departments like the ones that BHU have.Many art and music lovers and learned men are alumni of BHU.The Cultural facets of the educational process have a strong hold in the University. Banaras Hindu University also has 6 centers of advanced studies, 10 Departments under Special Assistance Programme and a large number of specialized research centers. There are four Degree Colleges in Varanasi that are affiliated to the BHU. The Bharat KalaBhavan, an art and archaeological museum, is a treasure trove of rare collections. The Banaras Hindu University also has a medical college (Institute of Medical Sciences) and an engineering institute. BHU has a wide range of facilities for sports and hobbies. The Banaras Hindu University consists of about 15000 students, coming from all streams of life, castes, religions and races. It has about 2000 teachers and nearly 5000 non-teaching staff. Another important feature of the BHU is the number of foreign students. A large number of students come from the U.S.A., Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, etc. The objective of BHU is(i) To promote the study of the Hindu Shastras and of Sanskrit literature mainly as a means of preserving and popularizing for the benefit of Hindus in particular and of the world at large in general,the best thought and culture of the Hindus and all that was good and great in the ancient civilization of India. (ii) To promote learning and research generally in arts and science in all branches (iii) To promote the building up of character in youth by making religion and ethics an integral part of Education. Another famous institution is The Kashi VidyaPeeth was set up in 1920 by Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta to provide alternate education arrangement during the Non-cooperation movement during India's freedom struggle. It soon became a center of National education with Hindi as the medium of instruction. AcharyaNarendradev, BabuSampurnanand, BabuSriprakash and many more luminaries of the time have been associated with this institute. Over a period of time, the Kashi Vidyapeeth has flourished into an educational institute of repute. In the present time, the university offers courses in almost all disciplines ranging from humanities and management to life sciences. A medical college is also being planned in the University. Besides, the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth has taken a great leap forward by keeping pace with the changing times and offering new courses according to the needs of the times and also the students. Central Institute for Higher Tibetan Studies- This University is an autonomous organization by Union Ministry of Culture for studying the Indo-Buddhist Sanskrit Texts that are only found in Tibet. The University was founded by Pt.JawaharLal Nehru in contribution to Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama.This institutewas established with the philosophy of imparting education in Tibetan Studies with a preference for the traditional Tibetan method of teaching within an innovative framework of modern universities, comprising time-bound courses of study, written examinations and award of degrees. The institute is situated in the serene and beautiful surroundings of Sarnath. The Institute is mainly research-oriented and seeks to mould the students, through its teaching departments, into suitably qualified persons capable of undertaking works of research and restitution in concurrence with the fundamental objectives of the organization. The curriculum of courses have been drawn so as to provide the students with sound footings in traditional subjects of Tibetology, while enabling them to be fully conversant with modern subjects and research methodology. CONCLUSION: My focus in this paper was to look to on Educational Institutions of Kashi from Vedic period to Modern era. During my research I found that how the education system evolved from vedic period to modern age. There was no mention of Kashi as a center of a center of learning in vedic period but during the 6th century AD Kashi emerged as a great center of learning after Buddha gave his gospel there. From then the establishment of educational centers started in Kashi and went through many changes in different era. We saw that how Gurukul established where Sanskrit education was prominent. After the invasion of Arabs, Persian and Arabic institutions also emerged with that from 16 th century the proper educational institions started establishing.In this way Kashi has been a significant and popular center of learning from beginning of Aryan civilization till now and is still developing with the same cultural values and traditions. Kashi from ancient times is well known for its educational acumen. This has been the place of Sanskrit, Religion, Philosophy, Culture, Music, Arts & Crafts, Medicine, Ayurveda, Yoga, Persian and Arabic learning. People from around the world come here to learn in the luminous city of light. In Varanasi there are four universities & a numbers of colleges that provide quality modern education to masses. Apart from modern streams there are numerous independent institutions that provide ancient education to students with ancient Indian techniques of education. In conclusion, it can be stated that Kashi is not just known for its countless temples and exquisite handicrafts but also holds some of the most iconic figures of Indian history. Being an education hub since the age of Aryans, Kashi still attracts scholars from all over the world and will continue to do it even in the future. “In this land of theGanga (Varanasi), there was education of culture, But more importantly, there was a culture of education” -NarendraModi(Prime Minister of India) REFRENCES: Altekar, A.S : Education in Ancient India, Nand Kishor and Bros, Benares, 1944. Mookherjee ,R.K. : Ancient Indian Education, Macmillan, Bombay, 1957. Sukul, Kuber Nath : Varansi Down the Ages, Varansi Bhargava Bhashan Prakshan, Patna, 1974. Diana, L.Eck,: Benaras City of Lights, Coloumbia University Press, 1983. Sundaram, V.A, : Benares Hindu University (1905-1935), Rameshwar Pathak, Benares , 1936. 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