Taxila University not considered as a university in the modern sense.

Q. Taxila university was one of the oldest universities of the world with which were associated a number of renowned learned personalities of different disciplines. Its strategic location caused its fame to flourish, but unlike Nalanda, it is not considered as a university in the modern sense. Discuss.

Answer:

• Taxila University was an ancient higher education institution located in the city of Taxila, in the northwest region of modern-day Pakistan.

• It was founded around the 5th century BCE and was active until the 5th century CE.

• The university was known for its curriculum, which included a wide range of subjects such as mathematics, medicine, philosophy, religion, and literature.

• Many famous scholars and philosophers studied or taught at Taxila University, including the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who spent several years there as a tutor to Alexander the Great.

• Despite its reputation as a center of learning and scholarship, Taxila University was not organized in the same way as modern universities.

• It did not have a central administration or formal degree programs, and students were free to choose which subjects they wanted to study and with which teachers they wanted to study them.

• Instead of being a single institution, it was more like a network of independent schools and teachers.

• Therefore, while Taxila University was a highly respected and influential center of learning in its time, it is not considered to be a university in the modern sense of the word.