Uttarakhand P.C.S. Prelims 2010

Ancient Higher Education

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

The most famous centre of learning during Mauryan period was-

Solution & Analysis

Answer: C

Concept Before the rise of residential universities like Nalanda, ancient India had regional educational hubs known for specialized knowledge.

Explanation Taxila (Takshashila) was the premier international university of the Mauryan era. It was located in the Northwest and was where Chanakya taught and Chandragupta was educated.

Logical Breakup
Taxila (C): Famous for statecraft, law, and medicine. It sat on the Grand Trunk Road connecting India to Central Asia.
Nalanda (B): Became famous during the Gupta period (5th century CE), long after the Mauryas.
Vaishali/Ujjain: Important centers, but not with the global academic stature of Taxila during this specific period.

Active Recall

Question

Who was the most famous teacher of politics at Taxila?

Answer

Chanakya (Kautilya), the author of the Arthashastra, was a teacher at Taxila University.

Core Insight

Taxila's location at the crossroads of Persian, Greek, and Indian cultures made it a unique cosmopolitan center of intellectual exchange.