प्राचीन भारत में शिक्षा (डॉ. ए.एस. अल्तेकर - गुरुकुल एवं बौद्ध विहार शिक्षण इतिहास)

98 EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA [Ch.
the times of the Peshwas in the 19th century.
Bajirao II, the last of the Peshwas, used to spend
5,00,000 of rupees in giving charity to learned
Brahmanas. 'But' says Elphinstone, 'the Dakshiṇā
formed only a small portion of his largesses to
Brahmanas and the number of persons devoted to
Hindu learning and religion who were supported by
him exceeded what would be readily supposed'.¹
Government help in indirect Forms : Governments
used to help the cause of education in many indirect
ways also. They used to offer scholarships to students
to enable them to complete their education.² Often
they used to hold literary tournaments and offer rich
rewards to successful scholars.³ In making appoint-
ments they used to show preference to men of learning ;
it is well known that many of the officers of the
Guptas were good poets or students of politics.⁴ Of
course it was not possible for governments to absorb
all graduates in their service ; those who could not be
employed in administrative posts used to get some
monetary help to enable them to start their lives.⁵

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1. Elphinstone's minute quoted at p. 5 of the Report of the
   Bombay Provincial Committee, Education Commission, 1882.
2. सर्वविद्याकलाभ्यासे शिक्षयेद्भृतिपोषितान् ।
   समाप्तविद्यं तं दृष्ट्वा तत्कार्ये तं नियोजयेत् ॥ Śukra, I. 368
   Some of the Taxila students were state scholars ; J. No, 522
3. Kings Janaka of Mithilā and Ajātaśatru of Benares are, for
   instance, known to have done this ; Br. Up. II. 1. 1 Vikramāditya
   and Harsha are also famous for inviting learned men for literary
   affrays.
4. Harisheṇa, the author of the Allahabad praśasti was
   holding the post of a judge; Śāba, a minister of Chandragupta, II,
   was a poet and an expert in Nītiśāstra. See Gupta Inscriptions, Nos.
   1 and 5.
5. This practice, for instance, prevailed at the court of Valabhi
   in the 7th century A. D. ; see I-tsing, p. 177-8