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

128 EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA [Ch.
Second Central Gate : Jñān-śrī-mitra of Gauda¹
Courses of Study and degrees : Grammar, logic,
metaphysics, Tantras and ritualism were the main
subjects specialised at the institution. The curriculum
was thus not so wide or catholic as that at Nālandā,
outlined above. Unfortunately we have no informa-
tion of the duration or the gradation of the course at
Vikramaśīlā, but there is every probability that it was
more systematically organised than was the case at
any other centre of ancient Indian education. For,
unlike at any other college, we find diplomas and titles
being given to the Vikramaśīlā students at the end
of their course by the reigning kings of Bengal.
Tibetan authorities inform us that Jetāri and
Ratnavajra had received degrees at the hands of kings
Mahīpāla and Kanaka respectively.² The memory
of the distinguished alumni of the place was kept ever
green in the mind of the congregation by their pictures
being put on the walls of the college halls This
honour is known to have been shown to Nāgārjuna
and Atīśa.
Destruction of the University : In 1203, the
Vikramaśīlā monastery was destroyed by the
Mahomadens under Bakhtyar Khilji, who seem to
have mistaken it for a fort. At that time Śākya-
śrī-bhadra was at the helm of the monastic affairs.
The account of the destruction of the monastery has
been preserved by the author of Tabākāt-i-nāsiri. We
read, ‘The greater number of the inhabitants of the
place were Brahmanas (i. e. Buddhist Bhikshus) and
the whole of these Brahmanas had their heads
shaven, and they were all slain. There were a great
number of books on the religion of the Hindus there,

1. Vidyabhushana, History of Indian Logic, p. 520.
2. Bose, Indian Teachers, p, 47, p. 61