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

248 EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA [Ch.
tion of temples and monasteries had not taken place on
a wide scale at the time of the invasions of the
Mahomedans and during their subsequent long rule.
The surprising amount of cultural uniformity that is to
be seen even now over the length and breadth of India
is mainly due to the successful preservation and spread
of ancient culture and civilisation. If there are several
features, common to Hindu life, all over the country,
contributing to Hindu unity, the credit has to be largely
given to the educational system, which has produced
uniformity in the culture and outlook on life of the
Hindu community. The remarkable success of Indian
missionaries in spreading Indian culture in Indian
Archipelago, Siam, China, Japan, Tibet, and Central
Asia must be attributed to the success of the educational
system in enkindling a strong zest in the minds of
students for spreading the national culture and heritage
far and wide, both in India and outside.
Civic Responsibility and Social Efficiency and
Happiness : The success of the educational system in
infusing a sense of civic responsibility and promoting
social efficiency and happiness, which were two of its
important aims, was also remarkable. It was but
natural that the educational system should have taken
the help of the religious feeling and the caste discipline
for infusing the sense of civic responsibility. The
average man in ancient India was always loyal to the
interests of his guild, village and caste. It was the
success of the educational system in promoting social
efficiency, which enabled Hindu society to be in the
vanguard of the march of civilisation for several
centuries. It is true that this ceased to be the case
from about the 10th century A.D. ; but the failure
during the last millennium in this connection should not
blind us to the success in the preceding long period of