Which of the following ancient educational institutions was situated at the…
2020
Which of the following ancient educational institutions was situated at the banks of river Ganga?
Answer: C. Vikramshila University — ConceptAncient India's major mahaviharas (monastic universities) are each tied to a specific river system and region. Identifying the institution on the banks…
- A.
Nalanda University
- B.
Pushpagiri University
- C.
Vikramshila University
- D.
Takshashila University
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Correct answer: C
Concept
Ancient India's major mahaviharas (monastic universities) are each tied to a specific river system and region. Identifying the institution on the banks of the Ganga requires matching each centre of learning to its historical geographic location, not just recognising it as a famous university.
Application
Vikramshila was founded by the Pala king Dharmapala (late 8th to early 9th century CE) on a hilltop overlooking the river Ganga at Antichak, near Bhagalpur in present-day Bihar. Its location directly on the Ganga made it a riverside seat of Buddhist learning that rivalled Nalanda.
Locating the other centres
Nalanda stood in the region of present-day Nalanda district, Bihar, near the small Panchane stream and not on the main course of the Ganga.
Pushpagiri was a Buddhist learning centre in the Cuttack region of Odisha, in the Mahanadi delta belt - far from the Ganga.
Takshashila lay in the north-west (Gandhara, near present-day Rawalpindi, Pakistan), associated with the Indus river system, not the Ganga.
Hence the centre located on the banks of the Ganga is Vikramshila University.