Nalanda University was built by Kumaragupta of the Gupta dynasty in the 5th century BC.
Prominent rulers of the time, including King Harshavardhana of Kannauj, Pala Rulers, and many scholars patronized Nalanda.
An abode of learning, eminence, and intellectual sharing, it is considered the world’s first residential University by historians. It is also considered a major centre of learning from the 5th century CE to 1200 CE.
Nalanda university was destroyed by Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji, with an intent to evade the roots of knowledge, Buddhism, and Ayurveda. He set fire to the library of Nalanda.
Nalanda University was featured in the UNESCO World Heritage List on January 9, 2009.
Nalanda University was resurrected in 2010 and is designated as an institution of national importance. It is located in Rajgir in the Nalanda district of Bihar and functions under the Ministry of External Affairs.
Another important centre of learning was Taxila University in Taxila city, the capital of the Achaemenid territories.
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