Takshashila University :: The Worlds's Oldest University

The first university education was also encouraged from the ancient days. Takshashila, the first university of the world was set up in India is about 700 BC in the kingdom of Gandhar. Takshashila , the place where this university existed, is currently in Pakistan and gets its name from Taksha, who was the son of Bharatha (the brother of Rama). Taksha ruled over the kingdom of Taksha Khanda which even extended beyond modern-day Uzbekistan, and Tashkent -the present day Uzbek capital also gets its name from Taksha/Takshashila. The University of Nalanda was also established in India during 4^th century in India. More than 10,000 students studied over 60 subjects from all over the world. Panini, the famous Sanskrit grammarian, Kautilya (Chanakya) and Charaka, the famous physician of ancient India, and Chandragupta were the precious products of this university. The famous treatise Arthashastra (Sanskrit for The knowledge of Economics) by Chanakya, is said to have been composed in Takshashila itself.