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Odantapuri
Odantapuri (also called Odantapura or Uddandapura) was a prominent Buddhist Mahavihara in what is now Bihar Sharif in Bihar, India. It is believed to have been established by the Pala ruler Gopala I in the 8th century. It is considered the second oldest of India's Mahaviharas after Nalanda and was situated in Magadha. Inscriptional evidence also indicates that the Mahavihara was supported by local Buddhist kings like the Pithipatis of Bodh Gaya. The ''vihara'' perished at the hands of Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji, a Turko-Muslim invader in the late 1100s, when he launched multiple raids on Bihar and adjoining territories. Location Joseph David Beglar first identified the city of Bihar (Bihar Sharif) with Odantapuri; as the city used to be called ''Bihar Dandi'' or ''Dand Bihar'', which is a contraction of ''Dandpur Bihar'' (derived from "Dandpura Vihara"). A small brass image of the goddess Parvati, bearing a votive inscription on the back that mentioned the name ''Uddandapur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bihar Sharif
Bihar Sharif is the headquarters of Nalanda district and the fifth-largest sub-metropolitan area in the eastern Indian state of Bihar. Its name is a combination of two words: ''Bihar'', derived from '' vihara'' (meaning monastery), also the name of the state; and ''Sharif'' (meaning ''noble''). The city is a hub of education and trade in southern Bihar, and the economy centers around agriculture supplemented by tourism, the education sector and household manufacturing. The ruins of the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are located near the city. Under the Pala Empire, Odantapuri, a major Buddhist monastic university was built at the site of Bihar Sharif. In the early 14th century, the city was captured by the Delhi Sultanate. Bihar Sharif was later ruled by other Muslim dynasties and then by the British until Indian independence in 1947. The city has important Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim heritage sites and landmarks. Bihar Sharif is one of the one hundr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pala Empire
The Pāla Empire (r. 750-1161 CE) was an imperial power during the post-classical period in the Indian subcontinent, which originated in the region of Bengal. It is named after its ruling dynasty, whose rulers bore names ending with the suffix ''Pāla'' ("protector" in Prakrit). The empire was founded with the election of Gopāla as the emperor of Gauda in late eighth century AD. The Pala stronghold was located in Bengal and eastern Bihar, which included the major cities of Gauḍa, Vikramapura, Pāṭaliputra, Monghyr, Somapura, Ramavati (Varendra), Tāmralipta and Jaggadala. The Pālas were astute diplomats and military conquerors. Their army was noted for its vast war elephant corps. Their navy performed both mercantile and defensive roles in the Bay of Bengal. At its zenith under emperors Dharmapala and Devapala in the early ninth century, the Pala empire extended their dominance into the northern Indian region, with its territory stretching across the Gangetic pl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mahavihara
Mahavihara () is the Sanskrit and Pali term for a great vihara (centre of learning or Buddhist monastery) and is used to describe a monastic complex of viharas. Mahaviharas of India A range of monasteries grew up in ancient Magadha (modern Bihar) and Bengal. According to Tibetan sources, five great mahaviharas stood out during the Pāla period: Vikramashila, the premier university of the era; Nalanda, past its prime but still illustrious, Somapura, Odantapurā, and Jaggadala. The five monasteries formed a network; "all of them were under state supervision" and there existed "a system of co-ordination among them . . it seems from the evidence that the different seats of Buddhist learning that functioned in eastern India under the Pāla were regarded together as forming a network, an interlinked group of institutions," and it was common for great scholars to move easily from position to position among them. Nalanda The famous Nalanda Mahavihara was founded a few centuries earlier ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nalanda
Nalanda (, ) was a renowned ''mahavihara'' (Buddhist monastic university) in ancient Magadha (modern-day Bihar), India.Nalanda University Government of India Considered by historians to be the world's first residential university and among the greatest centers of learning in the ancient world, it was located near the city of Rajagriha (now ) and about southeast of Pataliputra (now ). Operating from 427 until 1197 CE, Nalanda played a vital role in promoting the patronage of arts and academics during the 5th and 6th century CE, a period that has since been described as the " |
Muhammad Bin Bakhtiyar Khalji
Ikhtiyār al-Dīn Muḥammad Bakhtiyār Khaljī, (Pashto :اختيار الدين محمد بختيار غلزۍ, fa, اختیارالدین محمد بختیار خلجی, bn, ইখতিয়ারউদ্দীন মুহম্মদ বখতিয়ার খলজী) also known as Bakhtiyar Khalji, was a Turko-Afghan military general of the Ghurid ruler Muhammad of Ghor, who led the Muslim conquests of the eastern Indian regions of Bengal and Bihar and established himself as their ruler. He was the founder of the Khalji dynasty of Bengal, which ruled Bengal for a short period, from 1203 to 1227 CE. Khalji's invasions of the Indian subcontinent between A.D. 1197 and 1206 led to mass flight and massacres of Buddhist monks, and caused grave damage to the traditional Buddhist institutions of higher learning in Northern India. In Bengal, Khalji's reign was responsible for displacement of Buddhism by Islam. His rule is said to have begun the Islamic rule in Bengal, mos ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vikramashila
Vikramashila (Sanskrit: विक्रमशिला, IAST: , Bengali:- বিক্রমশিলা, Romanisation:- Bikrômôśilā ) was one of the three most important Buddhist monasteries in India during the Pala Empire, along with Nalanda and Odantapuri. Its location is now the site of Antichak village, Bhagalpur district in Bihar. Vikramashila was established by the Pala emperor Dharmapala (783 to 820 AD) in response to a supposed decline in the quality of scholarship at Nalanda. Atiśa, the renowned pandita and philosopher, is listed as a notable abbot. It was destroyed by the forces of Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji around 1193. History A number of monasteries grew up during the Pāla period in ancient Bengal and Magadha. According to Tibetan sources, five great Mahaviharas stood out: Vikramashila, the premier university of the era; Nalanda, past its prime but still illustrious, Somapura, Odantapura, and Jagaddala. The five monasteries formed a network; "all ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nalanda College, Biharsharif
Nalanda College, Biharsharif is a college in Bihar Sharif, the district headquarters of Nalanda District in Bihar state in India. It is a constituent unit of Patliputra University. It was established in 1870 and is one of the oldest colleges of north India. Its catchment area includes nearby villages and small towns in Bihar Sharif. The Government of India issued stamps with its picture in 1970 to mark its centenary. This college offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in science, commerce and arts. History Bihar Sharif Nalanda College was founded by Canto Singh, a landlord in Bihar. He had granted 8.7 acres of land for the college. To remember his contribution, his statue is standing in the campus. The college was built in the area having the remains of an ancient fort, which is believed to have been a part of Odantapuri university. The college was at first under the jurisdiction of the University of Calcutta, then it came under Bihar University, and finally under Maga ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pithipatis Of Bodh Gaya
The Pīṭhīpatis of Bodh Gaya (also known as the Pithis) were the rulers of the area around Bodh Gaya from roughly the 11th to 13th centuries in the Magadha region of what is now Bihar in India. Pithi refers to the diamond throne where the Buddha was said to have gained enlightenment. The Pithipati chiefs styled themselves with the title of Acarya in addition to Pīṭhīpati. Pithipati Buddhasena also termed himself as ''magadhādipati'' (ruler of Magadha). Origin The historian, Dineshchandra Sircar, noted that the Pithipatis appear to have originally been religious authorities and priests before eventually coming into power themselves at some point in the 11th century during the Pala rule of the region and the Pithis themselves were likely subordinates of the Pala dynasty. Pithipati inscriptions refer to the clan name as ''Chinda'' and ''Chikkora''. Kumaradevī, the daughter of Devaraksita, calls her father a Chikkora, while a later descendant, Jayasena, calls his ancestors ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sardar Patel Memorial College
Sardar Patel Memorial College is a degree college in Bihar Sharif in the district of Nalanda in Bihar, India. It is a constituent unit of Patliputra University. The college offers senior secondary education and undergraduate degree in arts, science, and information technology. History The college was established in 1974 in the area having the remains of an ancient fort, which is believed to have been part of the Udantpuri University founded by the king Gopala of Pala Dynasty in 8th century AD. The neighbourhood is still known by the name 'Udantpuri' after the name of the ancient university. It was converted into a constituent unit of Magadh University in 1980. The college has become a constituent unit of Patliputra University since March 2018. Degrees and courses The college offers the following degrees and courses. * Senior Secondary ** Intermediate of Arts ** Intermediate of Science * Bachelor's degree ** Bachelor of Arts ** Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Scienc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dharmapala (emperor)
Dharmapala (Siddhamātṛikā Script: , Dha-rmma-pā-la; Bangla: ধর্মপাল)(ruled between 770s-810s AD) was the second ruler of the Pala Empire of Bengal and Bihar regions in the Indian subcontinent. He was the son and successor of Gopala, the founder of the Pala Dynasty. He greatly expanded the boundaries of the empire, and made the Palas a dominant power in the northern and eastern India. Dharmapala directly ruled over the present-day Bengal and Bihar, and installed a nominee at Kannauj. The Pala chronicles also claim that several other rulers of North India acknowledged his suzerainty, but these claims seem to be exaggerated. Dharmapala was defeated twice by the Gurjara-Pratiharas, but each time the Rashtrakutas subsequently defeated the Pratiharas, leaving Palas as the dominant power in North India. Dharmapala was succeeded by his son Devapala who further expanded the empire. Reign Based on the different interpretations of the various epigraphs and historica ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Somapura Mahavihara
Somapura Mahavihara ( bn, সোমপুর মহাবিহার, Shompur Môhabihar) in Paharpur, Badalgachhi Upazila, Badalgachhi, Naogaon District, Naogaon, Bangladesh is among the best known Buddhist viharas or monasteries in the Indian Subcontinent and is one of the most important archaeological sites in the country. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. It is one of the most famous examples of architecture in pre-Islamic Bangladesh. It dates from a period to the nearby Halud Vihara and to the Sitakot Vihara in Nawabganj Upazila, Dinajpur, Nawabganj Upazila of Dinajpur District. History A number of monasteries grew up during the Pāla period in ancient India in the eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent, comprising Bengal and Magadha. According to Tibetan sources, five great Mahaviharas (universities) stood out: Vikramashila, the premier university of the era; Nalanda, past its prime but still illustrious; Somapura Mahavihara; Odantapuri, O ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gopala I
Gopala (Bangla: গোপাল) (ruled c. 750s–770s CE) was the founder of the Pala dynasty of Bihar and Bengal regions of the Indian Subcontinent. The last morpheme of his name ''Pala'' means "protector" and was used as an ending for the names of all the Pala monarchs. Pala does not suggest or indicate any ethnic or caste considerations of the Pala dynasty. He came to power in later half of eighth century AD in ''Gaur''/''Gaud'' after being elected by a group of regional chieftains. Origins There are no contemporary sources of information about Gopala's life: he is known only through the later literary references and genealogies in inscriptions. The name of his father was Vapyata, and his grandfather Dayitavishnu. A eulogy on the Khalimpur copper plate of his son Gopala describes his father Vapyata as a ''Khanditarati'' or "killer of enemies", and his grandfather Dayitavishnu as ''Sarva-vidyavadata'' ("all-knowing" in the sense "highly educated"). The later texts of the Pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
