19/10/2022
More than 2700 years ago a huge university existed in ancient Pakistan, near Islamabad where over 10,500 students including students from 16 different countries came for higher studies. Great scholars taught over 64 different disciplines. This was Taxila (Takshashila) University.
Professor Noam Chomsky attributes the origin of linguistics, as also a product of Taxila (Takshashila) University of Pakistan.
Literally meaning "City of Cut Stone" or "Rock of Taksha", Taxila at the time was described as wealthiest city of Indus Valley, Pakistan. Taxila University attracted international students from 16/17 different countries including China, Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Babylonia & Greece.
2700 years old Taxila (Takshashila) University of Pakistan was world's Ist International University. It comprised 300 lecture halls, laboratories, observatory & a huge library housed in 3 buildings. For 10,500 students, almost 2,000 master-teachers taught 64 different subjects.
John Marshal in his book "A Guide to Taxila" mentions that, Taxila is frequently mentioned as a university centre where students could get instruction in almost any subject, from religious to secular, from mathematics to medicine, even to astrology and archery.
2700 years old Taxila (Takshashila) University is part of Pakistan's ancient history and heritage. It has nothing to do with Republic of India.
Languages, grammar, philosophy, medicine, surgey, agriculture, politics, archery, warfare, astronomy, governance, commerce and music etc were taught. There were even certain unique subjects tought, like the art of discovering hidden treasure and decrypting encrypted messages etc.
Taxila (Takshashila) University of Pakistan thrived for approximately 1000 years, with a resurgence under King Kanishka the Great, an emperor of Kushan dynasty in the 2nd century (127–150 AD), until it was destroyed by Shaivite [Hindu] King Mihirakula in 6th century AD.
