Taxila university was one of the oldest universities of the world with which were associated a number of renowned learned personalities of different disciplines. Its strategic location caused its fame to flourish, but unlike Nalanda, it is not considered as a university in the modern sense. Discuss.

Theme

T8 Patronage, learning centres & medieval technology

What UPSC asks in this theme

Questions ask about royal patronage of learning (Krishnadeva Raya), ancient universities (Taxila vs Nalanda), and technology introduced in the Sultanate period.

What to cover

• Krishnadeva Raya: Amuktamalyada, Ashtadiggajas, Telugu and Sanskrit literature
• Taxila vs Nalanda: subjects, scholars, why Nalanda fits the 'university' idea
• Sultanate technology: paper, spinning wheel, arch and dome, Persian wheel, and their social effects

Writing the answer

• Link each technology to the social change it caused
• For Taxila, explain why it was a centre of learning rather than an organised university

These notes are for the whole theme, built from all 3 of its PYQs. UPSC does not publish model answers.