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Nalanda University flourished for more than seven centuries

bbc.com

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Re: Nalanda University flourished for more than seven centuries

#71

Post by teleforce »

mzs wrote: post #56
teleforce wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Saying that proper university did not exist before 11th century is disingenuous at its best and propaganda at its worst. It's like saying there is no proper engineering existed before civil engineering (civilian engineering) while military engineering has existed since time immomerial. There were numerous institutions of higher learning or universities in Muslim Spain, Middle East and Italian Sicily that the latter w…

https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=baccalaureus&old...

Please check this discourse on the matter, perhaps someone can further research on original etymology of the Bachelor word [1].

I have read before about the origin of the convocation robe from the fruits gown but it's rather comical IMHO. The more plausible explanation is that they want to copy the learned people at the medieval time, i.e. Arabic speaking people, during the European dark ages by imitating the Arabic styled robe with the robe and the turban. It is very similar today when all the people in the corporate boardroom meeting are expected to wear two piece suits in order to look professional.

[1] About the etymology of Bachelor:

https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/160839/about-the...

Re: Nalanda University flourished for more than seven centuries

#72

Post by emmelaich »

bradchris wrote: post #61
SeanLuke wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It depends on how you define a university. I think the institution that invented the term probably gets to define it. And that is the University of Bologna.

So what about Bachelor and Baccalaureate both being words that have their pre-Latin roots in Arabic: Bihaqq Al-riwayatt (“the right to restate the learning to somebody else“). Or the fact that ceremonial graduation garb in the EU and US, from the robes to the caps, is also based in Arab tradition. The medieval Enlightenment and subsequent Renaissance was huge for Europe, yes, but just as important to realize today is…

That link you gave for Bihaqq Al-riwayatt was very interesting but not conclusive imho.

Re: Nalanda University flourished for more than seven centuries

#73

Post by vishalchandra »

SeanLuke wrote: post #17

[dead]

Nalanda was multi-subject and other than theology, they also taught medicine, mathematics, astronomy, meta physics, grammar, etc. That sounds like a university to me.

You can always try to create definitions to suit your preferred narrative. But Nalanda was multi-subject beyond teaching religion.

Re: Nalanda University flourished for more than seven centuries

#74

Post by rvense »

throwaway280382 wrote: post #40
cjohnson318 wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Propaganda is a strong term that suggests an ulterior motive. What is the ulterior motive here for calling Nalanda a university?

[flagged]

And what's funny is that not even this concept did the Indians invent themselves, it's just a blatant rip-off of the Arab tradition of blaming everything on the Mongols sacking Baghdad! /s

Re: Nalanda University flourished for more than seven centuries

#75

Post by PeterisP »

cafed00d wrote: post #50
SeanLuke wrote: post #17

[dead]

If you're suggesting that the University of Bologna was secular (not religious) in the 11th century, then that is misleading. > then hired scholars from the city's pre-existing lay and ecclesiastical schools to teach them subjects such as liberal arts, notarial law, theology, and ars dictaminis (scrivenery) > The university is historically notable for its teaching of canon and civil law Please note the phrases .. ecc…

Please note all the other phrases in the fragments you're quoting - Bologna is not a religious school (which is different from being a secular, non-religious school, that would be a false dichotomy) because there theology was just one of the disciplines as it also included a multitude of topics in addition to religion, in contrast to the many contemporary religious schools around the world which taught only priests.

Re: Nalanda University flourished for more than seven centuries

#79

Post by msla »

ugh123 wrote: post #55

Bare with me here: Why is it that articles need to start with lines like > "The winter morning was cloaked in thick fog..." and postpone the actual information pertaining to the title? Instead, we have to sift through irrelevant story-like content to get to the meat of the information and facts. Will one promise of tools like ChatGPT and their successors be to summarize-away this fluff?

> Bare with me here:

Most people would pay money to ensure I don't.

> Instead, we have to sift through irrelevant story-like content to get to the meat of the information and facts.

Because journalists are frustrated novelists, and editors think the "human interest" angle sells.

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