Dharmapala is known to have founded which of the following universities near Bhagalpur in Bihar?

The correct answer is Vikramashila.

Key Points

• Vikramshila University was a Buddhist monastery and learning center in what is now Bihar, India.
• King Dharmapala established the university in the late 8th or early 9th century.
• It was one of the most important Buddhist universities of its time, along with Nalanda and Odantapuri.
• The university was a center of Tantric Buddhism.
• The university was destroyed by Muslim invaders in the 12th century. Today, only the ruins of the university remain.

Additional Information

• Taxila University:-
  •    The University of Ancient Taxila was founded by Bharata and named after his son Taksha, who was the established ruler of the university.
  • It was a center of learning and knowledge in ancient times, particularly during the Maurya Empire and Greek rule in the 2nd and 3rd centuries BCE.
  • It was known for its study of medicine, Vedic science, and the arts.
• Nalanda University:-
  •         Emperor Kumaragupta I of the Gupta Empire established Nalanda University around 427 CE in modern-day Bihar.
  • It was the world's first residential university.
  • Hiuen Tsang, a famous Chinese Buddhist scholar and traveler, studied at Nalanda University in the 7th century.
• Valabhi University:-
  • Valabhi University was an ancient university in western India that was a center of Buddhist learning and religious studies.
  • It is located in what is now the Bhavnagar district of Gujarat, India.
  • It is a center of Hinayana Buddhism, religious tolerance, and mental freedom.
  • Chinese travelers Xuanzang and Yijing visited the university.

Important Points

• In June 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a new 450-acre campus of Nalanda University in Rajgir, Bihar.
• The new campus is a "Net Zero" Green Campus that focuses on environmental conservation.