Jaina System of Education

Author(s): Debendra Chandra Das Gupta
Publisher: Bharti Mahavidyalaya

Page 99

LECTURE VII
85
based on the fragmentary cvidences in the Jaina literature, cstablishes the fact that the Indian princes of yoic icceived then primary cducation in the populai schools along with childicn of the common pcoplc, whic they used to master the wholc iange of encyclopacdıc curicula, with a specialization in one pailiculai bianch of studies, accoidmg to their natural bent of mind Physical and military courscs occupied a promi. nent place in the piogramme of ulicui cducation. They continued their education furthei in the Bialmanic school whcic thcy specialized in the Vedas, and the Vcdāngas, and othei varicd couscs During the Jama period, in the sixth century BC thc Vedic school was superimposed upon the All-school Education was cqually valued by the community at large as well as by thc governing class. Amplc provision was made for the liberal educalion of the punces to which the school, the chuch and the state contributed equally Thus out of five social institutions, the above foui except indlustay functioned as educacional institutions for the education of the pimces Thc bcncfit of liberal culluic was so much appreciated that even hings who, soi good icasons, could have it in piopei time would make up foi the loss by appointing cxperts as private tutois foi special liammg Thc method of tiaming followed was thoroughly scientific onc Thus we get heic a very mspring picture of the educational idcal followed by the rules of India in the spacious days of the Jaina ascendency.