Learning Across Asia

Nalanda, Vikramashila and other institutions made the eastern Ganges plain a centre of learning with a reach far beyond any single kingdom. Students, teachers, manuscripts and diplomatic gifts moved through these networks.

Devpal’s charter concerning Balaputradeva’s foundation at Nalanda is exceptionally valuable evidence for relations with the Shailendra world of maritime Southeast Asia.

Atisha Dipankara became an influential teacher in the wider Asian religious sphere. His journey illustrates the movement of learning from Bengal to the Himalayan world, even though the scholar’s life cannot be reduced to the policy of a single king.

The Pal centuries also witnessed Sanskrit scholarship, regional literary traditions, and the increasing visibility of the linguistic and cultural world from which Bengali would develop.