Nalanda University was destroyed during the invasions led by Bakhtiyar Khilji, a Turkic Muslim general under Muhammad Ghori. He attacked Bihar around 1202–03, burning libraries and killing monks. This assault ended Nalanda’s centuries-old tradition as a global centre of Buddhist learning, marking a major cultural loss for India and the Buddhist world. ANSWER: (B) Muslims
The destruction of Nalanda University was caused by – (A) Mughals (B) Muslims (C) Kushans (D) Scythians
Share
In the early 13th century, Ikhtiyaruddin Bakhtiyar Khilji launched military campaigns in Bihar and Bengal. During one such expedition around 1202–03 CE, he attacked Nalanda University, mistaking it for a fort due to its massive structures. His forces set fire to its extensive libraries, which housed countless manuscripts accumulated over centuries. Thousands of monks were killed or forced to flee, effectively ending Nalanda’s existence as a renowned centre of Buddhist scholarship. This destruction represented not only the downfall of a great educational institution but also a significant decline in Buddhist intellectual activity in eastern India.
ANSWER: (B) Muslims