Destruction of Nalanda University by Bakhtiyar Khilji

Destruction of Nalanda University by Bakhtiyar Khilji

In this article I will describe the destruction of Nalanda University by Terrorist Muslim warlord Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1193 CE.

Note: You are free to share/ spread/ reference this article. But do NOT copy / plagiarize. I am a powerful Brahmin and if you copy I curse that you will become impotent or develop erectile dysfunction.

Who was Bakhtiyar Khilji?

Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji or Ikhtiyar ad-Din Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji or Malik Ghazi Ikhtiyar 'l-Din Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji ( ইখতিয়ার উদ্দিন মুহম্মদ বিন বখতিয়ার খিলজী / اختيار الدين محمد بن بختيار الخلجي / बख्तियार खिलजी ) was a terrorist Islamic warlord who pillaged and looted India during 1190's. He is obviously held in high esteem in Islamic Bangladesh, because during Bakhtiyar Khilji's reign, Islam achieved most number of converts in India.

Destruction of Nalanda University - Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji
Representational Image

Nalanda University

Nalanda University existed between 400 AD to 1100 CE in Bihar. Nalanda University was the first Hindu-Buddhist fully residential university, and had nearly 10,000 students and about 2000 faculty members teaching a wide variety of topics like metaphysics, philosophy, Hindu Samkhya, Yogas, Vedas, Pali , Madhyamika and Tantrik darshana. Both Nastika (Jain, Buddha) as well as Astika (Samkhya, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Yoga, Mimasa) studies were pursued by the students with great gusto. For 800 years, Nalanda University thrived under Hindu and Buddhist rule.

Nalanda University was held in high esteem by both Buddhist (Palas) as well as Hindu rulers (Guptas, Senas). It was the chief centre of academic Mahayana Buddhism, specializing in sadhana. Great names like Nagarjuna, Asanga, Santarakshita, Rahulabhadra, Kamalasila, Padmasambhava and Atisa, all of whom moulded the Tibetan talent, were associated with this institution.

Nalanda University attarcted many foreign scholars and pilgrims. The University of Nalanda attracted students and teachers from Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia, and Turkey. Hsuan-tsang and I-tsing (600 CE) who studies there record that Nalanda had 8 sperate halls, 300 apartments, along with meditation halls and classrooms. It was surrounded by lakes and parks.

The great scholars of Nalanda produced a vast literature in all branches of knowledge.  It is said that it is in the field of logic that they made their greatest contribution. It rose up to be a leading and an outstanding center of learning and intellectual activities, and also as a leading center of dissemination of knowledge in various fields.

Supported by donations from a number of villages and liberal grants made by the kings during those times, the university provided free educational facilities to both teachers and students that stayed in the university during those times. Education was freeand there were 8500 students, 1500 teachers and 100 lectures every day. "The students attend these discourses without any fail, even for a minute." (Hsuan-tsang) A general body of students took part in decision making.

Destruction of Nalanda University by Bakhtiyar Khilji - Ariel View

Its famous library spread over 3 multi-storeyed buildings, contained lakhs of manuscripts and is said to have burned for months when the University was destroyed by Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1193.

In 1193, the Nalanda University complex was destroyed by Turkish Muslim invaders under Bakhtiyar Khalji; this event is seen as the final milestone in the decline and near extinction of Buddhism in India. He also burned Nalanda's a major Buddhist library and Vikramshila University, as well as numerous Bhuddhist monasteries in India. When the Tibetan translator, Chag Lotsawa Dharmasvamin (Chag Lo-tsa-ba, 1197 - 1264), visited northern India in 1235, Nalanda was damaged, looted, and largely deserted, but still standing and functioning with seventy students.

Nalanda University Library

According to Tibetan accounts, ancient NalandaUniversity’s library called Dharmaganjaconsisted of three grand buildings called Ratnasagara, Ratnodadhi and Ratnaganjaka. In the nine storeyed Ratnodadhi, sacred scripts called Prajna-paramita-sutra, and Tantric works such as Samajaguhyawere stored [Subhodeep Mukhopadhyay].The Chinese scholar monk, Xuan Zangrecorded: "The whole establishment is surrounded by a brick wall. One gate opens into the great college, from which are separated eight other halls standing in the middle." The grandeur of the Nalanda library encapsulated the spirit of the university.

When the savage Bakhtiyar Khilji sacked Nalanda, the library burnt for 3 months. Nothing denotes the violent end to the knowledge enshrined at Nalanda more than the image of the burning library: a library whose vast resources are captured in the vivid image of the length of time it took to burn.

Destruction of Nalanda University based on Tabaqat-i-Nasiri

Destruction of Nalanda University by Bakhtiyar Khilji - Buddhism
Nalanda University residents being killed by  Bakhtiyar Khilji
He [Bakhtiyar Khilji] used to carry his depredations into those parts and that country until he organised an attack upon the fortified city of Bihar. Trustworthy persons have related on this wise, that he advanced to the gateway of the fortress of Bihar with two hundred horsemen in defensive armour, and suddenly attacked the place. There were two brothers of Farghanah, men of learning, one Nizamu-ud-Din, the other Samsam-ud-Din (by name) in the service of Muhammad-i-Bakhtiyar; and the author of this book [Minhaj] met with at Lakhnawati in the year 641 H, and this account is from him. 


There were a great number of books there; and, when all these books came under the observation of the Musalmans, they summoned a number of Hindus that they might give them information respecting the import of those books; but the whole of the Hindus were killed.[Subhodeep Mukhopadhyay] On becoming acquainted (with the contents of the books), it was found that the whole of that fortress and city was a college, and in the Hindu tongue, they call a college Bihar.” 

Destruction of Nalanda University based on popular Islamic Bengali Theater

An account of the Destruction of Nalanda from a 19th cent. Islamic Bengali theater is given below.
Qutub-ud-din Aibak to Bakhtiar Khilji: Khilji, I want you to march towards the Bay of Bengal and bring this entire Kafir (infidel) land under my rule. It is time for us to spread the teachings of the Holy Prophet, declared the Sultan.

As Khilji stopped his troops a couple of miles from the Nalanda complex, he was awed by its size and grandeur. What is this magnificent complex? He wondered. He ordered his soldier Abdulla to investigate. Abdulla went towards the complex gate where the guard stopped him. The guard informed him that, as the tradition went, he had to answer three questions before he entered the complex. Unable to answer, Abdulla got irritated and went back to his master the general himself galloped towards the gate and ordered his men to follow him. The guard stopped Muhammad Khilji and asked him the same questions he had asked Abdulla. He calmly drew his sword and beheaded the guard.

After the prayers were over, Bakhtiar Khilji and his troops were truly energized. The general ordered the troops to swarm the university and spare no infidels. Thousands of monks and students were beheaded and blood flowed in streams. Temples[Subhodeep Mukhopadhyay], Stupas, and statues were destroyed. Those who could run tried to save their lives by hiding in the library as no one inside the university was taught to be a fighter. Moreover, they had no arms and were defenseless. The general and his men came in front of the library. An old monk came from inside and begged the general to spare at least the library.

"Books will do no harm, please do not destroy the library," begged the old monk.
"Is there a copy of the Holy Quran inside?" asked the general.
"No, there is not," replied the monk.

The answer infuriated the general beyond limits. The monks had to be punished , "And if any believe not in Allah and His Messenger, We have prepared, for those who reject Allah, a Blazing Fire!"

"Then, it is settled. Burn the library," he ordered his troops as he swung his sword again, beheading the old monk.

As the library was engulfed in flames trapping those who had taken refuge in the building Bakhtiar Khilji, who was utterly disgusted at the practice of idolatry he had just witnessed, addressed his soldier Abdulla.

"Brother Abdulla, It is going to take a long time to eradicate idolatry from Hindustan. Insha'Allah, we will succeed one day, and we will clean this place forever. We shall make this Kafir land truly Dar Al-Islam."


Destruction of Nalanda University by Bakhtiyar Khilji - Ruins

Story of Tibetan Monk after Nalanda destruction
An interesting story of the Tibetan scholar, known by his Indian name, Dharmasvami, who was in Nalanda around 1230, was recovered by Rahula Sankrtyayanafrom a monastery in Central Tibet. During his travel in India, this Tibetan monk settled down to study Sanskrit grammar under the 8o-year old Indian Buddhist monk, Rahula-Sribhadra, who was one of the very few professors who continued to reside and teach in Nalanda, when it had already been battered by the Muslim invaders. The zeal for learning had prompted several eager students to reside with this old Pandita, who was supported and looked after by a Brahmin nobleman, Jayadeva of Odantapura.

Muslims were again planning to ransack Magadha, and Jayadeva had by then got into trouble and had been thrown into prison by the Muslim overlords. But he struggled hard [Subhodeep Mukhopadhyay] and succeeded in communicating the news of the impending Muslim attack to Rahula-Sribhadra so that the old monk could escape in time. When the news reached Nalanda and when the Muslim hordes were in sight, the few scholars who had held on fled and deserted the premises, except the old Rahula and his Tibetan student Dharmasvami. Rahula urged the student to fly to safety; he himself was too old to run away and did not in fact care what happened to him.

But the Tibetan youth refused to leave the teacher alone, and stayed on with him. Soon, however, when the Muslim army arrived on the scene, the Tibetan scholar carried his old teacher on his back along with a supply of rice, sugar and some books, and walked into hiding in a ruined temple not far from Nalanda. When the invaders ransacked the monastery and left, the Tibetan scholar and the Indian teacher returned to Nalanda to continue their study of grammar!
Source: S.K.Ramachandra Rao 'Tibetan Tantric Tradition', Arnold Heineman publishing house


Established in the fifth century during the Gupta dynasty, the ancient Nalanda University was once flocked by thousands of scholars and thinkers from across the world. It was destroyed by the Muslim Turkish army of Bakhtiyar Khilji, a general of Qutbuddin Aibak and the blaze in the huge library is believed to have raged for several days.


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  1. So many horrific chapters of Indian history. Imagine the sight of a library burning for months! What deep fear such a sight can put into the psyche of a whole group of people. And when accounts start spreading of such brutality and oppression, more fear sets in. Weakening the whole people and their culture, bit by bit.
    But then why bemoan past history? Some idiots until recently were trying their best to destroy even the idea of building a new Nalanda by putting such people in charge who have no connection with the soul of India.

    1. Very well said. Many people refuse to accept the role of Islamic invaders in the decline of art, culture, science and technology in India, while the invaders themselves were proud of their achievements and waxed eloquent in their memoirs!

      Just imagine today that if ISIS reaches Europe, destroys Vatican, burns all the libraries, destroys Oxford, Cambridge, Insead, Stockholm University and so on .. what will remain of Europe? It will cease to exist as Europe. The same happened to us, over and over with each Islamic invasion ... and so today we suffer from the stockholm syndrome of dhimmitude.

    2. Very well said by both of you.

  2. Very nice article. In canada about 20 yrs ago I was told by "brahma rishi" a saint that nalanda had
    very rare scripts pertaining to deciphering vedas, how life came about etc.
    The real ancient indian history was never told or written.

    1. Mr Mohammad, thanks but no thanks for this wonderful piece of b.s. My focus has now shifted from ancient Indian history to homosexuality in Islam, pedophilia and slavery in Church and human rights abuses by Christians and Muslims. Do let me know if you have any stories on these topics.

  3. Bhaktiyarpur must be immediately renamed.And denying Hindu genocide must be made a criminal offence.

    1. Not possible till Mamta Bano & Lallu mulla is alive.

    2. Not Possible till Mamta bano & lallu mulla is alive.

    3. Its long pending demand. Present CM Nitish Kumar parental place is same constituency.


  5. Destruction of Nalanda University was the greatest blow to our nation. Burning of invaluable books which were hand written, obviously had no copies. The knowledge was lost which was stored in the books and these scholars were murdered. The loss of knowledge was complete. We could make iron which was rust resistant. The iron pillar at Delhi is the evidence. We cannot make such iron even today.

    Destruction of temples and other holy places did not make such impact as this because the temples could be rebuilt in passage of time but the knowledge stored in books and in the minds was lost irretrievably. We have been thrown backwards at least by a thousand years.

  6. If i am right it took weeks to burned all the vedic books that held on nalanda university. probably world might changed if they exists. like maths, ayurvedic, language, meditation .. what a lost ....

  7. I came here from a link in quora. while reading this tale of continuous brutality from khilji there were literally tears coming out of my eyes as i am a brahmin and my grandfather always used to tell me how much vedas, manuscripts and other holy books had a great influence in Hinduism.
    Fuck u khilji, i hope Allah is licking your ass right now for doing such a good job for him.

  8. It is very sad that Hindus couldn't resist the barbaric Islamic forces comprised of only 200-300 horse riders soldiers!! During the beginning of 12th. century when Nalanda University was burnt, there was hardly any Muslim population in India as Md. Ghouri had just ( about 4 years ago) invaded India and established Islamic rule in Delhi after defeating and killing Prithviraj Chauhan in the second battle near Panipat. It was an unpardonable mistake committed by Prithviraj Chauhan who let Ghouri free in the first battle just 2 years ago
    Bakhtiar Khilji was then the commander of Ghouri and right hand of Kutubddin Aibak who took part in the Panipat battle.
    Shame for those cowards and timid Hindus!!

    1. Mr Khan. Hindus were neither coward nor timid. The Muslim rulers on the other hand were and continue to be savage beasts and brutal criminals. The mistake of the Hindus was sparing their lives rather than destroying them and their barbaric culture.

  9. Wow you curse people? You must not have much trust that God will give you justice and take it in your own hands. I will not even read your page after that comment. But I will pray for you to be guided. Love you and wish you well. Amanda.

    1. God is fraud. So are prophets and sons of God. Religion is a scam, and Vatican, Mecca, bearded mullahs,"holy" books, original sin, virgin birth, nicene creed - superstitious nonsense. No need to pray for me. Accept Hinduism and give up your superstitious ways please.

    2. Rightly said subhodeep


  10. Do you even have the detailed record of Takshashila University. Please Please Please!!! Tell me.


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