Jaggadala
Encyclopedia
Jagaddala Mahavihara was a Buddhist monastery and seat of learning in Varendra
, a geographical unit in present north Bengal.. It was founded by the later kings of the Pāla dynasty, probably Ramapala
(c.1077-1120), most likely at a site near the present village of Jagdal in Dhamoirhat Upazila
in the north-west Bangladesh
on the border with India, near Paharapur. Some obsolete texts also spell the name as Jaggadala.
-Malda region: in
Panchagarh; in Haripur Upazila
of Thakurgaon; in
Bochaganj Upazila in Dinajpur
; in Dhamoirhat Upazila
of
Naogaon; Bamangola Upazila of Malda, India
. Of these, significant ancient ruins were present only near the Jagdal in Naogaon district. Excavations under the aegis of Unesco
over the past decade have established the site as a Buddhist monastery.
s were established in ancient Bengal
and Magadha
during the four centuries of Pala
rule in North-eastern India (756-1174 AD). Dharmapala
(781 - 821) is said to have founded 50 viharas himself, including Vikramashila, the premier university of the era.
Jaggadala was founded toward the end of the Pāla dynasty, most likely by Rāmapāla (c. 1077-1120).. According to Tibetan sources, five great Mahaviharas stood out: Vikramashila; Nalanda
, past its prime but still illustrious, Somapura, Odantapurā
, and Jagaddala. The five monasteries formed a network; "all of them were under state supervision" and their existed "a system of co-ordination among them . . it seems from the evidence that the different seats of Buddhist learning that functioned in eastern India under the Pāla were regarded together as forming a network, an interlinked group of institutions," and it was common for great scholars to move easily from position to position among them.
Jagaddala specialized in Vajrayana
Buddhism. A large number of texts that would later appear in the Kanjur and Tengjur
were known to have been composed or copied at Jagadala. It is likely that the earliest dated anthology of Sanskrit verse, the Subhāṣitaratnakoṣa, was compiled by Vidyākara
at Jaggadala toward the end of the eleventh century or the beginning of the twelfth.
Mahavihara and instrumental in transmitting Buddhism to Tibet
, is said to have fled to Tibet in 1204 from Jagaddala when Muslim incursions seemed imminent. Historian Sukumar Dutt tentatively placed the final destruction of Jagadala to 1207; in any case it seems to have been the last mahavihara to be overrun.
Varendra
Varendra was a region of Bengal, now in Bangladesh. It included the Pundravardhana or Pundra Kingdom region.According to Cunningham the boundary of Varendra was the Ganges and the Mahananda on the west, the Karatoya on the east, the Padma on the south and the land between Koochbihar and the Terai...
, a geographical unit in present north Bengal.. It was founded by the later kings of the Pāla dynasty, probably Ramapala
Ramapala
Ramapala was the successor to the Pala king Shurapala II, and fifteenth ruler of the Pala line reigning for 53 years. He is recognised as the last great ruler of the dynasty, managing to restore much of the past glory of the Pala lineage. He crushed the Varendra rebellion and extended his empire...
(c.1077-1120), most likely at a site near the present village of Jagdal in Dhamoirhat Upazila
Dhamoirhat Upazila
Dhamoirhat is an Upazila of Naogaon District in the Division of Rajshahi, Bangladesh.-Geography:Dhamoirhat is located at . It has 29661 units of house hold and total area 300.8 km².-Demographics:...
in the north-west Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
on the border with India, near Paharapur. Some obsolete texts also spell the name as Jaggadala.
Location
Little is known about Jagaddala compared with the other mahaviharas of the era. For many years, its site was could not be ascertained. AKM Zakaria inspected five likely locations, all called Jagdal or Jagadal, in the RajshahiRajshahi
The city of Rajshahi is the divisional headquarters of Rajshahi division as well as the administrative district that bears its name and is one of the six metropolitan cities of Bangladesh. Often referred to as Silk City and Education City, Rajshahi is located in the north-west of the country and...
-Malda region: in
Panchagarh; in Haripur Upazila
Haripur Upazila
Haripur is an Upazila of Thakurgaon District in the Division of Rajshahi, Bangladesh.-Geography:Haripur is located at . It has 19559 units of house hold and total area 201.06 km².-Demographics:...
of Thakurgaon; in
Bochaganj Upazila in Dinajpur
Dinajpur District, Bangladesh
Dinajpur is a district in Northern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Rangpur Division.- Geography :Dinajpur is bounded by Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts in the north, Gaibandha and Joypurhat districts in the south, Nilphamari and Rangpurdistricts in the east, and the state of West Bengal, India...
; in Dhamoirhat Upazila
Dhamoirhat Upazila
Dhamoirhat is an Upazila of Naogaon District in the Division of Rajshahi, Bangladesh.-Geography:Dhamoirhat is located at . It has 29661 units of house hold and total area 300.8 km².-Demographics:...
of
Naogaon; Bamangola Upazila of Malda, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Of these, significant ancient ruins were present only near the Jagdal in Naogaon district. Excavations under the aegis of Unesco
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
over the past decade have established the site as a Buddhist monastery.
Founding
A large number of monasteries or viharaVihara
Vihara is the Sanskrit and Pali term for a Buddhist monastery. It originally meant "a secluded place in which to walk", and referred to "dwellings" or "refuges" used by wandering monks during the rainy season....
s were established in ancient Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
and Magadha
Magadha
Magadha formed one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas or kingdoms in ancient India. The core of the kingdom was the area of Bihar south of the Ganga; its first capital was Rajagriha then Pataliputra...
during the four centuries of Pala
Pala Empire
The Pāla Empire was one of the major middle kingdoms of India existed from 750–1174 CE. It was ruled by a Buddhist dynasty from Bengal in the eastern region of the Indian subcontinent, all the rulers bearing names ending with the suffix Pala , which means protector. The Palas were often described...
rule in North-eastern India (756-1174 AD). Dharmapala
Dharmapala
In Vajrayana Buddhism, a dharmapāla is a type of wrathful deity. The name means "Dharma-defender" in Sanskrit, and the dharmapālas are also known as the Defenders of the Law , or the Protectors of the Law, in English....
(781 - 821) is said to have founded 50 viharas himself, including Vikramashila, the premier university of the era.
Jaggadala was founded toward the end of the Pāla dynasty, most likely by Rāmapāla (c. 1077-1120).. According to Tibetan sources, five great Mahaviharas stood out: Vikramashila; Nalanda
Nalanda
Nālandā is the name of an ancient center of higher learning in Bihar, India.The site of Nalanda is located in the Indian state of Bihar, about 55 miles south east of Patna, and was a Buddhist center of learning from the fifth or sixth century CE to 1197 CE. It has been called "one of the...
, past its prime but still illustrious, Somapura, Odantapurā
Odantapuri
Odantapuri, also called Odantapura or Uddandapura, was a Buddhist vihara in what is now Bihar, India. It was established by king Dharmapala of Pala dynasty in the 8th century. It is considered the second oldest of India's universities and was situated in Magadha, Recently it is known as a Bihar...
, and Jagaddala. The five monasteries formed a network; "all of them were under state supervision" and their existed "a system of co-ordination among them . . it seems from the evidence that the different seats of Buddhist learning that functioned in eastern India under the Pāla were regarded together as forming a network, an interlinked group of institutions," and it was common for great scholars to move easily from position to position among them.
Jagaddala specialized in Vajrayana
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
Buddhism. A large number of texts that would later appear in the Kanjur and Tengjur
Tibetan Buddhist canon
The Tibetan Buddhist canon is a loosely defined list of sacred texts recognized by various sects of Tibetan Buddhism. In addition to sutrayana texts from Early Buddhist and Mahayana sources, the Tibetan canon includes tantric texts...
were known to have been composed or copied at Jagadala. It is likely that the earliest dated anthology of Sanskrit verse, the Subhāṣitaratnakoṣa, was compiled by Vidyākara
Vidyakara
Vidyakara was a Buddhist scholar and poetry anthologist, noted for the Sanskrit poetry compilation subhAShitaratnakoSha...
at Jaggadala toward the end of the eleventh century or the beginning of the twelfth.
Decline and end
Śakyaśrībhadra, a Kashmiri scholar who was the last abbot of NalandaNalanda
Nālandā is the name of an ancient center of higher learning in Bihar, India.The site of Nalanda is located in the Indian state of Bihar, about 55 miles south east of Patna, and was a Buddhist center of learning from the fifth or sixth century CE to 1197 CE. It has been called "one of the...
Mahavihara and instrumental in transmitting Buddhism to Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, is said to have fled to Tibet in 1204 from Jagaddala when Muslim incursions seemed imminent. Historian Sukumar Dutt tentatively placed the final destruction of Jagadala to 1207; in any case it seems to have been the last mahavihara to be overrun.
Excavation and UNESCO status
In 1999 Jaggadala was submitted as tentative site for inclusion on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. UNESCO reports that excavation has revealed "an extensive mound, 105 metres long by 85 metres, which represents the archaeological remains of a Buddhist monastery . . . finds have included terracotta plaques, ornamental bricks, nails, a gold ingot and three stone images of deities.See also
- Ancient universities of India