Archaeological Insights into Educational Development: A Study of Mangalkot

Abstract: This paper examines the archaeological studies conducted on Mangalkot, an important area of Burdwan in West Bengal, India, related to the educational advancement of ancient Bengal. The study highlights the features of material culture which encapsulates inscriptions, remnants of pottery, and buildings that provide an understanding of the education systems in Mangalkot from the Mauryan era to the Gupta and post-Gupta eras. The study also puts forward the notion towards the end of the Roman Empire, Mangalkot was famous throughout the Buddhist world, proving that it was an established center of learning. These archaeological discoveries illustrate the great influence of the religious structures supporting and nurturing Buddhist and Hindu monasticism as well as temple worship on education and research activity. These institutions of religion served as the primary means of dissemination of religious and non-religious materials. The existence of Brahmi script inscriptions and the finding of terracotta idols representing scholarly and monastic work point towards Mangalkot being a center of multidisciplinary learning and an important site for intellectual exchange. These artifacts show that this area was instrumental in the dissemination of knowledge, particularly in religious philosophy, grammar, and astronomy. The role of religious schooling cannot be ignored as these bodies of instruction facilitated the passing on of knowledge to later generations. The article focuses on the material culture of Mangalkot to construct the narrative of its contribution to the intellectual and cultural heritage of Bengal ***through*** the Gupta period which is known for its artistic and scientific achievements. This study illustrates the phenomenon of religion and education, emphasizing their unitary contribution to the heritage of ancient Bengal.