Education in ancient India was closely related to its caste system and religion, and was influenced by the culture at that time. Before understanding the education in ancient India, we must understand the caste system, religion and culture of ancient Indian society.
Caste system is a complicated social hierarchy in ancient India. Xuanzang once translated it into a surname system. Westerners call it karst system. The caste system was formed from 900 BC to 600 BC. It divides people in society except slaves into four categories: Brahmins, Khrushchev, Vedas and sudra. Brahman is a monk and Khrushchev is a military aristocrat. Both are in a dominant position, and Brahmins are the most powerful. Vedas are small producers (farmers, craftsmen and businessmen) who have personal freedom and can be reincarnated after death. They belong to the regenerated caste civilians, but they have no political rights. They must support Brahmins and Khrushchev who are not engaged in any productive labor. Sudra is a man of low status. They have no means of production and do not belong to the "regenerative" caste. They are engaged in the most bitter and humble occupation. Of course, slaves are meaner than sudra. The caste system is determined by everyone's family background, and people from all walks of life have been engaged in prescribed occupations for generations and cannot be changed at will. Marriage is not allowed between different grades, and people of different grades are not equal in law. If you kill a brahmin, you have to pay high material compensation. The compensation for killing a Khrushchev is only 1/4, for killing a Barker is only 1/8, and for killing a sudra is116.
Brahmanism is the earliest and oldest religion in India. Brahmanism affirms the rationality of caste system and uses it to maintain the hierarchy of slave society and the privileges of Brahmins. The classic of Brahmanism is Veda, which explains the universe and life from the perspective of religious philosophy. With the continuous development of society, Brahmanism can no longer meet the needs of new social trends. In addition, with the decline of Brahmanism, many new ideological trends have emerged in the society, which has gradually formed another major religion in India-Buddhism. It is said that the founder of Buddhism is Gautama Siddharta. He was the son of King Sakyamuni, who was the leader of the Sakyamuni people in Kapilovi (present-day Nepal). Buddhists call him Sakyamuni, which means Sakyamuni's silent saint. Buddhism puts forward the idea of "equality of all beings" for the privilege of Brahmins, and holds that different castes in society are formed only because of different occupational divisions, rather than naturally. A person's position in society should be determined by his character rather than his birth. Judging from the inequality between Buddhism and Brahmanism, its role is positive. The "equality of all beings" advocated by Buddhism can only be revealed when people enter the illusory kingdom of heaven. In fact, it is a blank check, which can only play a negative role in anesthetizing the people. In the 3rd century BC, King Ashoka designated Buddhism as the state religion, and a monk organization appeared, which formulated doctrines and precepts. There are more and more Buddhist temples, and temples have gradually become places to publicize teachings and cultivate believers.