Oxford of the East
Encyclopedia
Oxford of the East may refer to the following:
- The city of PunePunePune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
. Due to it's popularity as a student destination and the number of educational institutions, the city was attributed the moniker 'Oxford of the East' by Pandit Jawaharlal NehruJawaharlal NehruJawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
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- The term is generally used to describe two reputed universities in India, for their institutional stature, a colonial heritage which supplied the analogy and a certain record of academic excellence. These two universities are Allahabad UniversityAllahabad UniversityAllahabad University , is a premier Central University located in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. Its origins lie in the Muir Central College, named after Lt...
and Aligarh Muslim UniversityAligarh Muslim UniversityAligarh Muslim University ,is a residential academic university, established in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Mohammedan Angelo-Oriental College and later granted the status of Central University by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1920...
. That having been said, the two are no longer held to be among India's top institutions according to many standards (as in magazines, journals and other published lists), and the label remains a relic of a bygone, albeit golden age, at best.
- University of DhakaUniversity of DhakaThe University of Dhaka is the oldest university in Bangladesh. It is a multi-disciplinary research university and is among the top universities in the region. Established on July 21, 1921, as per the Government of India Act, 1920, it was modelled on the Universities in England and soon gained...
is the largest and oldest university in BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , 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...
. Initially, the university under the British administration worked hard to build up an outstanding record of academic achievement, earning for itself the reputation for being the 'Oxford of the East'.