Remembering the meaning of vihāra and noting that Nālandā was known in ancient inscriptions as 'Nālandā Mahāvihāra', can you find two more clues in the above passage to identify the 'fortress' near the Nālandā university? (Hint: Who do you think these 'Brahmans' actually were?)
Two additional clues in the passage that identify the 'fortress' as Nālandā are:
First, the mention that 'the greater number of the inhabitants of that place were Brahmans' with 'their heads shaven' — these were actually Buddhist monks, not Hindu Brahmans, as Buddhist monks traditionally shaved their heads.
Second, the statement that 'There were a great number of books there' and 'the whole of that fortress and city was a college' — this clearly describes a major centre of learning like Nālandā, which was famous for its enormous library containing lakhs of manuscripts.
The combination of shaved-head 'Brahmans' (actually Buddhist monks), vast numbers of books, and the description of the entire place as a college confirms this was Nālandā Mahāvihāra.
Explanation
The chapter provides Minhaj al-Siraj Jūzjānī's account describing Bakhtiyār Khiljī's attack. The 'Don't Miss Out' box explains that 'Nālandā's famous library, spread over three multi-storey buildings, contained lakhs of manuscripts.' The hint guides students to recognise that the 'Brahmans' with shaved heads were actually Buddhist monks, as head-shaving was a monastic practice. The passage's reference to 'a great number of books' and the entire place being 'a college' further confirms this was Nālandā.
Solution Steps
The 'Brahmans' with shaved heads were actually Buddhist monks, as head-shaving was a traditional monastic practice
The reference to 'a great number of books' indicates a major library — Nālandā was famous for its library containing lakhs of manuscripts
The description of the entire place as a 'college' confirms it was a major centre of learning
These combined clues identify the fortress as Nālandā Mahāvihāra