CLASS: VIII SUBJECT: Social Studies TOPIC: Civilising The “Native”, Educating the nation

CIVILISING THE “NATIVE”, EDUCATING THE NATION

Aim of British Rule in India
➢ Territorial conquest (to eliminate competition)
➢ Control over revenues (to save British bullion)
➢ Cultural mission:
• civilize the natives
• change their customs and values
• convert Indians into good subjects
The cultural objectives were to be met through education.
Indian Education in 19th century
• Education in India was largely religious in nature.
• There were the customary pathshalas and madarsas.
• Higher education was confined to the elite classes of Hindus and Muslims.
Beginning of Modern Education
• The Charter Act of 1813 provided sum of Rs 1 lakh to be spent annually on education in India.
• But issues such as the nature of education- western studies or traditional Indian learning and
the medium of instruction- English or vernacular- were still unresolved.
• With the English Education Act 1835, the government decided to spend the allotted money
on promoting western education through the medium of English.
• From then onwards the government stopped supporting oriental institutions.

VIEWS REGARDING INDIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM

ORIENTALIST VIEW ANGLICIST VIEW

• William Jones • James Mill
• Henry Thomas Coolebrooke • Thomas Babington
• Nathaniel Halhed Macaulay

NATIONALIST VIEW
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Rabindranath Tagore

Education of Natives Thomas Macaulay

• The method of imparting education to the native was debated for many decades due to
conflicting viewpoints of Orientalists & Anglicists.
• The growth of Indian national movement also created new views where Indian leaders
expressed ideas on how Indian education should be imparted.
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Orientalists
• Orientalists were scholars who had knowledge of language and culture of Asia.
• They had deep respect for ancient culture of the East & West.
• They believed, Ancient Text would help Indians rediscover their own heritage and
understand the lost glory of their past.
• In India they were represented by :
✓ William Jones
✓ Henry Thomas Colebrook
✓ Nathaniel Halhed

William Jones
Coolebrooke
Contribution of Orientalists of India
• They discovered ancient Indian heritage
• Translated Sanskrit & Persian work to English by mastering Indian languages and making
their work known to others
• Set up Asiatic Society of Bengal
• Started Journal called Asiatic Researchers
Orientalist’s Views on India
• The Orientalists felt that Indian Civilization had attained its glory
in the ancient past but subsequently declined.
• Sacred texts needed to be discovered in order to understand India.
• The real Hindu & Muslims laws could be discovered through
ancient texts.
William Jones
• New study of the texts could form the basis of future developments
learning Persian
of India hence education through Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian.
Orientalist’s view on education system
Objectives of Indian Education
The Orientalists believed that Indian education on Oriental pattern will help to achieve twin
objective:
(a) Help Indians to rediscover & preserve Indian heritage & culture.
(b) Help British to become the guardians and masters of Indian culture & win the hearts of
the Indians thereby earning respect from their subjects.
Effect
• “A Madarsa was set up in Calcutta 1791 to promote study of Arabic, Persian & Islamic
law.

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 • Hindu college was established in Benaras in 1791 to encourage the study of ancient
Sanskrit texts that would be useful for the administration of the
country.
• The Fort William College was established in 1801 to promote
language, history, customs and law of India.
Who were Anglicists?
• Scholars of Western language and culture were known as Anglicists.
• These scholars were highly critical of Orientalists view.
• Anglicists were represented in India by:
o James Mill Thomas Macaulay
o Thomas Babington “A single shelf of a good European
Macaulay library was worth the whole native
literature of India and Arabia”
On Madarsa and Sanskrit College-
“temples of darkness that were falling
themselves to decay”

Anglicist’s Views on India

• The Anglicists believed that knowledge of the East was full of errors and unscientific thought.
• Eastern literature was non-serious and light-hearted.
• The expenditure incurred by British to encourage study Arabic and Sanskrit language and
literature was a waste of money.
• Knowledge of English language essential to expose Indians to world's finest literature.
Anglicist view on Objectives of Indian Education
• The objective of education according to Anglicists should be:
(a) to teach what was useful& practical
(b) to familiarize Indians with the scientific and technical
advances that the West had made
Effect of Anglicist view on education system
(1) English Education Act of 1835:
Features:
(a) English be the medium of instruction for higher education.
(b) Stop promotion of oriental institution like Calcutta, Madrasa &
Benaras Sanskrit College.
(2) Wood’s Despatch-1854:
Issued by, in 1854 Court of Directors of East India Company in London
sent an educational dispatch to Governor General of India. It outlined
the education policy of India and stressed on practical benefits of Charles Wood
European learning.
Objectives of Wood’s Despatch

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 • To help Indians to understand the advantage of flow from the expansion of trade and
commerce hence to develop their resources.
• To create demand for British goods thus converting India into market of British goods by
introducing them to European ways of life.
• To improve moral character of Indians and make them truthful & honest, to instill sense of
duty and commitment that will supply the Company trustworthy civil servants.
❖ Measures introduced by the British based on Wood’s Despatch
(a) Education departments were set up in all provinces
(b) System of University education set up in Presidency Towns:
✓ Calcutta
✓ Madras
✓ Bombay
(c) Changes within the school system with an objective to have control over it.

Serampore College on the banks of the river Hooghly near Calcutta

❖ System of Schools in India before 1854 (William Adam’s Report)

A Scottish missionary, William Adam was asked by the Company to submit a report on progress of
education in vernacular schools in Bihar and Bengal.

Highlights of William Adam’s Report

(a) 1 Lakh pathshalas in Bihar & Bengal
(b) Pathshalas were small institutions with:
• 20 students each
• set up by wealthy people/ local community/guru-teacher
• System of education was flexible-
✓ no fixed fee (dependent on parent income)
✓ no printed books A village pathshala
✓ no separate buildings or classes
✓ no annual examination
✓ no time table.
• Teaching was oral and decided by guru in accordance with the needs of students.
• Arrangement of classes suited local needs as classes were not held during harvest time to
enable children of peasant families to work in fields.

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❖ Changes introduced in schools after 1854 (Wood’s Despatch)
(a) Appointment of government pandits to :
✓ take charge of 4 – 5 schools under them
✓ visit Pathshalas to improve the standard of teaching
(b) Gurus were asked to submit periodic reports & take classes according to regular time table.
(c) Many new controls were exercised like:
✓ teaching based on text books
✓ learning tested through annual examination
✓ regular fee
✓ regular classes
✓ rules of discipline be followed by students
(d) Pathshalas which accepted new rules and controls were given government grants.

❖ Drawbacks of Changes introduced in schools

• Students of peasant and poor families suffered as school was to be attended regularly.
Absence during harvest season was looked upon as indiscipline and lack of desire to learn.
• Independent gurus found difficult to compete with regulated pathshalas which received
government grants.
• Mass education was neglected.
• Gap between literate and illiterate increased
View of Indians influenced by Western countries
a) Western education would help to modernize India,
b) Abolition of social evil would be possible
Hence, they urged British to:
✓ open more schools, colleges and universities
✓ spend more money on education
However nationalist like Gandhi and Tagore vehemently opposed Western education.
Rabindranath Tagore
“Creative learning is
possible only within
natural environment “
“Living in harmony with
nature, children can
cultivate their natural
creativity”

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 Mahatma Gandhi
“English education has enslaved us”
“People need to work with their hands,
learn a craft and how things operated”

Arguments of Mahatma Gandhi against Western education:

(a) Western education created a sense of inferiority in the minds of Indians.
(b) It made them see western civilization as superior & destroyed the pride they had in their
own culture.
(d) It enslaved Indians as it brought them to admire British rule.
Gandhi’s View on Indian Education
(a) Mahatma Gandhi wanted an education that could help Indians recover their sense of dignity
and self respect. Thus, during national movement, he urged students to leave educational
institutions.
(b) Indian languages to be the medium of teaching as English had following effects:
✓ distanced Indians from their own land
✓ despise their local culture
✓ failed them to relate with masses
(c) Gandhi believed that education need not only make a person literate but also develop the mind
and the soul.
(d) He emphasized that learning of a craft was essential to develop mind and comprehension.
Tagore’s view of a school and role of teacher
Tagore in his childhood hated school and found it suffocating and
oppressive. Tagore’s experience of his schooldays in Calcutta shaped
his ideas of education. Based on his ideas, he opened Shantiniketan in
1901.
According to him a school for a child should be a place where:
✓ she was happy
✓ felt free and creative
✓ could explore her own thoughts and desires hence school to be set in natural environment
✓ no rigid and restrictive discipline existed
Tagore viewed the teacher’s role to be as follows:
✓ imaginative
✓ Understanding
✓ develop child’s curiosity
D. Tagore VS Gandhi on education
Gandhi Tagore

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 (a) Highly critical of western civilization
(a) Wanted to combine elements of modern
western civilization with what he saw as
the best within Indian tradition
(b) Against worship of machines and (b) Emphasized the need to teach science and
technology. technology along with art, music and
(c) He emphasized on lived experience and dance.
practical knowledge. (c) He encouraged creative learning within a
natural environment.

Mahatma Gandhi along with Kasturba

Gandhi sitting with Rabindranath Tagore and
a group of girls at Santiniketan, 1940

Sample Ques Ans:

1. What was the main agenda behind British conquest?
Aim of British Rule in India
➢ Territorial conquest (to eliminate competition)
➢ Control over revenues (to save British bullion)
➢ Cultural mission:
• civilize the natives
• change their customs and values
• convert Indians into good subjects
2. What were Gandhi’s view on education?
(a) Mahatma Gandhi wanted an education that could help Indians recover their sense of dignity
and self respect. Thus during national movement he urged students to leave educational
institutions.
(b) Indian languages to be the medium of teaching as English had following effects:
✓ distanced Indians from their own land
✓ despise their local culture
✓ failed them to relate with masses
(c) Gandhi believed that education need not only make a person literate but also develop the
mind and the soul.
(d) He emphasized that learning of a craft was essential to develop mind and comprehension.
3. What were pathshalas?
Pathshalas were small institutions which provide basic knowledge about society and the
surroundings. These pathshalas were generally set up by wealthy people/ local
community/guru-teacher
4. What was Anglicist view on Indian Eduction?
Anglicist view on Objectives of Indian Education
• The objective of education according to Anglicists should be:

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 (c) to teach what was useful& practical
(d) to familiarize Indians with the scientific and technical
advances that the West had made
5. What was the contribution of Orientalists of India
Contribution of Orientalists of India
• They discovered ancient Indian heritage
• Translated Sanskrit & Persian work to English by mastering
Indian languages and making their work known to others
• Set up Asiatic Society of Bengal
• Started Journal called Asiatic Researchers

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