NAME- ANJALI SHARMA

SUBJECT – HISTORY OF INDIA – 6

ROLL NO- 220113

QUESTION- Discuss the evolution of indigenous and modern education in colonial India.

INTRODUCTION
The advent of British rule in India marked a significant turning point in the subcontinent's
education landscape. Prior to British dominance, India's native education system thrived
under the patronage of local rulers. However, from the mid-18th century onwards, British
colonial officials strategically used education as a tool to consolidate their power and
legitimacy in India. Education became a crucial instrument for shaping Indian elites' loyalty
to the British Empire, aiming to create a class of compliant 'babus'. Nonetheless, this colonial
enterprise also fueled nationalist resistance. Education emerged as a contentious ideological
battleground, with far-reaching implications.
Right from the beginning of their relationship with India, the British, who had come as
traders and had become rulers and administrators, had influenced the economic, political and
educational systems of the country. Their impact on the cultural and social life of India was
gradual. It is essential to review the educational policies under the British rule to understand
visualize the future. Development of education system during the British period was
determined by the needs of the colonial powers. Keeping their motives in mind, the British
developed the education system accordingly.
Three distinct stages in the development of British Educational Policy in India are noticeable.
The first period, extending roughly from 1781 to 1835, has been described as the
Orientalising period when the British authorities tried to promote the traditional literature and
culture of the country. The second epoch which commenced in 1835 has been called the
Anglicising period, when higher education was given a distinct English orientation, its
avowed aim being the promotion of Western knowledge by means of the English language.
The third epoch which has been described as the Anglo-Vernacular period, when the study of
English and the vernaculars of the land was sought to be encouraged, began with the issue of
Sir Charles Wood's educational despatch.

Pre-Colonial Indigenous Education

Muslim Maktabs and Madrasas, Hindu Pathsalas, the Tolls of Bengal, and southern India's
Agraharas made up the indigenous educational system. Sanskrit, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu,
Persian, Telugu, Tamil, and other languages were taught in these institutions. Higher
education was available in Madrasahs and other institutions of higher learning. It is
impossible to overestimate the importance of these institutions in meeting the educational
needs of the Indian people. These institutions were gradually deteriorating due to their
unsatisfactory financial situation. The majority of them were held in temples, private
dwellings or sheds, or the teachers' own homes. These institutions were sporadic, springing
up or disappearing in response to local demand or the lack thereof. In general, they did not
work in a communal manner and were open to anyone who could afford to pay for schooling.
The majority of the teachers were Brahmins who chose to teach not for the money or
benefits, but for the respectability it brought. The indigenous schools' students came from
various communities, though the children of the upper classes made up the vast majority. The
fundamentals of reading, writing, and arithmetic were taught in these schools. These
organisations were the primary conduits for the dissemination of mass education. The school
was generally small in size. The student could enter the school at any time during the year
and study at his own pace. The indigenous system of education's main merit was its
adaptability to the local environment and the popularity it had gained through its existence in
a variety of economic conditions. The indigenous system of education had a number of flaws,
including a lack of teacher training and education, a narrow and limited curriculum, and harsh
forms of punishment. The British government suffocated our country's indigenous
educational system, which had existed since time immemorial. The network of indigenous
schools gradually dissipated, and a few new ones appeared. The efforts of Christian
missionaries are credited with the expansion of education in India. Their early activities were
primarily focused on elementary education. They established elementary schools in various
parts of the country. Whatever the nature and character of the schools they established, there
is no denying that they initiated a new phase in the country's education, which had a
significant impact on the existing educational system.

British Colonialism and Education

From the late 18th century onwards, as colonial enterprise in India Expanded and its policies
concentrated more on consolidation rather than simple trade, it became imperative to not only
conquer the native minds but also to carry out social reconstruction for more efficient ruling.
The British parliament, which now came to play an increasingly active role in the rule of
India, centred their policies around the single goal of ‘civilising the native’. One way of
doing this was through the education of the natives.
British Orientalism, between 1771-1835, was inspired by the needs of the East India
Company to train a class of British administrators in the languages and culture of India.
According to David Kopf, orientalists were products of the enlightenment and thus tolerance
and openness to other cultures had strong appeal to them. The first phase of education began
with the coming to power of Warren Hastings in 1732. Hastings observed that the natives
were not as barbaric as previously thought to be and consisted of men ‘of strong intellect and
integrity’. He did not directly import English laws and customs onto the people, but instead
argued for the continuation of the indigenous texts like the Shastras and the Quran.
TraditionalIndian texts like the Arthashastra. After the acquisition of Bengal through the 1757
the Battle of Plassey, the East India Company played the role in governance. As they realised
that there was no real alternative to employing natives in the administration of the country.
Furthermore, there was the desire to civilise them. Thus, the first objective for the colonial
state to achieve through education would be to elicit the consent of the Indian elite to British
rule. Colonial officials hoped education would mould Indians into ‘babus’ – loyal to the
colonial regime. However, this was not the entire picture either. Cohn in his book,
Colonialism and its Forms of Knowledge, cites the example of the Calcutta Madrasa and
Sanskrit College in Benaras as the first indigenous institutions supported by Company funds.
In viewing the history of the British experiments with these institutions, we note that the
British conceived of education as taking place in institutions, as in buildings with teachers,
students and professors. The end of the education process would be certification of a student’s
command over a “specifiable body of knowledge.” This, therefore, was part of a political
project of enhancing the Company and portraying the British nation as the keeper of
indigenous knowledge. It would be this very same stream of thought that would culminate
into what is called Orientalism.

CHARTER ACT OF 1813

The Charter Act of 1813 marked a watershed moment in Indian education. The East India
Company was required by the Charter Act to spread education throughout India. For the first
time, the Governor General in Council was required to set aside a sum of at least one lakh
rupees for educational purposes. This Act resulted in two significant changes: the assumption
of a new responsibility for native education, and the relaxation of controls on missionary
activity in India. The methods to be used to promote learning among the natives were not
specified in Section 43 of the Charter Act of 1813. The ambiguity of the Charter Act of 1813
exacerbated India's educational debate. The Orientalists wanted to promote Indian education
through Sanskrit, Arabic, and Persian, while the Anglicists wanted to develop western
education in India through the medium of English. Due to the controversy, the fund was not
spent until 1823. That is why the Charter Act of 1813 recommendations were not
implemented until 1823, when the Governor General in Council appointed a General
Committee of Public Instruction (G.C.P.I.) for the Bengal Presidency to oversee the
development of education in India. The spread of education in India was halted as a result of
the Orientalist-Anglicist controversy until 1835, when Macaulay's Resolution provided a
somewhat clear picture of British education policy. In 1833, the Charter was renewed for two
years, and a Law Member was added to the Governor General of Bengal's Executive Council.
Macaulay was the first Law Member to be appointed. Macaulay dismissed Arabic and
Sanskrit's claims against English, believing that English is the key to modern knowledge. In
his Minute, he stated that the British government's goal was to spread European literature and
science among Indians, and that all funds allocated for education should be used for that
purpose, with English as the medium of instruction. His Minute ultimately determined India's
educational goals, methods, medium, and policy. Finally, in his Minutes of 1835, Macaulay
established an education policy in support of the British Raj that denigrated Indian languages
and knowledge while establishing the hegemony of English as the colonial 'instruction'
medium (not education). The British rulers aimed to create a group of loyal Indians in support
of the government at the turn of the nineteenth century. This they hoped to achieve by
instilling the Filtration Theory in the upper classes.
THE MISSIONARIES ACTIVITIES
Ideally, Christian missionaries wanted to use education to eradicate uncivilised native
practises and behaviours such as idol worship, polytheism, bigotry, polygamy, and many
other superstitions. Their ultimate goal was to proselytise the native population and
demonstrate that native religions were false. In the schools, regular Bible lessons were
supposed to become the norm. The only major reason for Indians to pursue education was to
gain employment with the colonial government. As a result, Christian missionary schools
were forced to devote a significant portion of their school day to exam preparation rather than
spiritual or religious engagement. Any missionary school that receives government funding
cannot compel students to attend religious classes. They had to submit to government agency
inspections on a regular basis to ensure compliance with government rules and regulations.
Christian missionaries were forced to take up the educational and later social cause of
depressed castes and widows after failing to persuade students to accept Christianity, as well
as social and political influence in school administration and pressure from back home. They
acted as go-betweens for the downtrodden. Christian missionaries spearheaded the formation
of the untouchables as a powerful pressure group in this way. The widows were the other
group that Christian missionaries brought into their fold of poverty. They began to educate
them and later recruited them as teachers and medical practitioners for their missionary
endeavours. Although Indian families initially resisted missionary efforts, they eventually
came to accept them. The missionaries pioneered girl's education by establishing a number of
schools dedicated solely to females. They actively participated in the sati system's abolition
and the promotion of girl education and widow remarriage.

The Decision to Introduce Western Education

The British East India Company's 1833 Act marked a significant shift in India's education
policy, reflecting 19th-century British liberalism. Lord William Bentinck, influenced by these
ideals, promoted European education as Governor-General. The debate between Orientalists
and Anglicists ended with Thomas Macaulay's Minute (1835), prioritizing English language
and literature. Macaulay's advocacy for English education faced criticism. Some argued that
Ram Mohan Roy had already championed Western education, while others noted that English
education existed in Bengal, Bombay, and Madras before Macaulay. Critics like Lord Acton
also accused Macaulay of underestimating India's history and traditions.The introduction of
English education had mixed results. It created a class of English-educated Indians
disconnected from their roots, failed to trickle down knowledge to the masses through the
filtration theory, and widened the gap between intelligentsia and masses. Furthermore,
vernacular education development was limited.
Later administrators, like Lord Auckland, recognized the need for balance. Auckland
advocated for vernacular education revival, indigenous school systems, and balanced
allocation of funds for higher and vernacular education. Efforts to revive and extend
indigenous village schools began in Madras, and some progress was made in Bombay.Despite
these reforms, the outcome was underwhelming. By 1921, only 8.2% of India's population
over five years old was literate. The legacy of English education in India remains complex,
with ongoing debates about its impact on Indian society and culture. The introduction of
English education was driven by both cultural and utilitarian aims. The British needed a
convenient linguistic medium for administration and law. Leading Indians supported English
medium education, but results were disappointing. Today, understanding this history informs
ongoing discussions about education policy and cultural identity in India.

The Education Despatch of 1854

The Education Despatch of 1854, also known as Wood's Despatch, marked a significant
turning point in colonial education policy. Issued by Charles Wood, Secretary of State for
India, this landmark document aimed to expand education to the masses across India, striking
a balance between the interests of various stakeholders, including missionaries. Wood's
Despatch proposed government funding for English higher education and vernacular primary
education, establishing centralized authority through Departments of Public Instruction in
five provinces. For the first time, village pathshalas were to teach a systematic curriculum
using textbooks to ensure uniform content.
Additionally, the dispatch introduced paid teachers, subject to regular inspections, and
established Normal schools for teacher training. It also introduced grant-in-aid regulation for
mission schools and linked village schools to district schools, colleges, and universities
through scholarships and inspections. This framework led to a robust bureaucratic model of
state schooling, integrating existing government efforts and committing the state to
institutional education. The impact of Wood's Despatch was profound, establishing unitary
education departments in each province, institutionalizing school inspection and teacher
training, and paving the way for three universities with examination powers. This marked a
significant shift towards a more systematic and regulated education system across India.
Wood's Despatch demonstrated the British government's growing commitment to education
in India, leaving a lasting legacy that continues to shape India's education system today.

CONCLUSION
The evolution of British colonial education policy in India had a profound impact on Indian
society, leading to significant changes in the social structure. The emergence of the bhadralok
class, comprising upper-caste individuals and local gentry, marked a new era of intellectual
and social transformation. Influenced by Western education and Christian missionary activity,
this class began to question prevalent social practices and religious notions, embracing
science and progress.The establishment of institutions like Hindu College in Calcutta (1817)
and reform movements such as Brahmo Samaj and Arya Samaj, spearheaded by Raja
Rammohan Roy and Dayanand Saraswati, further accelerated social change. European
education also highlighted the status of women in Indian society, leading to education and
social reforms.
However, critics argue that the Bengal Renaissance, sparked by British Orientalism, was
limited to the Hindu elite and had a narrow basis. Sumit Sarkar contends that the renaissance
culture was elitist, while Gauri Vishwanathan challenges David Kopf's assertion that the
British deserve singular credit for India's national awakening.
Despite these critiques, it is evident that Western education set the wheel of modernization in
motion, transforming Indian society and shaping its future. The impact of modern education,
though complex and multifaceted, remains a pivotal aspect of India's colonial legacy.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bandopadhyay, S. (2014). From Plassey to Partition and After: A History of Modern India.
Orient Blackswan.
KSSSumar, D. (2010). Colonialism and Education in India. Economic and Political Weekly,
45(33), 42-51.