Modern education during East India company period

Christain Missions

• The Christian Missions were pioneer in the field of introduction of modern system of education in India .T
• he missionaries of various European countries set up school and published several literary works .The Danish missionaries even published a Tamil dictionary .
• The efforts of Christian missionaries were directed towards using education not as end itself ,but as means to Evangelization.
• It is believed that under pressure of missionary lobby in England ,The British parliament inserted a provision in the Charter Act 1813 that the company would set apart annually a sum of rupees one lakh for the encouragement of education among the inhabitants of the British territories in India.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy and English Education

• The main factor which tipped the scale in favour of English language and western literature was the economic factor – Indians wanted a system of education which could help them to earn their livelihood .
• Progressive Indian elements also favoured the spread of English education and western learning ,among them Ram Mohan Roy was foremost .
• Advocating the Importance of English education and modern scientific learning ,he wrote, “The Sanskrit system of education would be the best calculated to keep the country in darkness,if such had been the policy of British Government .But as the improvement of the native population is the object of the Government ,it will consequently promote a more liberal and enlightened system of instruction --------Anatomy with other useful sciences.”
• The protest of RamMohan Roy did not go unheeded .The Government agreed to encourage the study of English as well as Oriental languages .
• A grant was sanctioned for Calcutta Hindu College set up in 1817 by enlightenend Indians ,which imparted instruction mainly in English language and emphasised the study of western humanities and sciences.

Orientlist –Anglicist controversy and English education

• Till 1823 , the educational clause of the Charter Act of 1813 remained unimplemented. However ,in 1823 a General Committee of Public instruction was set up to take charge of Government education and utilise the educational grants .
• Unfortunately ,ten members of the General Committee of Public instruction were divided into equal groups ,The Orientlist – who advocated the utilisation of funds for promotion of Oriental subjects , and the Anglicist -- who crusaded for the cause of western sciences and western literature through the medium of English education .
• The stalemate continued till Lord William Bentick , appointed G.B. Macaulay as the chairman of the committee.Macaulay’s famous minute dated 2 February ,1835 advocated the Anglicist point of view.Lord William Bentick’s Government passed a resolution of 7 March 1835 which declared the G that the Government funds would be utilised for promotion of European literature and science through the medium of English language.A further Goverment notification of 1838 made it clear that henceforth no funds would be made available of oriental learning .

Wood’s Education Despatch of 1854

• In 1854 Sir Charles wood ,president of Board of control ,sent a comprehensive Despatch on Education to the Government of India in which he recommended medium of instruction to be vernacular languages at the primary level ,followed by Anglo-Vernacular schools at the middle and high school levels and education through the English medium at college and University levels.it also recommended the setting up of Universities at Calcutta ,Bombay and Madras on the model of the London University.
• The ideals and methods advocated in wood’s despatch dominated the field for about five decades. The same period also witnessed a rapid westernization of the educational system in India .
• The indigenous system gradually gave place to the western system of education .most of the educational institutions during this period were run by European hedmasters and principals under the education department .Gradually private Indian effort appeared in the field.

Education system and British Colonial Interests

• The British imperial authorities favoured the western system of education through the medium of English language out of administrative compulsions.As the British Empire in India expanded its territories ,the administrative needs of the company also increased .In the revenue and judicial departments ,the clercial and middle level staff was required to have apart from knowledge of Persian and vernaculars ,a working knowledge of English language.Besides the salaries paid to Indian employees were a fraction of the salaries at which European staff could be available .
• Apart from this aspect ,the moral ,political and commercial considerations also favoured the Macaulaian system of education.
• Many British considered English education as the sound weapon for attracting heathens to Christianity. Macaulay Shared same ideas when he wrote to his father “no Hindu who has received English education ever remains attached to his religion .It is my firm belief that if plans of education are followed up,there will not be a single idolator among the respectable classes in Bengal thirty years hence”
• Politically ,the newly –educated western educated class--- whether in Government service or in the new profession of lawyers ,engineers ,doctors ,teachers etc.--- unconsciously or consciously become supporters of British rule in India ,for their interest were linked with the continuation of British rule in India .Thus ,Macaulay’s dream of creating a class of persons who would be “Indians in blood or colour ,but English in taste ,in opinion ,in morals and intellect” did materialize .These “Brown Englishmen” believed that India’s progress was inexorably linked to the continuation of British rule.
• The English educated Indian middle class not only helped in exploitation of India’s natural resources but became the great consumers of British goods from neckties to shoes.

Conclusion

Although the English education was introduced for the interest of British colonial rule but it produced some side effects also .As a result of the spread of modern western education and thought during the 19th century ,a large number of Indians imbibed a modern rational ,secular ,democratic and nationalist political outlook.The spread and popularity of the English language helped nationalist leaders of different linguistic regions to communicate with each other.
Modern education also created a certain uniformity and community of outlook and interests among the educated Indians .This English –educated intelligentsia formed the nucleas for the newly –arising political unrest ,and it was this section of the society which provided leadership to the Indian political associations .