Question

I mark you as a brainliest

Answer 1

It is obvious that western education in India was the outcome British influence. But British didn’t start it right from the beginning of their rule. They opened school and colleges firstly, because they needed to be familiar with the Indian environment and secondly, because they needed educated Indians for the administrative purposes. Knowledge of Indian languages was useful in correspondence with Indian states. Hence they set up the institutions accordingly. For example,

Calcutta Madrasah was established by Warren Hastings in 1781 for the study of Muslim law and related subjects.

Sanskrit College was established by Jonathan Duncan (resident at Benaras) in 1791 for study of Hindu law and philosophy.

Fort William College set up by Lord Wellesley in 1800 for training of civil servants of the Company in languages and customs of Indian. This college was closed in 1802.

But then some educated Indians started exerting pressure on the Government to promote modern, secular, western education since because they thought that it was the remedy for the backwardness of the country. Christian missionaries too wanted the modern education because they thought that it would destroy the faith of Indians in their own religions.

All started with the Charter Act of 1813 (these charters were in gap of 20 years)

It directed the East India Company to sanction 1 lakh rupees annually for promoting knowledge of modern science. However, this amount was not made available till 1823.

Due to efforts of Raja RamMohan Roy, grant was sanctioned for Calcutta College set up in 1817, imparting English education in western humanities and sciences.

Then debate broke out between orientalists and anglicists…

Anglicists argued that government spending on education should be exclusively for modern studies. Orientalists said while western sciences and literature should be taught to prepare students to take up jobs, emphasis should be placed on expansion of traditional Indian learning.

Thomas Babington Macaulay who was the Law Member of Governor-General’s Council (Lord William Bentinck was the Governor General then) argued that Sanskrit and Persian were no more accessible than English to the speakers of the Indian vernacular languages and existing Sanskrit and Persian texts were of little use for 'useful learning'. He famously wrote, “ single shelf of a good European library was worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia.”

This famous minute called Minute on Education (1835) by Thomas Babington Macaulay settled the row in favor of Anglicists—the limited government resources were to be devoted to teaching of western sciences and literature through the medium of English language.

Government soon made English as the medium of instruction in its schools and colleges and opened a few English schools and colleges instead of a large number of elementary schools (thus neglecting mass education). British planned to educate a small section of upper and middle classes, thus creating a class "Indian in blood and color but English in tastes, opinions, morals and intellect" who would act as interpreters between Government and masses and would enrich the vernaculars by which knowledge of western sciences and literature would reach the masses. This was called the 'downward filtration theory'.

WOOD'S DESPATCH (1854)- Magna Carta of English Education

This document was the first comprehensive plan for the spread of education in India:

It systematized the hierarchy from vernacular primary schools in villages at bottom, followed by Anglo-Vernacular High Schools and an affiliated college at the district level, and affiliating universities in the presidency towns of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras.

It recommended English as the medium of instruction for higher studies and vernaculars at school level.

It laid down that education imparted in government institutions should be secular.

Wood's Despatch dominated the field for 5 decades which saw rapid westernization of education system in India, with educational institutions run by European headmasters and principals. Gradually, private Indian effort appeared in the field.

Answer 2

Answer:

It is obvious that western education in India was the outcome British influence. But British didn’t start it right from the beginning of their rule. They opened school and colleges firstly, because they needed to be familiar with the Indian environment and secondly, because they needed educated Indians for the administrative purposes. Knowledge of Indian languages was useful in correspondence with Indian states. Hence they set up the institutions accordingly. For example,

Calcutta Madrasah was established by Warren Hastings in 1781 for the study of Muslim law and related subjects.

Sanskrit College was established by Jonathan Duncan (resident at Benaras) in 1791 for study of Hindu law and philosophy.

Fort William College set up by Lord Wellesley in 1800 for training of civil servants of the Company in languages and customs of Indian. This college was closed in 1802.

Explanation: