Question

Prominent characteristics of education in india during colonial rule

Answer 1

Answer:

The British came to an India with a noble mission in hand – the mission of civilization. In Charles Grant’s words, “What is offered, is no more than a proposal for the further civilization of a people” (Grant, 1792, as cited in Mann 2004, p. 3). Yet, the same declaration reverberated among all European powers during this period. All claimed that the occupation of the colonies stemmed from a desire to civilize the “natives” and “savages”. To the British, the proclaimed intent of colonizing India started out as a call for “improvement” of the South Asian nation, then to “betterment and “material progress” which was thereafter subsumed under the phrase “civilizing mission” (Mann 2004). Said (1993) found this assertion problematic and hypocritical and attributed this as blatant cultural imperialism since the idea of a “civilizing mission” rested upon the superiority of one culture and the inferiority of the “Other”. More importantly, it implied that the Indians were too backward for self-rule and had to be taught how to govern themselves, without taking the history of India as a self-functioning nation well before British rule.

The British colonial rule in India is generally divided into three stages: first stage (1757-1813), second stage (1813-1860) and third stage (1860 onwards) (Reddy 2003). The upper- and middle-class Indians soon acknowledged that in Britain’s standards, their country was indeed backward economically and socially. Many of its leaders conformed to western models of economic modernity while others went for its reconciliation with eastern concepts, hence the Anglicanist-Orientalist debate (Deutschmann 2008). The famous Mahatma Gandhi however was critical of how “backwardness” was defined and contextualized because of its cultural implications and favored an Indian interpretation of the term (Mann 2004). One of the most powerful calls for reform arose out of protest against the practice of sati or wife immolation which, although rarely practiced, captured the British imagination. In view of its civilizing mission, the British introduced an education system to tame India’s savage and brutish practices and eradicated superstitions and religious beliefs which were deemed barbaric.

Answer 2

Indians were to be educated in English and their native language. The education system was to be set up in every province. Every district should have at least one government school. Montessori system was introduced during colonial rule.

Explanation:

• Modern education began in India under colonial rule. Before the British, India had its own educational systems like the Gurukulas and the Madarsas.
• The company wanted some educated Indians who could assist them in the administration of the land.
• Also, they wanted to understand the local customs and laws well.
• For this purpose, Warren Hastings established the Calcutta Madrassa in 1781 for the teaching of Muslim law.
• In 1791, a Sanskrit College was started in Varanasi by Jonathan Duncan for the study of Hindu philosophy and laws.
• A modern educational system was needed to spread rational thinking and scientific principles.
• The Charter Act of 1813 was the first step towards education being made an objective of the government.
• In 1835, the Elphinstone College (Bombay) and the Calcutta Medical College were established.

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