Language and Education Policy of British in India
Initially,
the East India Company did not evince any particular interest in matters of
education. Although the British had captured Bengal in 1757, yet the
responsibility of imparting education remained only in Indian hands. The study
of ancient texts written in Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit still continued. In
1781, Warren Hastings established a Madrasa in Calcutta to encourage the study
of Muslim laws along with Arabic and Persian languages.
A decade later in 1791 due to the sincere
efforts of the British resident, Jonathan Duncan, a Sanskrit College was
established to promote the study of Hindu laws and philosophy in Banaras.
Therefore, it must be contended that during the first three decades of the 19th
century, the development of education took place only through the traditional
institutions.
It is
apparent from the government and Church records that the state of oriental
learning at the time of the establishment of the Company's rule in Bengal,
there were about 80,000 traditional institutions of learning in Bengal alone,
which means that there was at least one institution for every four hundred
people in that province. Different educational surveys of Madras, Bombay and
Punjab also demonstrate similar facts. There was at least one school in every
village of India at that time.
The East
India Company began to adopt a dual policy in the sphere of education. It
discouraged the prevalent system of oriental education and gave importance to
western education and English language. The Charter Act of 1813 adopted a
provision to spend one lakh rupees per annum for the spread of education in
India.
Although
there was a prolonged debate pertaining to education during the course of a
general discussion on the Act of 1813 in the British Parliament, yet the matter
continued to generate debate for the next 20 years. Consequently, not even a
single penny out of the allocated funds could be spent on education.
The
contemporary British scholars were divided into two groups on the issue of
development of education in India. One group, called the Orientalists, advocated the promotion of oriental subjects through
Indian languages. The other group, called the Anglicists, argued the cause of western sciences and literature in
the medium of English language.
In 1829, after assuming the office of the
Governor-General of India, Lord William Bentinck, emphasized on the medium of
English language in Indian education. In the beginning of 1835, the 10 members
of the General Committee of Public Instruction were clearly divided into two
equal groups. Five members including the Chairman of the committee Lord
Macaulay were in favour of adopting English as medium of public instruction
whereas the other five were in favour of oriental languages.
The
stalemate continued till 2 February 1835 when the Chairman of the committee,
Lord Macaulay announced his famous Minute advocating the Anglicist point of
view. Consequently, despite fierce opposition from all quarters, Bentinck got
the resolution passed on 7 March 1835 which declared that henceforth,
government funds would be utilized for the promotion of western literature and
science through the medium of English language.
In 1854,
Sir Charles Wood sent a comprehensive dispatch as a grand plan on education.
The establishment of departments of public instructions in five provinces and
introduction of the pattern of grants in aid to encourage private participation
in the field of education were recommended. Besides, the dispatch also laid
emphasis on the establishment of schools for technical education, teacher and
women education. Over and above all these, the dispatch recommended the
establishment of one University each in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras, on the
model of the London University. Consequently, within the next few years, the
Indian education became rapidly westernized.
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