History · Spectrum Books A Brief History of Modern India
Chapter 30 : Development of Education
Table of contents29 sections
- 1.Development of Education
- 2.Under Company Rule
- 3.Early Individual Efforts
- 4.A Humble Beginning: Charter Act of 1813
- 5.Orientalist-Anglicist Controversy
- 6.Lord Macaulay's Minute, 1835
- 7.Efforts of Thomson
- 8.Wood's Despatch, 1854
- 9.Developments Post-1854
- 10.Key Terms
- 11.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 12.After the Crown Takeover
- 13.Hunter Education Commission, 1882–83
- 14.Indian Universities Act, 1904
- 15.Government Resolution on Education Policy, 1913
- 16.Sadler University Commission, 1917–19
- 17.Education under Dyarchy
- 18.Hartog Committee, 1929
- 19.Sargent Plan of Education, 1944
- 20.Key Terms
- 21.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 22.Development of Vernacular Education
- 23.Wardha Scheme of Basic Education, 1937
- 24.Key Terms
- 25.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 26.Development of Technical Education
- 27.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 28.Evaluation of British Policy on Education
- 29.Quick-Recall Box
Chapter preview
Development of Education
The course of educational development in India was guided by a mixture of administrative, economic, political, and cultural motives of the colonial rulers. Initially, the East India Company had no interest in promoting education, only learning Indian languages to communicate with locals.
- Economic motive: Post-Industrial Revolution, Britain wanted to turn India into a consumer market; English education could produce Indians with a liking for British goods.
- Political motive: English education would build a bond between rulers and subjects, ensuring the stability of the Raj.
- Cultural/Religious motive: Christian missionaries had their own agenda; the British believed Western culture was superior and wanted Indians to absorb it.
Under Company Rule
For the first 60 years of its dominion, the East India Company (a trading and profit-making concern) took no interest in promoting education. Early exceptions were individual efforts designed to provide qualified Indians to help administer law in Company courts and correspond with Indian states.
Early Individual Efforts
| Institution | Founder | Year | Location | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calcutta Madrasah | Warren Hastings | 1781 | Calcutta | Study of Muslim law and related subjects |
| Sanskrit College | Jonathan Duncan (British Resident) | 1791 | Benaras | Study of Hindu law and philosophy |
| Fort William College | Wellesley | 1800 (closed 1802) | Calcutta | Training civil servants of the Company in languages and customs of Indians |
Progressive Indians and missionaries exerted pressure on the government to promote modern, secular, Western education to remedy social, economic, and political ills. Missionaries (particularly Serampore missionaries) believed modern education would destroy Indians' faith in their own religions, leading them to Christianity.
A Humble Beginning: Charter Act of 1813
- Provisions: Incorporated the principle of encouraging learned Indians and promoting knowledge of modern sciences. Directed the Company to sanction one lakh rupees annually.
- Delay: The petty amount was not made available until 1823 due to a controversy over the direction of expenditure.
- Calcutta College (1817): Set up by educated Bengalis (efforts of Raja Rammohan Roy bore fruit with a government grant), imparting English education in Western humanities and sciences.
- Sanskrit Colleges: The government set up three colleges at Calcutta, Delhi, and Agra.
Orientalist-Anglicist Controversy
Within the General Committee…
This chapter is part of the History plan
Subscribe to read every chapter on any device. Free chapters remain readable for everyone.
View plans