The document discusses the impact of British rule on India's education system and the debates around it. It describes how the British initially supported traditional Indian education through groups like the Asiatic Society but later Anglicists like Macaulay argued for English education as a means of civilizing Indians. This led to policies like the English Education Act of 1835. Indian reformers like Gandhi and Tagore criticized Western education for undermining Indian culture and proposed national education systems focused on practical skills and creative development of children. The legacy of this debate over the appropriate direction for India's education system continues.

2. Till the last lesson, we were discussing the drawbacks of British rule in
India.
What were the drawbacks of British rule according to you ?
How did the British rule affect the :
Rajas and Nawabs
Peasants and artisans
Workers and industries

3. Impact of British rule on Education of Indians
??
Do you think it would be positive or negative ?
Changes ??

4. Do you think Britishers wanted a cultural domination
also?
Can you think of some examples from the precious
lessons?

5. Do you think this cultural domination would have
affected the education system in India at that time ?

6. How did the British saw education ?
How did they try to change the education in India?
What was the reaction of Indians to these changes ?

7. The education system that we follow today.
Was it like this before also ?

9. Evolution and reaction in Indian society towards these changes
❖ Medium- English
❖ Exams

10. Orientalist V/s Anglicists

11. The tradition of orientalist
Orientalist – Someone from western country who
opposed to changes made in colonial India. Someone
who believes in old traditions.
There were some people from the british also who
supported Indian education system

12. William Jones
Junior judge of Supreme Court
Linguist- French, English, Arabic, Persian and
Sanskrit
Had a deep interest in ancient Indian texts on law,
philosophy, religion, politics, arithmetic, medicine
and other sciences.
Henry Thomas Colebrooke and Nathaneil Halhed
were the other British offcials who shared the same
interest.

13. ❖ Together William Jones ,Nathaneil Halhed and Henry Thomas
Colebrooke set up the Asiatic Society of Bengal
❖ To promote the learning of ancient Indian texts
❖ Started a journal known as Asiatic researches

14. Extensive study, translation and discovery of ancient text took place
under them
Willaim Jones Henry Thomas Colebrooke Nathaneil Halhed

15. Why these people were so much so interested
in ancient Indian culture ?
❖ The British would become the guardians as well as masters of Indian
Cultutre
❖ If someone wants to control India, they must have deep knowledge
about the culture
❖ They thought people in Indian will like them if they show respect
towards Indian culture
❖ Institutions were set up to encourage the study of ancient texts and
teach sanskrit and persian literature
❖ British wanted a place in the hearts of Indians

16. These alien rulers thought that once Indian people
starts to like them, then it would be very easy to
control them
But
Not all officials shared the same views. Many were very
strong in their criticism of orientalists as well as Indian
education system

17. Anglicists
❖ criticised the orientalist version of learning.
❖ Promoted English system
Why did they criticise orientalists ?What was their
vision ?

18. ❖ They believed that the knowledge of the East was full of errors
and unscientific thoughts
❖ No logic
❖ No need to take Eastern literature very seriously. No deep
meaning.
❖ Encouraging the study of Sanskrit, Arabic language and
literature was waste of time.
What is your opinion on this ?

19. Anglicists
James Mill
Said that “the aim of Education should be to teach what was useful
and practical . Do you agree ?
Therefore , scientific and technical advances of the west should be
taught rather than the poetry and sacred literature of the orient.
Agree or disagree ?
Orientalists are only trying to please the natives and trying to win a
place in their hearts. Was it so ?

20. By 1830’s , the attack on orientalists became sharper. Why?
Thomas Babington Macaulay
One of the most outspoken and influential critic.
He saw India as an uncivilised country which needs to be civilised.

21. Macaulay said
“A single shelf of good European library was
worth the whole native literature of India”
A statement that created conflicts

22. Anglicists emphasised on the need to
teach English. Why?

23. Teaching of English could thus be a way of civilizing people, changing
their tastes, values and culture. Do you think so ?
Teaching of English language can only make the Indians civilised. .
They believed that people who spoke English are knowledgeable.
Do you agree ??

24. Teaching of English could thus be a way of
civilising people, changing their tastes, values
and culture.
Was this a conspiracy ??

25. English Education Act of 1835 was introduced
❖ English will be the medium of instruction for higher
education.
❖ Stop the promotion of oriental institutions like
Calcutta and Banaras Sanskrit College as they are
not going to help anyone in future.

26. Education for commerce
The company started thinking how Indian education will benefit
them.
Or
What kind of education system would benefit them.

27. Court of directors ( share holders )of East India Company sent an
educational despatch ( order ) to India so that the company implements
the order here in India.
Who issued the order ?
Charles Wood- The President of Board of Control of the company
This order was known as Wood’s despatch

28. Why was this order issued ??
To outline an educational policy in India
It was already decided that English would be the
medium but what would be the provisions ? What
would be the rules ?
What advantage did they have by introducing such a
policy ?

29. Reasons why British focused on Education in India
❖ Practical benefits of European learning system and opposition to
oriental knowledge.
❖ Economic advantages of educating the Indians. They believed that if
the education policy would be the way they wanted , then Indians
would start thinking like the British. ( reflection of the teachings )
❖ They thought if they train Indians in their way from their childhood
itself , then they can get a readymade market for future.

30. They thought if they train Indians in their way from childhood itself ,
then they can get a readymade market for future.
Introducing Indians to European way of life.
This would change their taste and desires, and create a demand for
British goods.
Market for goods

31. Another reason why they focused on Indian Education
System was :
❖ They wanted to supply the company with civil
servants who could be trusted and depended upon.
Therefore Wood’s despatch was introduced.

32. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5ts1nX94M4

33. What was Wood’s despatch all about
❖ Education department was set up to look after all the matters of
education.
❖ System of University Education was established.
Calcutta University Bombay University
❖ Attempts were also made to bring about changes within the School
Education System.

34. The demand for Moral Education
Christian Missionaries in India
strongly criticized practical education
WHY ??
The Missionaries felt that the education should attempt to improve the
moral character of the people and morality could only be improved
through Christian education.

35. Until 1813, East India Company was opposed to missionary activities.
What were missionary activities ?? ( Converting /religious promotion )
East India Company did not support the activities of Christian
missionaries till 1813 as they knew that people would protest against the
company if they interfere in religious maters.
Missionaries were not able to establish any Christian institutions as they
had no support from company.

36. ❖ The missionaries set up an institution at Serampore in an area
under the control of Danish East India Company.
❖ Why did they set up the institution ? What was their agenda?
❖ Missionary schools were established all over India. Today we
see so many missionary schools ..This was all introduced by
Christian missionaries.

37. Things changed after 1857
What happened in 1857 ?
Wood’s despatch and religious conversion was
also a reason for the revolt .

38. After the revolt of 1857, power was shifted from the company to British
government.
British govt. knew very well that one of the reason for the revolt was
religious conversion and people would start another revolt if they
interfere in religious matters. That is why , British govt. did not support
the Missionaries.
There was a feeling that any strong attack on local customs , practices ,
beliefs and religious ideas might enrage native opinion.

39. What happened to local schools ? : Report of William
Adam
Schools
Pre-British time After British time

40. The Report of Willaim Adam
William Adam was a Scottish missionary who was given the
responsibility of making a report on the progress of education in
Vernacular schools.
He toured the districts of Bihar and Bengal and submitted a report to the
Company

41. The report of William Adam is very interesting
❖ There were over one lakh pathshalas in Bengal and Bihar.
❖ These institutions were set up by wealthy people, local community or a
guru.

42. The Report of William Adam
The system of education was flexible.
There was no fixed fee.
No printed books. Oral learning.
No separate school building
No benches or chairs
No blackboard
No system of separate classes
No annual examination
No time table
Then, what was the education system all about ????
What do you think ?

43. ✔ The Education system was all about teaching the
lessons for Life.
✔ How to live life, things that would help you to live
life .
Today ?

44. ❖ Fee depended on the income of parents
High income- high fee , low income- low fee
❖ Teaching was oral and teacher decides what to teach.
No different teachers for different subjects.
❖ Students were not separated into different classes.

45. William Adam discovered that this flexible system of
education suited the local needs.
How ??

46. Harvest season – no school
Don’t have money – its ok. Can give it later.

47. New Routine and New Rules in Schools
Up to 1850’s the company was concerned with primarily higher education
Situation changed after 1854
The company suddenly decided to improve the system of vernacular
education
How???

48. By introducing order within the system, imposing routines, establishing
rules, ensuring regular inspections
Government Pandit
In charge of looking after four to five schools
Visits pathshalas
Try and improve the standard of teaching
Gurus- periodic report and timetable
System of annual examination
Students were asked for a fixed fee, attend regular classes, sit on fixed
seats, and obey the new rules.

49. Why would the Pathshalas accept it ?
Pathshalas which accepted the rules received grants from the
government
Pathshalas which were not willing to work with the new system
received no government support.

50. New system
Demanded regular fee
Regular attendance
Children of poor peasant families suffered a lot

51. British Officials imposing western education
What were Indian educationists doing at this time?
Some Indians felt that
western education would
help modernize India
Supported western
education
Urged the British to open
more schools and colleges.
WHY ??
There were Indians who
reacted against the British
western education.
Who ??
Mahatma Gandhi
Rabindranath Tagore

52. “English education enslaved us”- Mahatma Gandhi
Colonial education created a sense of inferiority in the minds of Indians
HOW ??
It made us see western civilization as superior and destroyed the pride we had in
our own culture.
He wanted an education that would help Indians recover their sense of dignity and
self respect.
He strongly felt that Indian languages ought to be the medium of education.
Strangers in their own land

54. Mahatma Gandhi said- Western Education lack life experiences and
practical knowledge.
WHY??
Focused on only reading and writing
Education – work with hands, learn a craft, know how to operate things.
Missing in western education

56. Tagore’s abode of peace
Tagore’s school days
The experience of his school days in Calcutta
shaped Tagore’s idea of education.
A school where child was happy
Free and creative
Able to explore his/her own thoughts and
desires.

57. T
This school was known as Shantiniketan

58. Tagore’s idea of education
❖ Childhood ought to be a time of self learning outside the rigid and
restricting discipline of the school system set up by the British.
❖ Teachers had to be imaginative, understand the child, and help the
child develop curiosity.
❖ The existing schools killed the desire of the child to be creative, their
sense of wonder.
❖ Therefore Tagore started an institution in 1901.
❖ 100 kms away from Calcutta in a natural environment.

59. Gandhiji
Highly criticized western
education and its worship of
machines and technology.
Tagore
Tagore wanted to combine
elements of modern
civilization with Indian
tradition to be taught under
a free environment.

60. Debate over the educational system
Some wanted changes in the
existing system set up by the
British.
Others completely opposed
western education and wanted
people to be educated into a culture
that was truly national.

61. The debate about what national education ought to be
continues till now.