*** Indian educational system chronology the Raj







Indian School Chronology: The Raj (1858-1947)



Figure 1.--This photograph was taken by English tourists on a world cruise during the 1930s. I think that by the hairstyle, the forehead painting and the clothing we can assume that they are Brahmin boys. The stone elephant could indicate that they are in front of the temple where they presumably attended a traditional Hindu school.

The British brought modern education to India. During the British Raj, modern schools were founded, and the beginning of a modern public education was laid. Education during the Raj is a controversial topic. This is because Indian nationalists are determined to paint the Raj as one of darkest points in Indian history without any redeeming aspects. Now it is true that the first schools were not British schools. Nationalist historians charge that the British uprooted 'the Beautiful Tree' and every village in Bengal, Madras and Bombay had a school, with pupil attendance rates higher than in contemporary England. [Masani] Now England was behind the Germans and Americans, but there was no comparison to what passed for schools in India before the British. There were no carefully developed cruciform, printed books, or long-term attendance. And the very low rates of illiteracy, especially among women, are simply impossible to explain if any kind of effective public education system existed before the British. Even printing was a European import. There were no institutions in India that could be remotely called universities, Part of the reason the British were able to seize control of India is that the population was so poorly educated and the Mugal Empire and other states did not produce modern technology. But what such statemernts disguised was the very primitive schooling on offer in Indian village schools, the absence of printed books and the withdrawal of children before they reached the level of literacy. Under the Raj, schools were opened and and substantial numbers of children were educated. And no only schools, but real universities were founded for the first time. The Raj' is the Hindu word meaning sovereignty and refers to the period of British Government rule in India from 1858 when the British Government took over running India from the East India Company (EIC). The foundations of modern education in India was laid by the EIC and the Christian Missionaries. The EIC was primarily interested in training Indians for administrative tasks and serving the company's political, economical and colonial interests. The Missionaries had more uplifting objectives. The Raj, however, went much further. The EIC founded schools for the elites and to meet their needs. The British RAJ officials debated educational policy. Some saw no advantage and huge expenses in founding a public school system in India. This is not surprising as the thought had also not occurred to native Indian rulers and even in Britain itself, authorities did not begin to build a public school system until well after many other European countries, especially the Germans had begun founding public schools (1760s). The British in their own schools only began (1870s). The British colonial government began opening schools in the Raj. This went from 2,800 primary schools (1855) to 204,400 schools (1931). The number of students increased from 0.1 million to 9.4 million children during that same period. [Education Department] Literacy rates increased from 8 to 25 percent (1881-1941). It would be much higher among a younger cohort. Female education and literacy lagged. The first modern universities were founded (1850s). There were 16 universities with 92,000 students (1931). These numbers are not large given the Indian population 393 million (1931). They are impressive, given the progress being made and the fact that fact that India was not a rich country measured in per capita income. No other non-Western country has comparable educational numbers except Japan along with the American Philippines Commonwealth and the British Palestine Mandate. Here we are talking about public schools. There were also Hindu and Muslim schools, but with far weaker academic standards. We are not sure about the curriculum ant these religious schools. Of course the focus was on religion, but we are not sure to what extent secular subjects were taught such as mathematics and science. We suspect very little. There were private schools for British subjects in India as well as for affluent Indians. Many if not all of the early private schools had military-style uniforms. Only a limited number of Indians people were educated as a proportion of the overall population--but it was an undeniably substantial number. This was a continuation of the existing system the Europeans encountered. Christian missionary groups founded many important schools. Christians are only a minor part of the Indian population, but played a major role in the development of the Indian education system. The British schools are important because they trained the Indians who pursued the independence movement and governed independent India. Also they laid the foundation for India's public school system. While the British did not launch a comprehensive public education system, they did leave India with a substantial and expanding public school system, Some which did not exist when the British seized control of India. More than a quarter of the population was literate at the time of independence. While this was far below European standards, it was above literacy rates in the rest of Asia and literacy rates when the Europeans first arrived. And modern universities were turning bout the well grounded students needed by an independent country. Of course it can be said that the British should have done more. But it simply is not true that th British did nothing or very little.

Modern Education and Controversy

The British brought modern education to India. Indian Natiionlists do not like to admit this, but it isaimple fact. During the British Raj, modern schools were founded, and the beginning of a modern public education was laid. Education during the Raj is a controversial topic. This is because Indian nationalists are determined to paint the Raj as one of darkest points in Indian history without any redeeming aspects. Now it is true that British colonialism was exploitive, but that does not mean that there were no redeaming aspects.

Ghadhi's Beautiful Tree

Now it is true that the first schools were not British schools. Nationalist historians charge that the British uprooted 'the Beautiful Tree' and every village in Bengal, Madras and Bombay had a school, with pupil attendance rates higher than in contemporary England. [Masani] Now England was behind the Germans and Americans, but there was no comparison to what passed for schools in India before the British. There were no carefully developed cruciform, printed books, or long-term attendance. And the very low rates of illiteracy, especially among women, are simply impossible to explain if any kind of effective public education system existed before the British. Even printing was a European import. There were no institutions in India that could be remotely called universities, Part of the reason the British were able to seize control of India is that the population was so poorly educated and the Mugal Empire and other states did not produce modern technology. There may have been schools before the Briutish, but what such stattementss disguise was the very primitive schooling on offer in Indian village schools, the absence of printed books and the withdrawal of children before they reached the level of literacy. The controversy over education in the Raj arose in the 1930s as pat of a debate between Mahatma Gandhi and the British educationist Sir Philip Hartog, who had been an adviser to the Indian Department of Education. This took place in London aspart of the second Round Table Conference on India’s constitutional future (1931). Gandhi delivered a highly publicised talk at Chatham House. He dstated, "Today India is more illiterate than it was 50 or 100 years ago. … because the British... instead of taking hold of things as they were, began to root them out. They scratched the soil and began to look at the root, and left the root like that, and the beautiful tree perished." [Gandhi] Gandhi was as wrong about eductioin as he was about economics. He wanted to replace modern factories with home spinning wheels. Hartog wrote to Gandhi with data about schools and lotereacy. Ghandhi was unable to provide ny dta substbtiting his 'Beautidul Tree' thesis.

East India Company

The foundations of modern education in India was laid by the East India Company (EIC) and the Christian Missionaries. The EIC was primarily interested in training Indians for administrative tasks and serving the company's political, economical and colonial interests. The Missionaries had more uplifting objectives. Interestingly, the EIC was not mot particularly interested in missionary work or implanting british culture. One historian writes, "far from wanting to colonise the minds of their new subjects, most founders of British rule were fascinated by India’s traditional arts and crafts, and keen to explore the wonders of its classical past. The tone was set by the first governor-general, Warren Hastings (in post 1772–85), who mixed freely with Indians. He was fluent in their vernacular languages, Hindustani and Bengali, and also spoke some Persian, the court language of the Mughal empire. As the most powerful man in India, he was determined to rule, as far as possible, through Indian officials and according to traditional Mughal laws and customs." [Masani] hastings helped launch what amounts to the European Renaissance in India. Here the Asiatic Society in Calcutta (now Kolkata) was founded (1784) and played a central role. The Asiatic Society brought the print revolution to India. Journaks lunbcged a wave of studies on India's classical Hindu and Buddhist past. Before the arival of the Btitish, India's Buddhist heritage was largely unknown among indians.

The Raj: Public Education (1858-1947)

Under the Raj, schools were opened and and substantial numbers of children were educated. And no only schools, but real universities were founded for the first time. The Raj' is the Hindu word meaning sovereignty and refers to the period of British Government rule in India from 1858 when the British Government took over running India from the (EIC). . The Raj, however, went much further. The EIC founded schools for the elites and to meet their needs. The British RAJ officials debated educational policy. Some saw no advantage and huge expenses in founding a public school system in India. This is not surprising as the thought had also not occurred to native Indian rulers and even in Britain itself, authorities did not begin to build a public school system until well after many other European countries, especially the Germans had begun founding public schools (1760s). The British in their own schools only began (1870s). The British colonial government began opening schools in the Raj. This went from 2,800 primary schools (1855) to 204,400 schools (1931). The number of students increased from 0.1 million to 9.4 million children during that same period. [Education Department] Literacy rates increased from 8 to 25 percent (1881-1941). It would be much higher among a younger cohort. Female education and literacy lagged. The first modern universities were founded (1850s). There were 16 universities with 92,000 students (1931). These numbers are not large given the Indian population 393 million (1931). They are impressive, given the progress being made and the fact that fact that India was not a rich country measured in per capita income. No other non-Western country has comparable educational numbers except Japan along with the American Philippines Commonwealth and the British Palestine Mandate.

Traditional Schools

Here we are talking about Raj public schools. There were also Hindu and Muslim schools. This was a continuation of the existing system the Europeans encountered. We see students at a Hindu school (figure 1). These schools had far weaker academic standards than the Raj public dschools. We are not sure about the curriculum ant these religious schools. Of course the focus was on religion, but we are not sure to what extent secular subjects were taught such as mathematics and science. We suspect very little.

Private Schools

There were private schools for British subjects in India as well as for affluent Indians. These schools weere not segregated. The British abd Indian students studied together. Many if not all of the early private schools had military-style uniforms.

Missionary Schools

Christian missionary groups founded many important schools in India. Thy were the country's first modern schools. . Missionary sctivitity was limited dueinbg the EIC era, but significabtly increased durung vthe Raj. Christians are only a minor part of the Indian population, but played a major role in the development of the Indian education system.

Impact

Only a limited number of Indians people were educated as a proportion of the overall population--but it was an undeniably substantial number. The British schools are important because they trained the Indians who pursued the independence movement and governed independent India. Also they laid the foundation for India's public school system. While the British did not launch a comprehensive public education system, they did leave India with a substantial and expanding public school system, Some which did not exist when the British seized control of India. More than a quarter of the population was literate at the time of independence--which was hugely greater than was the situation when the British first arrived in india. While this was far below European standards, it was above literacy rates in the rest of Asia and literacy rates when the Europeans first arrived. And modern universities were turning bout the well grounded students needed by an independent country. Of course it can be said that the British should have done more. But it simply is not true that th British did nothing or very little.

Sources

Education Department. British Government of India. This was data from the census of India. J.H. Hutton, "Census of India 1931" and William Hunter, "Report of the Indian Education Commission 1882".

Gandhi, Mahatma. 'Beautiful tree" Chatman House talk (1931).

Masani, Zareer. "Revising the Raj," History Extra (August 3, 2021).








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