Impact of British Rule in India: Education and Society PDF

Impact of British Rule on Educaton and society The British built Churches, hospitals and houses once they settled in India All Saints Cathedral Church- Allahabad  They formed societies for their hobbies like singing and acting, and clubs to have a place...

Impact of British Rule on Educaton and society The British built Churches, hospitals and houses once they settled in India All Saints Cathedral Church- Allahabad  They formed societies for their hobbies like singing and acting, and clubs to have a place to meet socially CLUBS INTRODUCED IN INDIA They built towns in cooler places like hills for their holidays  British towns The British did not mix with the Indians or allow them to join British institutions The towns were divided into two parts- the European section and the Indian section. These were called the ‘white town’ and ‘black town’. The Europeans lived in wide, tree-lined roads, in spacious bungalows while the Indians lived in crowded areas, apart from a few wealthy Indians living in larger houses  UNDERSTANDING THE CHANGE - In the mid-18th century, India had in many ways fallen well behind what was being achieved in Europe. -intellectual influence, covering a wide range of European cultures, survives strongly today, even as the military, political and economic power of the British has declined dramatically. -India was a collection of fragmented kingdoms until before British rule. It was argued that India was previously not one country at all, but a thoroughly divided land mass. This made it easier for the British to establish their empire in India.  Who are the Orientalists? Orientalists are people who have scholarly knowledge of the culture and languages of Asia. Early officials of the East India Company believed that unless they studies Indian languages and culture, they would not be able to govern the Indians properly. They spent years studying, writing and translating books on Indian literature, history and culture. They respected and admired Indian customs and wanted to govern India according to its ancient laws. William Jones was one of the most important Orientalists. He founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal, which became an important centre for Indian studies. Orientalists established institutions like the Survey of India, they scientifically studied and classified Indian plants and animals. They drew the first modern maps of India and established the census.  Who are the Anglicists? There were many British officials who, unlike the Orientalists, did not share the same respect for Indian culture. They looked upon India as backward and superstitious. They became more and more critical of Indian institutions and felt that that it was their duty to reform and modernize India. These officials were known as the Anglicists.  Debate over Education The Orientalist-Anglicist controversy was a controversy regarding the nature of education that the British-East India company was to impart to the local populations in its territory. Orientalists advocated Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian as the medium of education. On the other hand, the Anglicists advocated the imparting of western education through the medium of English.  Debate over Education As the Anglicists wanted to reform Indian society, they encouraged Christian missionaries to come to India to spread Christianity and educate the Indians. The missionaries established schools for Indian children. One of the most important missionaries was William Carey, who established a mission and school in Serampore (now Shrirampur) near Calcutta. He translated the Bible into Bengali and many other Indian languages. He bought a Bengali language printing press, published a Bengali dictionary and grammar books. Carey and other Serampore missionaries created printing presses in around 40 Indian languages, making it possible to print works in these languages for the first time. They set up a paper factory and published school books. This motivated Europeans and wealthy Indians to donate money for the establishment of private schools and colleges in India. Hindu College, which later became Presidency College (now Presidency University) in Calcutta and Elphinstone College in Bombay are few examples. The Sanskrit language, whatever be its antiquity, is of a wonderful structure; more perfect than the Greek, more copious than the Latin and more exquisitely refined than either; yet bearing to both of them a stronger affinity, both in the roots of verbs, and in the forms of grammar, than could possibly have been produced by accident; so strong, indeed, that no philologer could examine them all three, without believing them to have sprung from a common source, which, perhaps, no longer exists. Extract from the speech of William Jones I have no knowledge of either Sanskrit or Arabic. But I have done what I could to form a correct estimate of their value. I have read translations of the most celebrated Arabic and Sanskrit works. I have conversed, both here and at home, with men distinguished by their proficiency in the Eastern tongues. I am quite ready to take the oriental learning at the valuation of the orientalists themselves. I have never found one among them who could deny that a single shelf of a good European library was worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia. We have to educate a people who cannot at present be educated by means of their mother-tongue. We must teach them some foreign language. We must at present do our best to form a class who may be interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern, -a class of persons Indian in blood and colour, but English in tastes, in opinions, in morals and in intellect. Extracts from the Minute on Indian Education (1835) of Thomas Macaulay, member of the Executive council of William Bentick (Governor General of India from 1828-35) THE GOVERNOR GENERAL WHO SHARED ANGLICIST VIEWS.  WOOD’S DESPATCH Sir Charles Wood (President of the Board of Control of the East India Company, made a plan for the complete overhaul of the education system. This plan was known as the Wood’s Despatch. According to this plan: Departments of Education were established in various states. Universities were established in presidency towns (Calcutta, Bombay and Madras), with a network of colleges under them Education of the masses were recommended and primary education encouraged A system of primary, secondary and high schools were established He made English compulsory in higher education and local languages at the school level He made it compulsory for educational institutions to be run by European headmasters and principals The plan was introduced in 1854  SOCIAL REFORMS British officials did not stop once the western education was introduced. Initially they followed the policy of non- interference in the social affairs. The orientalists felt that the Indian customs and traditions should be respected and should not be changed. However this was not acceptable to the Anglicists. SOCIAL REFORMS BEGAN Newspapers were published in India, in English and vernacular languages. These highlighted social issues and increased awareness. Public opinion turned in favour of reform INDIAN MIDDLE CLASS DEVELOPED An educated, well- informed Indian middle class developed. They had liberal ideas and agreed that Indian society needed reform  Abolition of Sati: This inhuman social custom was very common in northern India more particularly in Bengal. Bentinck was greatly distressed when he received a report of 800 cases of sati in a single year. Lord William Bentinck determined to abolish this practice which he considered an offence against natural justice. Therefore, he became a crusader against it and promulgated his Regulation XVII on 4 December 1829 prohibiting the practice of sati. Those who practiced sati were made liable for punishment by law courts as accessories to the crime.  The treatment of widows in India was another major social evil. Girls of 8 or 9 were often married to much older men. After being widows, they had to shave their heads, wear white clothes and eat simple vegetarian food. They were considered unlucky and kept away from people. The Hindu Widow Remarriage Act 1856 legalized the remarriage of Hindu widows. The introduction of the widow remarriage act was a major change in the status of women that prevailed during that period. Indian social reformer, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, played a major role in the establishment of the act. The act was drafted by Lord Dalhousie and passed by Lord Canning.  Suppression of Thugs The most commendable measure which Bentinck undertook and which contributed to the material welfare of the people was the suppression of the ‘thugs’. They were hereditary robbers. They went about in small groups of fifty to hundred posing as commercial gangs or pilgrims ‘strangling and robbing peaceful travellers’. They increased in number in central and northern India during the 18th century when anarchy reigned after the disintegration of the Mughal Empire. A campaign was systematically organised by Colonel Sleeman from 1830 against the thugs. During the course of five years nearly 2000 of them were captured. A greater number of them were exterminated and the rest were transported to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. For his role in the suppression of thugs, Sir William Sleeman was known as “Thugee Sleeman”