In this blog, let us learn about the english education in India brough by British.

During the 18th century, the education system in India was traditional and unaware of the rapid developments in the west. Elementary education was quite widespread and imparted in pathshalas to the Hindus and maktabs situated in mosques to the Muslims. Students were taught to read, write and memorize various religious texts.

The higher education among the Hindus was based on Sanskrit and among the Muslims on Persian. In the early 19th century, the East India Company undertook various measures to introduce western education in India.

Do you know that Lord Macaulay is considered as the founder of the British system of education in India? Yes, he was the founder of the British system of education in India. He was a member of the council of Lord William Bentinck, the Governor-General of India. Lord Macaulay outlined three main objectives of education in India. And what were those objectives?

Well, these three objectives of english education in India were:

� The first objective was to form a class of interpreters between the British rulers and the millions of Indians they governed.
� The second objective was to create a �class of persons, Indian in blood and colour but British in taste, opinion, morals and intellect�.
� The third objective was to obtain a cheap supply of clerks for holding subordinate posts in the administration and British business concerns.

And to implement these objectives Macaulay recommended two steps;
1. English should be made the medium of instructions in schools
2. Indians should be taught sciences and western literature.

In 1835, Lord William Bentinck agreed to Macaulay�s view and made English the medium of instruction in schools and colleges. His government also opened a few English schools and colleges. In 1844, the government declared that English knowing Indians would be given preference in public employment.

English Education In India - Exercise

MCQ 1: In which year the government declared that English knowing Indians would be given preference in public employment?
a. 1845
b. 1846
c. 1847
d. 1844

MCQ 2: The universities of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras were set up in:
a. 1856
b. 1847
c. 1858
d. 1857

MCQ 3: Who had a very poor opinion of traditional Indian learning which he thought was inferior to European learning.
a. Lord William Bentinck
b. Sir Charles Wood
c. Jonathan Duncan
d. Lord Macaulay

MCQ 4: During the 18th century the higher education among the Hindus was based on which language?
a. Persian
b. English
c. Hindi
d. Sanskrit

MCQ 5: The Wood�s Despatch was made in which year?
a. 1857
b. 1856
c. 1855
d. 1854

Read More:
Woods Despatch: Sir Charles Wood - Class 8 History Notes