History of Education in India during British Period.

The role of Education changed in India after Britisher's put step in India. They introduced their western education at the end of 18th century .

1. History of education in India during B ritish period

2. Before the British rule: Introduction:

3. Introduction of Western Education East India Company Christian Missionaries

4. The end of the 18 th Century – - Some English had begun to feel that the East India Company should accept the responsibility for educating the Indians. - The Activities of Christian Missionaries compelled British to promote Western Education in India. -

5. The main English Missionaries were – Charles Grant William Wilberforce

6. Charles Grant Charles Grant is considered as the father of modern education in India He is known so because of his efforts that the Charter Act of 1813 came into existence. This acts promotes the modern education in India as it sanctions about one lakh rupees for education.

7. Charles Grant Observations Grant observed that the cause of India’s miserable condition was ignorance. He felt that the situation could only be improved if Indians were first educated. . In the year 1792, Grant published his famous pamphlet entitled “Observation on the State of Society among the Asiatic subjects of Great Britain”. His suggestion of English education was adopted by William Bentinck about forty years on the support of Macaulay .

8. The Charter Act, 1813 T he   Charter  of the East India Company came up for renewal in the British Parliament in 1813. The missionaries prepared the ground through agitation in England for imparting western education in India and for proselytizing activities there­in. The officials of the Company, on the other hand, influenced the Court of Directors through agitation for revival and improvement of the literature of the learned natives of India . Ultimately made a conclusion by introducing an education clause which is known as Charter Act 1813.

9. The main educational issues: 1. A ttitude towards the missionaries 2. The nature and extent of State responsibility in edu­cation. With regard to the first the missionaries and their supporters scored a clean victory. That means the missionaries were allowed to enter India and continue their educational and proselytizing activities completely and freely. With regard to the second strong opposition came from the Directors of the Company.

10. The grounds for such opposition were mainly three in num­ber: a) I n those days, education was not regarded as a responsi­bility of the state even in England; b) The Company was not prepared to accept it in India pure­ly on financial grounds; c ) The natives of India themselves were most apathetic in the matter. But the opponents of the missionaries keenly intended “to create a pow­erful and rival and secular agency in Indian education to counteract the re­sults of missionary enterprise ”.

11. Clause 43 of the Charter Act “It shall be lawful for the Governor-General-in-Council to direct that ….. a sum not less than one lakh of rupees in each year shall be set apart and applied to the rival and improvement and promotion of a knowledge of the sciences among the inhabitants of the British territories in India”.

12. The Clause bears three propositions: 1. The revival and improvement of literature. 2. The encouragement of the learned natives of India 3. The promotion of a knowledge of the sciences among the inhabitants of that country .

13. Charter Act of 1813 To accept its responsibility for the Education of Indians. To incur an expenditure of Rupees One Lakh on this count, and To admit Missionaries into its dominions for Disseminating Western Education. This was the beginning of the Modern System of Education in India and the British Rule .

14. . It was only because of the prolonged efforts of Charles Grant, Wilberforce and others that the Company through the Charter Act of 1813, was ultimately compelled – to accept its responsibility for the Education of Indians. To incur an expenditure of Rupees One Lakh on this count, and c. To admit Missionaries into its dominions for Disseminating Western Education. This was the beginning of the Modern System of Education in India and the British Rule

15. Importance of the Charter Act, 1813 The Educational Implication of the Charter Act – The first implication is that the Company would undertake educational responsibility and duty of the Indian people. With this end in view the Company would incur an expenditure of 1(one) lakh of rupees each year which was conspicuously absent prior to 1813. In order to implement the Clause 43 of the Act the Company would create an agency of its own. A system of educational grants was initiated. Prior to 1813 the Company used to provide occasional financial aids indirectly through the missionaries, but now the Company directly entered into the field of educational administration and management. Education in India had a claim on public revenue.

16. The Controversy arose mainly for the following reasons: Given stress on allotting the one lakh rupees only; no specific regulation was granted for establishing the schools and colleges in India. Aims: Regarding the aims of education during that time, groups of people had different opinions. Organizing: In terms of agencies to be employed. Medium of Instruction there were also three opinions. Methods of Education.

17. Failure of Charter Act of 1813 It failed to state the language for medium of instruction for educational institutes. It was also ambiguous about the means of expanding English education in India. It was not stated that education should be given to all or a selected few.

18. Provisions of the Charter Act of 1813 This Act asserted the Crown’s sovereignty over British possessions in India The Company was also to take up a greater role in the education of the Indians under them. It was to set aside Rs. 1 lakh for this purpose. The Act was to grant permission to the missionaries to come to India and engage in religious proselytization. The Act provided for a financial grant towards the revival of the Indian literature and the promotion of science.

19. Conclusion: The Charter Act brought to an end the era of agitation started by Charles Grant, Wilberforce and others. “It allowed the missionaries to land in India in large numbers and establish modern English Schools and thereby laid the foundation of the well-organised modern educational system”.

20. Bibliography: Tara Chand, Development of Education System in India, “Charles Grant”. Anthony Webster, The political economy of trade liberalization: The East India Company Charter Act of 1813, Pages 404 – 418. Prof. Ramesh Ghanta, B.N. Dash, Foundation of Education, New Delhi Shakeel Anwar, Development of Education during British Period in India, 2019.

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