Modern India Part-5

EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL REFORMS

     Language and Education Policies

1.    Although the British had captured Bengal in 1757, yet the responsibility of imparting education remained only in Indian hands.

2.    The study of ancient texts written in Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit still continued.

3.    In 1781, Warren Hastings established a Madrasa in Calcutta to encourage the study of Muslim laws along with Arabic and Persian languages.

4.    A decade later in 1791 due to the sincere efforts of the British resident, Jonathan Duncan, a Sanskrit College was established to promote the study of Hindu laws and philosophy in Banaras

5.    It is apparent from the government and Church records that there were about 80,000 traditional institutions of learning in Bengal alone which means that there was at least one institution for every four hundred people in that province

6.    Different educational surveys of Madras, Bombay and Punjab also demonstrate   

     similar facts

7.  There was at least one school in every village of India at that time                                 

8.  The East India Company began to adopt a dual policy in the sphere of      education.

9.  It discouraged the prevalent system of oriental education and gave importance to

    western education and English language.

10. The Charter Act of 1813 adopted a provision to spend one lakh rupees per 

     annum for the spread of education in India but Consequently, not even a

           single penny out of the allocated funds could spend on education.

11. The contemporary British scholars were divided into two groups on the \

           issue of development of education in India.One group, called the Orientalists

          advocated the promotion of oriental subjects through Indian languages. The other

          group, called the Anglicists, argued the cause of western sciences and literature in

          the medium of English language.

12. In 1829, after assuming the office of the Governor-General of India, Lord William

     Bentinck, emphasized on the medium of English language in Indian education.

13. In the beginning of 1835, the 10 members of the General Committee of Public   Instruction were clearly divided into two equal groups

14. Five members including the Chairman of the committee Lord Macaulay were in

     favour of adopting English.Other five were in favour of oriental language.Finally, Lord

     Macaulay announced his famous Minute advocating the Anglicists point of view.

15. Bentinck got the resolution passed on 7 March 1835 which declared that henceforth

     government funds would be utilized for the promotion of western literature and

      science through the medium of English language

16.In 1854, Sir Charles Wood sent a comprehensive dispatch as a grand plan on

     education for the establishment of departments of public instructions in five

     provinces.

17. Introduction of the pattern of grants in aid to encourage private participation in the

     field of education were recommended.The dispatch also laid emphasis on the

     establishment of schools for technical, teacher and women education.

18.The dispatch recommended the establishment of one University each in Calcutta,

     Bombay and Madras on the model of the London University

19. Consequently, within the next few years, the Indian education became rapidly

     westernized.

      SOCIAL POLICIES AND LEGISLATION

1.    In the beginning, the British interest was limited to trade and earning profits from economic exploitation.

2.    They were apprehensive of interfering with the social and religious customs and institutions of the India.Thus, they adopted the policy of extreme precaution and indifference towards social issues in India.

3.    Reason why they indulged in criticizing the customs and traditions of India was to generate a feeling of inferiority complex among the Indians.

4.    4.However, in the mid-19th century the social and religious movements, launched in India which attracted the attention of the Company’s administration towards the country’s social evils.

5.    The propaganda carried out by the Christian missionaries also stirred the minds of the educated Indians.

      6.  There were primarily two areas in which laws were enacted, laws pertaining to women emancipation and the caste system.

 

     CONDITION OF WOMEN

1.    The condition of women, by the time the British established their rule, was not encouraging.

2.    Several evil practices such as the practice of Sati, the Purdah system, child marriage, female infanticide, bride price and polygamy had made their life quite miserable. There was no social and economic equality between a man and woman. A Hindu woman was not entitled to inherit any property. Female Infanticide was particularly in vogue in Rajputana, Punjab and the North Western Provinces.

3.    Factors such as family pride, the fear of not finding a suitable match for the girl child

4.  This evil practice came to be done away through education and public opinion.

WIDOW REMARRIAGE

1.    There are many historical evidences to suggest that widow remarriage enjoyed social sanction during ancient period in India.

2.    In course of time the practice ceased to prevail increasing the number of widows to lakhs during the 19th century.

3.    Prominent among these reformers were Raja Rammohan Roy and Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar.They carried out large scale campaigns in this regard mainly through books, pamphlets and petitions with scores of signatures.

4.    In July 1856, J.P. Grant, a member of the Governor-General’s Council finally tabled a bill in support of the widow remarriage which was passed on 13 July 1856 and came to be called the Widow Remarriage Act, 1856.

CHILD MARRIAGE                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

1.In November 1870, the Indian Reforms Association was started with the efforts of

   Kasha Chandra Sen.

2.   A journal called Mahapap Bal Vivah (Child marriage: The Cardinal Sin) was launched with the efforts of B.M. Malabari to fight against child marriage.

3.In 1846, the minimum marriageable age for a girl was only 10 years

4.    In 1891, through the enactment of the Age of Consent Act, this was raised to 12 years.

5.    In 1930, through the Sharda Act, the minimum age was raised to 14 year.

6.   After independence, the limit was raised to 18 years in 1978

PARDAH SYSTEM

1.    Similar  voices were raised against the practice of Purdah during the 19th and 20th century

2.    The condition of women among the peasantry was relatively better in this respect.

3.    Purdah was not so much prevalent in Southern India.

4.    Through the large scale participation of women in the national freedom movement

5.   The system disappeared without any specific legislative measure taken against it

    CASTE SYSTEM & RELATED LEGISLATION

    1.    Next to the issue of women emancipation, the caste system became the second important issue of social reforms.

     2.    The Shudras were subjected to all kinds of social discrimination.In the beginning of the   19th century the castes of India had been split into innumerable sub castes on the basis of birth.

     3.    Mahatma Gandhi made the removal of untouchability a part of his constructive programme.

     4.   He brought out a paper, The Harijan, and also organised the Harijan Sevak Sangh.

     5.  Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar dedicated his entire life for the welfare of the downtrodden

  

     6.  In Bombay, he formed a Bahiskrit Hitkarini Sabha in July 1924 for this purpose.

     7.  Later, he also organised the Akhil Bharatiya Dalit Varg Sabha to fight against caste oppression.

     8. Jyotirao Phule in Western India and Shri Narayana Guru in Kerala respectively  

      established the Satya Sadhak Samaj

     9. Shri Narayana Dharma Partipalana Yogam to include self-esteem among the

        downtrodden.

   10. In the Madras Presidency also the begining of 20th century witnessed the rise of 

        Self-respect Movement of Periyar E.V.R.

   11. These movements were directed mainly in removing the disabilities suffered by Harijans in regard to drawing of water from public wells and getting entry into temples and admission into schools.