Civilising the “Native”, Educating the Nation (copy)

FVTYHVOrientalists relied on Indian scholars to learn vernacular languages, customs, and ancient texts.
They believed that India's ancient customs and learning should form the basis of British rule.
Influential figures like William Jones, Henry Thomas Colebrooke, and Nathaniel Halhed studied and translated Indian texts, showcasing respect for India's ancient heritage.
Institutions like the Calcutta Madrasa (1781) and the Hindu College in Benaras (1791) were established to promote Arabic, Persian, and Sanskrit studies.

Critics like James Mill and Thomas Babington Macaulay opposed the Orientalist approach, advocating for the introduction of European science and English literature.
Macaulay emphasized civilizing Indians through English education.
The English Education Act of 1835 promoted English as the medium of higher education, reducing the emphasis on Arabic and Sanskrit.

Wood’s Despatch highlighted the practical benefits of European learning, aiming to:
- Promote trade and commerce.
- Develop India's resources.
- Improve Indians’ moral character.
- Provide reliable civil servants for the British.
It resulted in the establishment of universities in Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay and focused on improving local schools.

Pre-1854 Pathshalas:
- Flexible system: oral teaching, no fixed fees or formal classes.
- Classes often held in informal settings, like under a tree or in temples.
Post-1854 Pathshalas:
- British standardized education with fixed timetables, textbooks, annual exams, regular fees, and rules for discipline.
- Government-appointed officials oversaw schools to improve teaching quality.

Indians were encouraged to adopt European learning to understand trade, commerce, and modernization.
Educated Indians were seen as potential consumers of British goods and agents of Western influence.

Supporters of Western Education:
- Many Indian thinkers believed it would modernize India.
- They urged the British to expand schools, colleges, and universities.
Critics of Western Education:
- Mahatma Gandhi:
  - Opposed colonial education, arguing it instilled inferiority and distanced Indians from their culture.
  - Advocated for education in Indian languages and a system grounded in Indian traditions.
- Rabindranath Tagore:
  - Opposed strict, formal education systems.
  - Advocated for creative learning in natural environments, leading to the establishment of Shantiniketan (1901).