You know, many people describe India as a rich country where poor people live, but if you look at the history of India, it's very evident that India was Richest Country in the world before the invasions happened to us, both in teams of wealth as well as intellectual. During those period, India used to contribute almost 24% of Global Economy, and in 1947, by the end of the British rule, the percentage dropped down to 4%.
Those who are saying that the British brought infrastructure and development to this country have some facts before start blabbering, every single aspect of this country as systematically destroyed by the British, and Education tops the list in that.
Imagine the number of time people told that the British came and educated us.
this is the biggest myth.
that needs to be get done away with. if these people have paid any minimum attention in their history classes, they wouldn't be making this kind of idiotic statement in the public program forum.
in 1911 the illiteracy rate of India was 94%, and in 1921 it was 92%. so only 6-8% of the Indian population were educated during the British period. When East India Company was ruling India, there was a huge demand for clerks and other administrative jobs. It was cheaper to get Indian rather than Englishman from England for these jobs. So, the company needed some educated Indians who would assist them in the administration and act as a bridge between the company and the people of India.
For the initial 60 years, the company did not pay any attention to the education sector in India, As their territory increased, they started to control the revenue and administration of the land. As their territory increased, they started to control the revenue and administration of the land. So they need to educate Indians in English become a Necessity for them. Of course, I'm not denying that fact that English is the language that rules the corporate world now. It's almost impossible to make progress in our career without fluent English nowadays. Even though we were taught English all our life, many of us still couldn't speak the language fluently. that's the quality of the Education system the British built in India.
Whoever tell you that speaking fluent English is hard, just ignore them. We, Indians speak at least two regional languages, and English is one of the simplest language in the world.
It's not Rocket Science.
In 1781, Warren Hastings, The General of Bengal, established the Kolkata Madrasa for Islamic Law Studies. It was the first educational institute set by East India Company in India.
In 1784, Asiatic Society of Bengal was founded by William Jones, to understand and study the history and culture of India. only during this period, Charles Wilkins translated the Bhagavad Gita in English.
In 1800 Governor General Richard Wellesley found the Fort William Collage in Kolkata to train the civil servants of the East India Company in Indian Language & Customs, but this college was closed within 2 years because the British administration in England disapproved Indianizing of English Civil Service, and in 1813, they passed an act by which they allotted Rs. 1 Lakh for education of Indians, also this act gave permission to the missionaries of officially enter India. The missionaries supported the Western education in India for conversion activities. They established many schools only with the intention of Christianizing & Civilizing the natives. There were two sections of people in the power, 1.Orientalists & 2. Anglicists. Orientalists preferred the Indians to be given traditional Indian education. on the other hand, Anglicists preferred the Indians to be given Western of style of education. Due to these issues, the allotment of Rs. 1 Lakh was not given for 10 years. Finally in 1835, Lord William Bentinck decided that the western sciences and literature would be taught to Indians in English language and he appointed Thomas Babbington Macaulay, who was a Hardcore Anglicist as the chairman of that committee. Macaulay was someone who absolutely hated any form of Indian education. He believed that the western science was far superior to Indian Knowledge. Therefore, he said "It is , I believe no exaggeration to say that all the historical information which has been collected from all the books written in the Sanskrit Language is less valuable than what may be found in the most paltry abridgements used at preparatory schools in England."
He thought that the Indian knowledge and literature are completely worthless for instance, he said for Indian literature 'a single shelf of a good European library was worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia'. Also, we should remember this was not just his own opinions. This is what many in the West thought back then about India. He wanted to create a pool of Indians who would be able to serve the Britishers and be Loyal to them. That's why he said, "The purpose of English education is to create a class of persons Indian in blood and colour but English in tastes, in opinions, in moral and in intellect.
And we are steadily heading towards that direction. Wearing ornaments the very part of Bharatiyan Culture not Considered Discipline in our schools and men of this generation can't even imagine wearing veshti to the office. Of course, you have specialized ethnic days for that as if you were born in America. You are indeed a stranger in your own land, When are we gonna realize this ?
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