Macaulay’s view of Indian Education
“A single shelf of a good European library is worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia, when we pass from works of imagination to works in which facts are recorded, and general principles investigated, the superiority of the Europeans becomes absolutely immeasurable” Lord Babington Macaulay, Minute on Indian Education, February 1835.
Macaulay was appointed as a member of the Supreme Council of India in 1834. Among the reforms he introduced, he worked on establishing an educational system based upon the British model and destroying ancient Indian teaching methods. Macaulay wanted the government to spend money only on imparting Western education and not on oriental education. He insisted that all colleges where only eastern philosophy and subjects were taught be closed.
Macaulay saw his undertaking as a “civilising mission“ without understanding the extent of the Indian systems and their sophistication. Prior to the invasions, Indian education systems were considered highly evolved and produced the best of the best. Many scholars from different parts of the world travelled under difficult conditions to the great universities of India to learn. Some of them from countries such as China are said to have taken back with them not only knowledge and books, but also scholars to teach in their country. However, Macaulay only saw the need to denigrate the system that he either did not understand or was concerned will not produce subservient manpower for the British. Macaulay’s objective was clear.
At that time, there was a debate between the so-called Orientalists and Anglicists. While the Orientalists recommended that the existing institutions of learning in India should continue and that Indian classical traditions should be encouraged, Macaulay wanted all institutions of oriental learning be shut down and limit Government funding only to those following western education system.
His idea was to create a class of “educated Indians” who would follow their colonial masters without question. “We must at present do our best to form a class who may be interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern — a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect. To that class we may leave it to refine the vernacular dialects of the country, to enrich those dialects with terms of science borrowed from the Western nomenclature, and to render them by degrees fit vehicles for conveying knowledge to the great mass of the population.”, he said in the Minute.
His expectation was that this class of so-called educated Indians would teach the others in what he called the Downward Filtration Theory. While this did not quite translate in practice the way he had perhaps imagined, it did lead to dividing India into the“educated class” and others. This division, based on the ability to speak in English, dress like the English and follow their cultures & lifestyles continues to date. In fact, the latter class – sadly continues to be looked down upon and sneered at by large sections of our own society, leading to an inferiority complex.
While the elimination of the traditional teaching in India and the replacing of it by the western system is galling to many Bharatiyas today, it is perfectly understandable from the perspective of the ruling foreign power of that time and, to Lord Macaulay himself.
Succumbing to it
Over generations, people of Bharat succumbed to the change in education, losing much of what had been gained over centuries – indeed, millennia. People were “trained” to view the new system and the knowledge therein as superior to the traditional teaching methods and knowledge, rather than as complementary. Worse still, generation after generation were taught to see their own knowledge and the system of teaching as of no value at all and something to scoff at.
Speaking at a national seminar on “Decolonising English Education” in 2001, professor Kapil Kapoor of Jawaharlal Nehru University highlighted that mainstream English-language education in India today has tended to “marginalise inherited learning” and uproot academics from traditional Indian modes of thought, inducing in them “a spirit of self-denigration” Many Indian nationalists have criticised Macaulayism, claiming that it uprooted Indian traditions in sectors such as finance and replaced them with a foreign system which was wholly unsuited to India. In addition, they claim that Macaulayism caused foreign systems of thought to become prioritised over Indian systems of thought, in particular Hindu systems of thought.
Among the many methods used by the colonial raj to achieve the objective of sidelining – or worse, eliminating — the traditional learning system was to accept only those who had gone through the new education system for employment. This “employability criteria” continued in independent India.
Every effort was made to destroy the traditional gurukula system. Traditional Gurukulas were not run by the State or the Government, but by the society through funding from Maharajas, local rulers, temples and mathas. The British took over lands and resources dedicated to educational and charitable purposes and taxed any donations made to gurukulas. Numerous accounts detail the ruthless tactics employed by the British to seize lands intended for educational institutions, community feeding initiatives, and religious establishments.
Fortunately, some of the benefits of the ancient system remained, thanks mainly to the oral tradition of learning and the deep-rooted conviction among many about the value of such education. Many ancient cultures across the world have been “civilised” by conquerors to the extent that the original systems have completely disappeared. Bharatiya tradition and culture is probably the only civilisation that has not been destroyed completely.
Some examples:
- The decline of Zoroastrianism in Persia can be traced back to the Muslim conquest between A.D. 633 and 651. During this period, the Sassanian Persian Empire fell to Arab invaders. Zoroastrian temples were destroyed, and Persian libraries were burned. Zoroastrians faced taxes for practicing their religion and endured laws that made life difficult for them. Today a small minority of Zoroastrians (called Parsis in Bharat) live in prosperity.
Similar taxing of native Hindus and other forms of discrimination were not uncommon during the period when the Muslims ruled parts of Bharat.
- Aboriginal population of Australia, with their own culture, has almost completely disappeared due to European colonization. Sailors and convicts introduced deadly viruses (smallpox, syphilis and influenza) to which original aboriginal people who had no immunity. Researchers have documented at least 270 massacres of Aboriginal Australians during the first 140 years of colonisation.
- Maori culture of New Zealand has almost disappeared thanks to invasions from Europe. They were forced to adopt European culture and today one finds only small pockets where their culture involving mana (status) and uru (reciprocity).
- Native Indian culture of America has also vanished due to colonisers, who conducted thousands of wars, raids, attacks, and other acts of aggression. A diverse culture has all but been destroyed, underscoring one more devastating effect of colonisation.
- The destruction of African cultures has been a tragic consequence of historical events, colonization, and clashes between European powers and indigenous peoples. In the late 19th century, German colonizers invaded South-West Africa (now Namibia). The brutal regime established by the German empire led to the Herero genocide.
- Britain, for instance, looted thousands of African art pieces during wars and colonization. The infamous “Benin Bronzes” (also known as Benin plaques) taken from the Kingdom of Benin (now Nigeria) during a punitive expedition in 1897 remain in Western museums today. Control of wealth, natural resources, and cultural products were the main aims of colonialism, leading to the undervaluation and distortion of African culture.
Museums in the UK are still replete with artifacts and other items taken from Africa and other colonies.
- Atrocities on Saraswat Brahmins in Goa by Portuguese invaders is well documented, including the Goa inquisition. Those who could, ran away further south along the coast and settled down. Even today, many of these people go back to their kula devata temples in Goa for important religious functions.
Many more examples of entire cultures and civilisations being destroyed by colonisation, going far back into history, can be found. In almost all cases, the invading colonisers were after land and resources available. They also wanted to ensure that the natives were “civilised” to accept the invader’s culture as superior, and work as a subservient group under them.
Sadly, such attempts at destroying cultures continue to this date.
Gurukula System of Bharat
Traditional teaching in Bharat followed the gurukula system. Gurukula means the family or clan of the guru. Traditionally, children would be sent to a gurukula as early as 7 years of age. They would typically spend the next 12 years as a part of the guru’s family, learning not only the subjects from the guru, but also various life skills, ethics and morals, social responsibility, environment etc., including by observing the guru’s behaviour and conduct and by asking questions. Interestingly, most teenage problems of the sishyas (students, also called antevasis) were dealt with by the guru. He and the gurupatni took care of their physical and mental health and growth. The guru was generally an erudite sage and the gurukula was usually situated in the forest. Sishyas learnt also from observing nature around them.
The subjects taught were based on ancient texts – vedas and other – and included philosophy, life goals, warfare, economics, history, geography, politics, mathematics & basic sciences, medicine (ayurveda) & surgery, astronomy and cosmology, languages & grammar and others. Presumably, specialisation was given to the students depending upon the ashrama (brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya or shudra) and the work they were to undertake on return to the society.
One of the features of the gurukula system was that there was no formal examination (the cause of much of the stress among youngsters today). Shishyas learnt at their own pace and competed with themselves. “Pass marks” in any specific subject was full knowledge, i.e., 100%. Often, senior students became “tutors” for younger or weaker students.
Some of these gurukuls evolved organically into what we call universities nowadays. The reasons may have ranged from the spread of their fame far and wide and students might have started flocking to these well-known places giving rise to universities. These served as centers/institutions for advanced learning.
According to one estimate, there were well over 50 universities in ancient India at one time. Some of these famous ones are Takshashila, Nalanda, Vikramshila, and Valbhi University.
Some of the famous alumni of Takshashila (Taxila) were the noted grammarian Panini, who wrote the famous book Ashtadhyayi, and Acharya Chanakya, who wrote Arthashastra.
Today’s Bharat is waking up to the fact that many of the modern sciences, technology, medicine, astronomy etc. had already been developed and were available. The phenomenal progress in these and other fields was possible in Bharat because of the gurukula system of education prevalent till about 1835.
If so much was already available in the ancient texts taught in the gurukulas, it should be possible to research into these texts and see if they give us a clue to technologies and sciences that are emerging or yet to emerge.
Current Status/Social Situation
The current education system has been in vogue in India now for a very, very long time. Most people tend to accept the western system as being the only one. It is not uncommon for people – even in the lower economic strata to want to send their children to “English medium” rather than to vernacular schools. This, without ever making efforts to understand either the traditional teaching methods or value. They are not to blame. Generation after generation, this message regarding the “valuelessness” of the traditional system compared to the western system of education has been passed on – sometimes subtly and sometimes blatantly in the society.
When society points to someone as being “well educated” the implication is that he/she can speak fluent English, rather than whether the person is knowledgeable or not. Erudite people from traditional education systems, even if they are excellent scholars, get recognition only within a small circle, rather than in the larger society. And certainly not outside Bharat.
Teachers in schools themselves are often not proficient in Bharatiya culture and dharma. They too want their students to “succeed” in life and prefer that they learn more of the world outside. Similarly, parents are keener that their children learn French or Spanish rather than Samskrtam or another Indian language. It is only natural that children know more of the history of F1 racing or Spanish Bull Fight than kabaddi or Jallikattu.
Fortunately, in more recent times, there is greater interest in learning traditional knowledge, alongside the more modern concepts.
DeMaulaysation
Clearly, there is a need to negate much of the bad publicity that has been given to traditional learning methods and knowledge by deMacaulaysing our education system. Several efforts are being made to erase this negativity by introducing the importance of traditional knowledge in daily life in schools. Many schools have been started by Organisations such as Isha Foundation, J Krishnamurthy Foundation, and several others which provide the highest form of modern day education, together with exposure to traditions, values and heritage.
Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) as a formal subject, with its own textbooks are being introduced at places like Indian Institutes of Managements (IIMs) Several universities now offer a postgraduate degree in Hindu Studies. This number is increasing.
There is greater interest in knowing about Bharatiya heroes and their feats and are being included in the school curricula. Many more well-made television serials such as those on Emperor Ashoka, Ahilyabai Holkar are beginning to appear.
Much more needs to be done not only for people to realise the value and strength of things available to us in our own texts, but also to encourage more innovations in various fields of science, technology, medicine, economics, cosmology etc.
Recommendations
There is a need for Bharatiya children to regain pride in our knowledge and capabilities. Given below are some recommendations.
A. To begin with, schools should mention where references in ancient texts are available about scientific discoveries and inventions that are being taught.
Example 1: For example, Newton’s laws were already written down by sage Kanada (around 600 BCE, about 2000 years before Isaac Newton) in his VaisheshikaSutra, which discusses the role of gravity in falling objects.
- वेगः निमित्तविशेषात् कर्मणो जायते।
- Change of motion is due to an impressed force.
- वेगः निमित्तापेक्षात् कर्मणोजायते नियतदिक क्रियाप्रबन्धहेतु।
- Change of motion is proportional to the impressed force and is in the direction of the force.
- वेगः संयोगविशेषविरोधी।
- Action and reaction are equal and opposite.
Example 2: The theorem attributed to Pythagoras was known, well before he was born, to Indians who used it in the construction of yagna altars of different shapes. Details are contained in Baudhayansulbasutra.
- दीर्घचतुरस्त्रस्याक्ष्ण्या रज्जुः पार्श्वमानी तिर्यग् च यत् पृथग् भूते कुरूतस्तदुभ्यं करोति।
Example 3: That the solar system was sun-centric was the basis for calculations of planetary positions in the pancangam. In fact, the position of each planet as well as the distance between them were available well before modern astronomy caught on. All this needs to be brought out for the students to see.
There are many more examples in every field of study.
When told that Indian ancient texts have so much knowledge that sciences and technology are only now discovering/inventing, people sometimes ask, “What is the benefit of knowing this? Why rake up the ancient and outmoded education system?”
Firstly, it allows for restoration of pride and confidence in our own systems and knowledge available which had been ground to nothing by the colonising forces (unfortunately, even now attempts are being made by some, both within and outside the country). Generations have grown up not being able to stand up to western powers that mock Bharatiya systems. The process of balancing this out must begin. As they learn of the various inventions, discoveries and theories attributed to western scholars, students should be able to appreciate that many of these already exist. These have been made unavailable to them by the education system. Highlighting this is important to reverse the negative effects of Macauly’s education.
The main reason for these riches in our texts is the traditional education system that not only helped sharpen thinking, improve memory & recall, but also encouraged thinking beyond the routine (called medhashakti).
Secondly, and even more importantly, if we can now establish that many of the new discoveries and inventions were already known in ancient texts, it raises the possibility that emerging and yet-to-emerge technologies may also be there in these texts. A serious effort to identify them would be of immense value to humanity.
It is not our recommendation that we re-establish gurukulas in hermitages in forests (not much of these are now available!), but to integrate the strong points of the holistic teaching of the gurukula system into modern education systems, without losing the essence of either.
Modern sciences have already established that chanting of mantras, learning samskrtam and it’s grammar, traditional yoga & meditation etc. have significant beneficial effects on the student. Combined with the right attitude of respect for the teacher and the learning environment can produce minds that can leap way ahead.
Other steps that can help include:
B. Introduce Bharatiya systems of time, distance and calendar, alongside currently being used systems. Let the children learn of these and the ways in which these have an advantage.
C. Teach panchangam reading, based on the Indian calendar system. Explain the influence of planets on human mind and endeavour and, why certain combinations of planets are considered good for certain activities (Link to current observation of, for example, moon’s connection with mind– including in the English language, where influence of the moon on the mind, leading to words such as lunatic etc.)
D. Indian Knowledge System (IKS) as currently taught in colleges is quite advanced. Find ways to introduce IKS to schools in an interesting and simplified ways. Develop textbooks for the same.
E. Encourage deep research into references for developing and yet-to-evolve technologies and sciences (Advanced AI, Genomics, Elastocalorics, Communications and signal processing, transportation, natural sources of energy, teleportation etc.) in ancient texts.
It is said J Robert Openheimer, the father of Atom Bomb studied Hindu scriptures (including the various astras used in the Kurkshetra war and in the war between Lord Rama and Ravana) with a team of scientists under a project named Trinidi between 1939 and 1945.
F. Make Saturdays the weekly off, as a country like Nepal does.
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