Daffodil International University
Faculty of Humanities and Social Science => English => Topic started by: shamshoque on April 13, 2017, 11:27:41 AM
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Lord Macaulay said the following about India in 1835 in British Parliament.
"I have traveled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such calibre, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage, and, therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, their native self-culture and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation."
Macaulay's "Minute Upon Indian Education"
"To remove all doubt, however, Macaulay produced and circulated a Minute on the subject.[7] Macaulay argued that support for the publication of books in Sanskrit and Arabic should be withdrawn, support for traditional education should be reduced to funding for the Madrassa at Delhi and the Hindu College at Benares, but students should no longer be paid to study at these establishments.[8] The money released by these steps should instead go to fund education in Western subjects, with English as the language of instruction. He summarised his argument:
To sum up what I have said, I think it is clear that we are not fettered by the Act of Parliament of 1813; that we are not fettered by any pledge expressed or implied; that we are free to employ our funds as we choose; that we ought to employ them in teaching what is best worth knowing; that English is better worth knowing than Sanskrit or Arabic; that the natives are desirous to be taught English, and are not desirous to be taught Sanskrit or Arabic; that neither as the languages of law, nor as the languages of religion, have the Sanskrit and Arabic any peculiar claim to our engagement; that it is possible to make natives of this country thoroughly good English scholars, and that to this end our efforts ought to be directed."
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Thanks for sharing..
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You're welcome. Let's meet here regularly. Thank you
Shams Hoque
Associtae Professor in English, DIU
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Was Lord Macaulay a good conscientious agent of the Raj?