Which of the following led to the introduction of English Education in India?
- Charter Act of 1813
- General Committee of Public Instruction 1823
- Orientalist and Anglicist Controversy
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Explanation
Option 1 is correct
- The Charter Act of 1813 marked the real beginning of Western education in India.
- It required the Governor-General in Council to allocate at least one lakh rupees annually for education. This was the first time the Company acknowledged state responsibility for promoting education in India. Despite the parliamentary sanction, the money remained unspent.
- It permitted missionaries to conduct religious and educational activities.
- The Charter Act of 1813 enacted a provision of Rupees one lakh annually “for the revival and improvement of literature and the introduction and promotion of knowledge of the sciences.”
Option 3 is correct
- The Charter Act of 1813 defined the educational policy but did not make any reference to the medium of instruction or the type of educational institutions to be established. Hence, for years, opinions were sharply divided over whether the company should promote Western or Oriental learning. Orientalists advocated the promotion of Sanskrit and Arabic literature. They argued that while Western sciences and literature should be taught to prepare students for jobs, emphasis should also be placed on expanding traditional Indian learning. In the initial stage, the company officials patronised oriental learning. Anglicists advocated the spread of Western knowledge through English.
Option 2 is correct
- In 1823, a General Committee of Public Instruction was established to oversee the development of education in India. Most of the committee’s members belonged to the Orientalist group and advocated promoting oriental learning. However, different sections in England and India pressured the Company to encourage Western education. Macaulay, the President of the General Committee of Public Instruction, and Lord Bentinck, the Governor-General, took the side of the Anglicists and decided to promote European literature and science.
