प्राचीन भारत में शिक्षा (डॉ. ए.एस. अल्तेकर - गुरुकुल एवं बौद्ध विहार शिक्षण इतिहास)

VII] PRIMARY EDUCATION 173 ·
education. The nature of primary education naturally
varies with the nature of the higher education that is
to follow it.
PRIMARY EDUCATION FROM
C. 1000 B. C. to C. 200 B. C.
**Introduction of Reading and Writing :—**There is
ample evidence to show that the art of writing was
well known to the Aryans at least from c. 1000 B. C.,
if not from an earlier date. Reading and writting must
therefore have gradually begun to form an integral
part of primary education. It is true that the cus-
todians of the Vedic literature still continued to
disdain the aid of the art of writing for its preserva-
tion. But the new sciences that developed during
this period, like grammar, etymology, metrics, etc., had
no prjudice against it. As a matter of fact a proper
grounding in these subjects, which were taught to all
Vedic students, necessitated the knowledge of reading
and writing. When once the alphabet came into
general use, it is difficult to imagine how scholars, who
intended to devote themselves to the study of the
Vedic literature, grammar or phonology could have
ignored its help. From the early centuries of the
Christian era, writing and arithmetic were regarded,
to quote the words of the Tamil thinker, Tiruvalluvar,
as the two eyes of the soul, very useful in perfecting
its insight into the nature of things. It may be
passingly observed that reading and writing were
introduced in Greek schools in c. 600 B. C. ; in India
the event has to be placed much earlier.
Obligatory Upanayana helps the Spread of
**Literacy :—**During this period, Upanayana became
an obligatory Sanskāra (ritual)¹ for all the Traivarṇikas

1. See Appendix I, B.