द ब्यूटीफुल ट्री: १८वीं सदी में भारत की स्वदेशी गुरुकुल शिक्षा (धर्मपाल)

XXII
COLLECTOR, SALEM TO BOARD OF REVENUE:
8.7.1823
(TNSA: BRP: Vol.No.954, Pro.14th Jul. 1823, No.50, pp.5908-10)

1. I have the honor to submit the accompanying statement
   as called for by your Board in their instructions of the 25th July
3. From the statement it appears that only 4,650, persons
   receive education out of a population of above ten lacs—which is
   only a fraction more than four and a quarter per Mille—and
   proves the bad and contracted state of public instructions.
4. The period which scholars usually continue at school is
   from three to five years according to the ability of their friends to
   maintain them there and their own aptitude to learn—the yearly
   charge to the scholars is never less than three rupees a year—in
   the Hindoo schools—and in the Mussulman schools the charge
   amounts to fifteen and twenty rupees. None of the Hindoo
   schools are endowed by the public—and only one Mussulman
   school has land yielding rupees 20 per annum allowed for it’s
   support—a former master of this school possessed a Yeomiah
   paid monthly by the Collector amounting to fifty-six rupees a
   year—on his death this allowance was discontinued by my
   Predecessor as it was held only on a life tenure.
5. In the talooks of Abtoor, Namkul, Salem and Parmutty
   there are twenty teachers of Theology, Law and Astronomy—to
   the support of whom are attached Enam lands calculated to
   yield rupees 1,109 per annum. These lands are almost entirely
   under cultivation—and the possessors perform the duties for
   which they were originally granted.
6. Besides the above Enam lands there are other lands
   yielding rupees 384, per annum, in the talooks of Raizepoor and
   Sankerry-Droog—which were sequestered by Tippoo the year
   previous to the secession of the country and which have since
   been included in the Revenue of Government.
7. Considering education as the best means of preventing
   crimes in the people whether servants of government or
   207

otherwise (and which opinion, is strongly expressed in the 7th
Para of your Board’s Report to government under date the 11th
December 1815), and viewing the defective state of education in
this district as the fruitful source of much crime, I shall with the
sanction of your Board, be prepared to offer such suggestions
and to propose the establishment of such funds—as will tend to
promote education in some degree more adequate to the demand
for it.
Cutcherry of the Collector of Salem, [blank_space] M.D. Cockburn,
8th July, 1823. [blank_space] Collector.
(Statement on next page)
208

209

XXIII
COLLECTOR, GUNTUR TO BOARD OF REVENUE:
9.7.1823
(TNSA: BRP: Vol.954, Pro.14.7.1823, No.49, pp.5904-7)

1. In reply to your Deputy Secretary Mr Viveash's letter of
   the 25th July last, I have the honor to transmit a statement
   showing the number of schools in which reading and writing are
   taught together with the number of scholars in them, and which
   has been prepared according to the form accompanying the
   above letter.
2. With regard to the information called for by the
   government in their letter of the 2nd July, 1822, I have to
   observe that the scholars generally assemble in the morning at 6
   o'clock and stay until nine and then go to their houses to take
   their morning meal and return again to school within 11 o'clock
   and continue until 2 or 3 o'clock in the evening, and again to
   their respective houses to eat their rice and return by 4 o'clock
   and continue until 7 o'clock in the evening. The morning and
   evening generally are the times for reading and afternoon for
   writing.
3. The charge to the scholars chiefly depends on the
   circumstances of the fathers or persons who put them to school
   and is found to vary from 2 annas to 2 rupees per mensem for
   each boy and this is the only charge that can be shown, as the
   boys are only sent to the schools in their own villages and live at
   home.
4. It appears that there are no schools in the zillah which
   are endowed by the public and no colleges for teaching Theology,
   Law, Astronomy, etc., in this district; these sciences are privately
   taught to some scholars or disciples generally by the Bramins
   learned in them, without payment of any fee or reward, and that
   the Bramins who teach are generally maintained by means of
   Mauneom land which have been granted to their ancestors by
   the ancient Zemindars of this zillah, and by the former
   governments on different accounts, but there appears no
   instance in which the Native Governments have granted
   allowances in money and land merely for the maintenance of the
   teachers for giving instruction in the above sciences. By the
   information
   210

which has been got together on this subject, it appears that
there are 171 places where Theology, Law and Astronomy, etc.,
are taught privately, and the number of disciples in them is 939.
The readers of these sciences cannot generally get teachers in
their respective villages and are therefore obliged to go to others.
In which cases if the reader belongs to a family that can afford to
support him he gets what is required for his expenses from his
home and which is estimated at 3 rupees per month, but which
is only sufficient to supply him with his victuals; and if on the
other hand his family is in too indigent circumstances to make
such allowance, the student procures his daily subsistence from
the houses in the village, where taught, which willingly furnish
such by turns.
5. Should people be desirous of studying deeper in
Theology, etc., than is taught in these parts, they travel to
Benares, Navadweepum, etc., where they remain for years to
take instructions under the learned Pundits of those places.
Guntoor Zillah, J.C. Whish,
Bauputtah, 9th July, 1823. Collector.
(Statement on following page)
211

212

XXIV
COLLECTOR OF GANJUM TO BOARD OF REVENUE:
27.10.1823
(TNSA: BRP: Vol.967 Pro.6.11.1823 pp.9332-34 Nos.5-6)

1. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Mr
   Deputy Secretary Viveash’s letter and enclosure of the 25th July
   1822 and to forward for your Board’s information a statement
   partially showing the number of schools, etc., in this district
   made out agreeable to the form sent by your Board.
2. There are no schools or colleges in this district endowed
   by the Circar or by any public authority but the teachers are
   monthly paid by the scholars from 4 annas to 1 rupee for each
   man.
3. The schools are usually opened from 6 o’clock in the
   morning until 5 o’clock in the evening.
4. The Bramins of Agraharums, etc., are in general
   educated in Sastrums, etc., by their Fathers or Brothers or by
   any other relations but no schools in this district are publicly
   opened for such occasion.
5. In making out the enclosed statement I have not been
   able to procure any satisfactory accounts from most of the Hill
   Zemindaries. Nothing but vodiahs is taught in these places, a
   language, merely confined to the mountains and borders.
   Chicacole, P.R. Cazalet,
   27th October 1823. Collector
   (Statement on following pages)
   213

214

215

216

217

218

219

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XXV
SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT, BOARD OF REVENUE:
27.1.1825
(TNSA: BRP Vol.1010, Pro.27.1.1825 Nos.7-8 pp.674-675)

1. The government being anxious to receive the information
   relative to the state of education throughout the country, which
   was called for by Mr Hill’s letter of the 2nd July 1822, I am
   directed by the Honourable the Governor-in-Council to desire,
   that the result of the reference made to the several Collectors,
   under those instructions, may be reported with as little delay as
   possible.
2. Should any of the Collectors have omitted to furnish the
   required report, you will direct early attention to the subject,
   submitting, in the mean time, information which may be already
   before you.
   Fort St. George, J. Stokes,
   21st January 1825 Secretary to Government.
   222

XXVI
SECRETARY, BOARD OF REVENUE, FORT ST. GEORGE, TO
COLLECTOR OF CUDDAPAH:
31.1.1825
(TNSA: BRP, Vol.1010 Pro.31.1.1825 No.42, p.841)

1. I am directed by the Board of Revenue to call your
   immediate attention to my predecessor's letter of the 25th July
   1822 requiring a report on the state of education in your district
   and I am desired to request that you will submit the statement
   and information required on this subject with the least possible
   delay.
2. Adverting to the elaborate inquiries made by a former
   Collector in your district regarding all the points necessary to be
   reported on, the Board conceive that there will be no difficulty in
   complying with their orders at an early period.
3. You will be pleased to prepare the statement required
   strictly according to the Form transmitted with the letter above
   referred to.
   Fort St.George, J. Dent,
   31st January, 1825 Secretary.
   223

XXVII
COLLECTOR, CUDDAPAH TO BOARD OF REVENUE:
11.2.1825
(TNSA: BRP: Vol 1011, Pro.17.2.1825 No.33 pp.1272-6-78)

1. I have the honor to reply to your Secretary's letter of the
   31st January calling for the report on the state of education
   throughout this district and to return the statement filled up
   according to the required form.
2. There are no public institutions either schools or
   colleges in this zillah supported by grants of land or any
   allowances from the government and I do not hear of any
   establishment having existed of this description.
3. Instruction of every kind is carried on either privately by
   the pupil residing in the house of his preceptor, or in the schools
   which are supported in every village by the contribution of those
   who have children to be instructed. In the latter case the pupils
   are for the most part in the habit of attending this school at day
   break, after remaining until about 10 o'clock they return home,
   and attend school again from ½ past eleven until sunset—the
   expense varies according to the progress made by the scholar
   and becomes higher at each stage from reading to writing and
   arithmetic—the allowance is of course smallest at first and is
   augmented as the pupil acquires information; the average for the
   lowest class is about ¼ rupee per month for each scholar and
   increases as high as 1 and 1½ but rarely exceeds it. I do not find
   that there are any schools even of this description of the
   instruction of the sciences. Theology, Law, Astronomy are taught
   it appears in a private manner for the most part in small fa-
   milies, and given as an inheritance from father to son. The
   instruction can only be attained by the party applying, either
   from the strongest interest or from relationship to those Bramins
   who are qualified to afford it. Pupils under such circumstances
   appear to reside entirely under the roof of their preceptors and to
   form part of the family.
4. In Cuddapah there are several schools supported by
   voluntary contribution, though it can be hardly called a public
   one as it is confined entirely to the European Gentlemen of the
   place.
   224

5. Instruction generally commences amongst Bramins
   when the child had attained the age of 5 or 6 and amongst the
   Sudras from 6 to 8. This difference is accounted for by a Bramin
   with reference to the superior intellect of his cast over the Sudra
   and therefore his children attain the requisite age for receiving
   instructions much earlier than those of the inferior castes. As in-
   struction amongst the natives here, is encouraged and promoted
   solely in proportion to the personal profit obtainable by it, the
   course of education is considered complete when the scholar be-
   comes a proficient in writing and arithmetic. He is then taken
   from school, all other accomplishments are learned at home, and
   he arrives at experience, and attains improvement in what he
   has already acquired, only by attending his father’s shop and
   writing his accounts, or by being permitted to qualify himself for
   employment by volunteering his services in our public
   Cutcherries. The period during which each scholar receives
   instruction at school (and after the expiration of which he is
   usually considered to have completed his education) is about 2
   years.
6. In nearly all the villages of this district there is an Enam
   set apart, as is doubtless well known to the Board for the sup-
   port of a Punchangum Bramin, and it might be conjectured that
   amongst so many there would be found some who had attained
   considerable perfection in Astronomy and Theology, of this
   however there is hardly an instance. The persons holding such
   Enam are quite content to be ignorant of the higher branches of
   science, their utmost ambition being confined to the distinction
   of foretelling a fortunate hour for reaping or a lucky day for a
   marriage, and of contriving a horoscope for persons of
   distinction in the village.
7. Although there are no schools or colleges supported by
   public contribution, I ought not to omit that amongst Bramins,
   instruction, is in many places gratuitously afforded—and the
   poorer class obtain all their education in this way—at the age of
   from 10 to 16 years. If he has not the means of obtaining
   instruction otherwise a young Bramin leaves his home, and
   proceeds to the residence of a man of his own caste who is
   willing to afford instruction without recompense to all those
   resorting to him for the purpose. They do not however derive
   subsistence from him for as he is generally poor himself, his
   means could not of course give support to others, and even if he
   had the means his giving food and clothing to his pupils would
   attract so many as to defeat the object itself which is professed.
   225

8. The Board would naturally enquire, how these children
   who are so destitute as not to be able to procure instruction in
   their own villages, could subsist in those to which they are
   strangers, and to which they travel from 10 to 100 miles, with no
   intention of returning for several years. They are supported
   entirely by charity, daily repeated, not received from the
   instructor for the reasons above mentioned, but from the
   inhabitants of the villages generally. They receive some portion of
   alms daily (for years) at the door of every Bramin in the village,
   and this is conceded to them with a cheerfulness which
   considering the object in view must be esteemed as a most
   honorable trait in the native character, and its unobtrusiveness
   ought to enhance the value of it. We are undoubtedly indebted to
   this benevolent custom for the general spread of education
   amongst a class of persons whose poverty would otherwise be an
   insurmountable obstacle to advancement in knowledge and it
   will be easily inferred that it requires only the liberal and
   fostering care of government to bring it to perfection.
9. As the only schools in the district supported by charity
   are those which owe their maintenance to the gentlemen at
   Cuddapah, I have entered them in the list under the name of
   ‘subscription schools’.
10. I am not aware that there is any further matter relating
    to this subject which is necessary to be submitted to the Board,
    but I beg to assure them that any deficiency which may be re-
    marked shall be supplied with all the diligence in my power.
11. I cannot conclude this letter without expressing to your
    Board the obligation I am under to Mr Wheatly for the informant
    now submitted, his long residence in the district having afforded
    to him the best opportunity of ascertaining correctly the actual
    state of education throughout.
    Cutcherry of the Collector of
    Cuddapah, Roychooty, G.M. Ogilvie,
    11th February, 1825. Sub-Collector in charge.
    (Statement on following pages)
    226