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

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

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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

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XXVIII
COLLECTOR, MADRAS TO BOARD OF REVENUE:
12.2.1825
(TNSA: BRP: Vol 1011, Pro.14.2.1825 No.46 pp.1193-94)
With reference to my letter of the 13th November 1822 I
have the honor to forward another statement of schools, which I
consider to be more correct, and to submit that it may be
substituted for the one transmitted with the letter to which I
have before referred.
Madras Cutcherry, L.G.K. Murray,
12th February 1825. Collector.
(Statement on following page)
229

230

XXIX
BOARD OF REVENUE TO CHIEF SECRETARY TO
GOVERNMENT:
21.2.1825
(TNSA: BRP: Vol.1011, No.46 Pro.21.2.1825 pp.1412-26)

1. With reference to the instruction of government conveyed
   in a letter from the Secretary to government in the Revenue
   Department under date the 2nd July 1822 and to Mr Secretary
   Stoke's letter of the 21st ultimo, I am directed by the Board of
   Revenue to submit for the information of the Honorable the
   Governor-in-Council the correspondence noted in the margin
   regarding the actual state of education in the Provinces under
   this government.
   Circular to all Collectors dated 25th July 1822
   From the Collector of Ganjam dated 27 October in
   consultations: 6th November 1823.
   From the Collector of Vizagapatam 14th April in
   consultations: 1st May 1823
   From the Collector of Rajahmundry 19th September in
   consultations: 2nd October 1823
   From the Collector of Masulipatam 3rd September in
   consultations: 13th January 1823
   From the Collector of Guntoor 9th September in
   consultations: 14th July 1823
   From the Collector of Nellore 23rd June in consultations:
   30th June 1823
   From the Collector of Bellary 17th June in consultations:
   25th August 1823
   From the Collector of Cuddapah 11th June in
   consultations: 17th February 1825
   From the Collector of Chingleput 3rd June in consultations:
   7th April 1823
   231