Cast Condition in Indian Education in India before British ruled Education system. Part - 1 .

                                      Education Open to All – All Cast, No Bar.

There is a popular notion that education in India was monopolized by the Brahmins; but the data destroys this myth completely. 

This interested lie was first spread by the missionaries and the British rulers and the colonized mind of many Indian intellectuals still continue to sing their tune. 

But the data reveals a different story. It tells us that out of the total number of 175,089 students, both male and female, elementary and advanced, only 42,502 were Brahmins (24.25%); 19,669 were Vaishya students (about 11%). 

85,400 were Shudras (about 48.8%); and still 27.516 more were "all other castes", meaning castes even lower than the Shudras including the pariahs (15.7%).

Thus the higher caste students were only about 35% and the Shudras and other castes were about 65% of the total Hindu students. 

If we also include the Muslims who were about 7% of the total Hindu and Muslim students, then the share of the Brahmins was even less.

 The data shows that the share of the Brahmins in certain areas was indeed very low. 

For example, in Seringapatam, it was only 7.83% in Madura 8.67%; in North Arcot, Brahmin boys were 9.57%, while the Shudras and "other castes" were 84.46%.

Even in higher learning, non-Brahmins were not unrepresented.

In Malabar, out of 1,588 scholars of Theology, Law, Astronomy, Metaphysics, Ethics and Medical Science, only 639 were Brahmins, 23 Vaishyas, 254 Shudras and 672 "other castes".

Only in the Vedas and Theology did the Brahmins have a near-monopoly, as the Shudras and the "other castes" had in other branches of advanced learning like Astronomy and Medical Science. 

In Astronomy, out of a total of 806 scholars, Brahmins were only 78, Vaishyas 23, Shudras 195, and other lower castes 510. 

In Medical Science, the share of the Brahmin scholars was only 31 out of a total of 190. The rest belonged to the Shudras and "other castes".

                           
 
 

Bengal Presidency Part 3 (Final) - Report on Tradational Indian Education system in British Period by British agency before the starting of British Modern Education.

Nalanda University

The reports of Madras and Bombay presidency was not complete it was lacking something big with which Britishers were not accustomed. There was an unconventional method of education in India which was “Home Education System”.

In Bengal Presidency the survey was done by a Missionary Mr. Adem a non Govt. person. He was educated in Sanskrit and Bangla and was in close contact with Raja Rammohan Roy. He had great faith in Indian Traditional Education. He got the authority letter for survey from Lord William Bantik, Viceroy of India. In between 1835 to 1838 he presented 3 reports to the Government.

In his 1^st report Adem says in Bihar and Bengal there are 1, 00,000 village schools and if the population of these areas were 4, 00, 00,000 then at per 400 people there is 1 school. It seems there was 1 school in every village.

In his 2^nd report Adem in detailed described one Thana or police station named “Battor” of   ‘Rajshahi’ district. He writes that there were 485 villages and the population was 1, 95,296. Adem got 27 Primary school and there were 262 students. Apart from this in 238 villages 2,342 boys were studying in “Home Education System”. The number of the students was 9 times greater from the primary school.

There were 38 Sanskrit MahaVidalaya and 397 students were studying there aged between 11 to 27 years. There was no girl’s education for which Raja Rammohan Roy and others fought.

The data shows that the female education was very much neglected though it was not altogether absent. Certain regions like Malabar and Joypoor in Vizagapatam made a better showing then other areas.

 3^rd report of Adem was of great importance. In it there was the detail of Murshidabad, Virbhum, Bardman, South Bihar, and Tirhut districts. In these districts there were 2,567 schools. In them Bangla, Hindi, Sanskrit, Farsi and Arbi was taught. There were 8 schools and 242 students where English was taught.  6 schools were for girls where 214 students. In Bardman district for higher studies in Sanskrit there were 190 schools and 1,358 students. Like that there were schools for Farsi and Arbi too. In South Bihar district there were 291 schools and 1,489 students.