Historical Development of English in India

By,Rakhi Raju

Pre-Independence PeriodThe formation of East India Company in 1600The English sailor William Hawkins got permission

to open trade centres in different places of India from the Mughal Emperor Jahangir

Collision with other European trading companies, and the English gradually gained the rift.

In 1661 Company raised garrisons and exercised jurisdiction in the areas under their control

The decline of Mughal power facilitated the establishment of the British Empire in India

Colonial wars were fought and won by the British. In 1771 Company was under Cabinet control and Governors were appointed at the headquarters of the Company in Calcutta.

Governor of Calcutta became Governor of British India

In 1857 Company was abolishedThe British assumed responsibility of

governing the Indian empire

Imperial servants in India become accountable to the Queen

To the Englishmen, the inferior Indian people were to be “civilized”

With missionary zeal, the English tried to modernize Indians in their own fashion and civilize them

Positive results in fields like education, social reform industry etc..

Several missionary organizations started English schools in India in 19th century

Raja Ram Mohan Roy requested the Governor General to open English colleges for the purpose of modernization in1832

Charter Act and East-West ControversyThe Charter Act of East India Company empowered

the imperial Government to use not less than one lakh of rupees every year for the improvement of literature and the encouragement of learned motives in India

Controversy –the English Eastern pundits or orientalists argued that the money should be used for Indian schools with Sanskrit and Arabic, as the medium of instruction

The Government grant was given only to the native educational institutions

The number of English medium schools and colleges increased and they began to demand Government aid

Macaulay's Minute Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-59), a legal

member of the Governor-General’s council and the Chairman of the Committee on education up the Minute

It was decided to wholly for the promotion of Modern English Education in India in 1835

William Bentinck, the Governor General acted promptly to the new aid. English education was discontinued, grant also was stopped

Financial aid was given only to the institutions where modern education was imported in English

The excuse was not English teaching was ineffective and hence the student who passed out were not at all proficient in English. The medium of instruction should be English

Orientalists like Horace Wilson expressed their disapproval against the minute

It was an attempt to create caste hierarchy in Indian Education

It would create two types of educated citizens, the privileged English educated, and the ‘inferior’ native educated

It generated nationalistic feelings in the leaders

Wood’s Despatch

Charles Wood, the president of the board of East India Company, submitted his recommendations regarding education reforms in India, in 1854 called Wood’s Despatch

Co-ordinated the system of education in schools and colleges

Establishment of Department of Education. Universities in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras(1857)

Wood’s Despatch was acceptedEnglish universities for Higher Education and for

training future administratorsNative Institutions for practical education for the rest of

the society through native languages

Thank You...