Minute on Indian Education

Minute on Indian Education (1835)

Thomas B Macaulay

Why English and only English

• Need to educate people cannot be done by mother tongue.
• A foreign language
• English is the best: It’s preeminent, abounds with works of imagination equal to Greek
• Best vehicles of ethical and political instruction
• Just and lively representations of human life and nature
• Has profound speculations on metaphysics, morals, government, jurisprudence, trade,
• Correct and full info on every experimental science to preserve health, increase comfort or expand the intellect.
• Ready access to intellectual wealth.
• Great literature
• In India English- language of the ruling class, spoken by higher mass of natives at seat of power
• Likely to become language of commerce throughout the seas of the East
• Language of two rising European communities – Australia and S Africa – becoming more imp and closer to Indian Empire
• Intrinsic value of literature + context make English the best choice

What to teach?

• In a language that does not have contemporary knowledge?
• Science, Philosophy, History as against problematic astronomy, history, geography

Justification – Two examples

1. Revival of learning in the West. Because they opened to sth external they grew to be equal. (Doubts about Sanskrit)
2. Russia- change in 120 years from barbarism.

The Solution

· Impossible to educate all with limited means

· Therefore, create interpreters between us and the masses “a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals and in intellect (emphasis mine).

· That class will refine and enrich vernaculars with terms of science borrowed from the Western nomenclature and make vernaculars fit to convey knowledge to masses

PS: Please go through the following link on Macaulay. Extremely fascinating. I strongly recommend that you go though it to understand Macaulay. If you manage to go through the link, please post your comments in the posting.

http://www.languageinindia.com/april2003/macaulay.html