MUSLIM EDUCATION IN BENGAL 1837-1937

MUSLIM EDUCATION 187
tlon. It appears from D.P.I.'s report for 1870-72 that during the previous
five years out d 429 graduates only ten were Muslims.
Causes of Muslim backwardness
16. In Pre-British India a Muslim child started going to School
in the fifth year with Persian as the main language for study. At the
secondary course Arabic was included in the course of study. Education
was free but as the teacher was dependent on the community for necessities
of his life, his economic status was precarious. His social status was
however high. The teaching was generally through lectures with students
sitting on the floor around the teacher. Due to purdah the education of
women was restricted. The wealthier families who could afford made
private arrangement for the education of women.
17. Muslims did not believe in subordinating education to the policies
of Government. The educational institutes were independent of the state
control. Rulers however recognised their resposnibilities in this connexion
and the need of State support. Muslims considered it obligatory to pro-
vide education as a religious act. Religious education was required to be
included in the curriculum as an integral part of Islamic cultural tradition.
Muslim landlords used to entertain teachers at their own cost for the
benefit of the poor children of the neighbourhood and it was rare to find
an opulent person in the village who did not pay for a teacher. But this
class was dwindling even in 1841 when Adam reported on education in
Bengal.
18. "Hindus however followed a different tradition. While the
curriculum in the higher seminaries of learning was largely influenced
by religion, the elementary schools were singularly free from any direct
religious teaching.'%
19. In Bengal, the Baptist Mission founded the Serampur College
with the object of instructing both Christian and non-Christian youths in
western learning. It was the first Missionary College in India. In 1830,
Alexander Duff started Duff College which later became Scottish Churches
College.
20. The system of education introduced by the British overlooked
some of the powerful instincts which guided Muslims in the matter of
education. In Bengal education was conducted through the medium of
sanskritised Bengali by means of Hindu teachers whom Muslims hated.