DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68024#0098
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impart to them such an amount of English as would enable them to write correct English,
to translate from English into other languages, and vice versa ; and such an amount of time
should be devoted to the study of English as would not be a bar to their acquiring a respect-
able knowledge of Arabic.
15. It has hitherto been, and is still, a necessary practice for boys to go through some
elementary treatise in Arabic grammar before their admission into the Mudrussah. But as
the Society thinks it advisable to teach the students of the Arabic department English
literature with their Arabic, it seems proper that arrangements should be made in the last
class of this department of the Mudrussah to commence with the most elementary instruc-
tion in both the languages, viz., English and Arabic; and the beginners of these languages
should be admitted in that class. For the Mahomedan boys, especially those who (as do
most of the pupils of the Arabic department) come from the mofussil, will be unable (perhaps
the spelling-book excepted) to go through the elementary books of English literature by means
of private study before joining the Mudrussah. Under these circumstances, it becomes neces-
sary that, with the exception of the spelling-book, they must learn the other elementary books
for beginners of the English language in the Mudrussah. Similarly, it appears necessary that,
with the exception of the Mizan-i-Sarf, the first elementary treatise in Arabic grammar, they
should also learn Arabic from the very beginning in the Mudrussah, in order that their amount
of knowledge in both the languages may be on a par.
16. The Society considers that a familiarity with Bengali is just as requisite to a
Mahomedan in these provinces as English is throughout the empire; therefore it is humbly
recommended that a fair knowledge of Bengali should also be imparted to the students of the
Arabic department. Two days in the week for the junior classes at the rate of two hours per
day, and four days in the week for the senior classes at the rate of one hour per day, should be
set apart for this purpose. A few books of Bengali literature alone should, however, not be
taught in order to teach them the language only ; but they should also be taught to read Bengali
court-papers, in order to make them acquainted with the mode of writing in the courts. And
since Bengali is the vernacular of the natives of Bengal, the Society thinks that, as stated above,
only four hours in the week will be sufficient for the purpose.
17. Since the object of the Society in suggesting the introduction of Bengali and English
in this department of the Mudrussah is to enable the Mahomedans to acquire the means of
livelihood through these two languages, and since some knowledge of law is required for secur-
ing such means by entering into Government service, the Society recommends that, while
learning the Bengali language, the students of the Arabic department should be instructed in
some rudimentary treatises of law current in this country; and, in the humble opinion of the
Society, the following Acts will be sufficient for this purpose, viz.:—
(1) The Indian Penal Code (Act XLV of 1860).
(2) The Criminal Procedure Code (Act XXV of 1861 with Act VIII of 1869).
(3) The Civil Procedure Code (Act VIII of 1859).
(4) The Police Act (Act V of 1861).
(5) The Law of Evidence.
(6) The Stamp Act.
(7) The Registration Act.
18. In the opinion of the Society the study of the laws mentioned above, in Benagli,
after the perusal of a concise treatise on Bengali grammar and an easy book on literature, as
Hitopodesh or Nitibodh, would be sufficient to make one acquainted with the language.
19. The Society will now venture to draw the attention of the Commission to the import-
ance of the study of the Persian in any course intended for respectable Mahomedans. It is
the language of polite literature in its palmiest days in the East, and is in itself well worthy
of cultivation. It embodies all that is extant of the history and past condition of India, all
the law and legislation of her greatest kings and emperors, and is indispensable to a Ma-
homedan who pretends to be learned or accomplished in the Mahomedan acceptation of the
term. The Persian, as is well known to the Commission, is the language of social intercourse ;
and it possession is looked upon as a passport to the most distinguished and most polished
circles of Mahomedan society. Any scheme of teaching, the object of which is to make a
Mahomedan useful either to himself or agreeable to his fellows, would be incomplete unless
it included Persian. The Society, therefore, would recommend that so much of Persian be
introduced in the four lower classes out of the eight classes that are proposed to be formed in
the Arabic department that might enable the students to write Persian with correctness and
facility. The history of India in Persian should be read for want of a history of the country in
the Arabic language. The Society begs to annex in Appendix B a course of study in Persian,
which may be introduced in the four lower classes of the Arabic department; and in Appendix C,
the mode in which the different books in Arabic and Persian may be allotted to the eight classes.
impart to them such an amount of English as would enable them to write correct English,
to translate from English into other languages, and vice versa ; and such an amount of time
should be devoted to the study of English as would not be a bar to their acquiring a respect-
able knowledge of Arabic.
15. It has hitherto been, and is still, a necessary practice for boys to go through some
elementary treatise in Arabic grammar before their admission into the Mudrussah. But as
the Society thinks it advisable to teach the students of the Arabic department English
literature with their Arabic, it seems proper that arrangements should be made in the last
class of this department of the Mudrussah to commence with the most elementary instruc-
tion in both the languages, viz., English and Arabic; and the beginners of these languages
should be admitted in that class. For the Mahomedan boys, especially those who (as do
most of the pupils of the Arabic department) come from the mofussil, will be unable (perhaps
the spelling-book excepted) to go through the elementary books of English literature by means
of private study before joining the Mudrussah. Under these circumstances, it becomes neces-
sary that, with the exception of the spelling-book, they must learn the other elementary books
for beginners of the English language in the Mudrussah. Similarly, it appears necessary that,
with the exception of the Mizan-i-Sarf, the first elementary treatise in Arabic grammar, they
should also learn Arabic from the very beginning in the Mudrussah, in order that their amount
of knowledge in both the languages may be on a par.
16. The Society considers that a familiarity with Bengali is just as requisite to a
Mahomedan in these provinces as English is throughout the empire; therefore it is humbly
recommended that a fair knowledge of Bengali should also be imparted to the students of the
Arabic department. Two days in the week for the junior classes at the rate of two hours per
day, and four days in the week for the senior classes at the rate of one hour per day, should be
set apart for this purpose. A few books of Bengali literature alone should, however, not be
taught in order to teach them the language only ; but they should also be taught to read Bengali
court-papers, in order to make them acquainted with the mode of writing in the courts. And
since Bengali is the vernacular of the natives of Bengal, the Society thinks that, as stated above,
only four hours in the week will be sufficient for the purpose.
17. Since the object of the Society in suggesting the introduction of Bengali and English
in this department of the Mudrussah is to enable the Mahomedans to acquire the means of
livelihood through these two languages, and since some knowledge of law is required for secur-
ing such means by entering into Government service, the Society recommends that, while
learning the Bengali language, the students of the Arabic department should be instructed in
some rudimentary treatises of law current in this country; and, in the humble opinion of the
Society, the following Acts will be sufficient for this purpose, viz.:—
(1) The Indian Penal Code (Act XLV of 1860).
(2) The Criminal Procedure Code (Act XXV of 1861 with Act VIII of 1869).
(3) The Civil Procedure Code (Act VIII of 1859).
(4) The Police Act (Act V of 1861).
(5) The Law of Evidence.
(6) The Stamp Act.
(7) The Registration Act.
18. In the opinion of the Society the study of the laws mentioned above, in Benagli,
after the perusal of a concise treatise on Bengali grammar and an easy book on literature, as
Hitopodesh or Nitibodh, would be sufficient to make one acquainted with the language.
19. The Society will now venture to draw the attention of the Commission to the import-
ance of the study of the Persian in any course intended for respectable Mahomedans. It is
the language of polite literature in its palmiest days in the East, and is in itself well worthy
of cultivation. It embodies all that is extant of the history and past condition of India, all
the law and legislation of her greatest kings and emperors, and is indispensable to a Ma-
homedan who pretends to be learned or accomplished in the Mahomedan acceptation of the
term. The Persian, as is well known to the Commission, is the language of social intercourse ;
and it possession is looked upon as a passport to the most distinguished and most polished
circles of Mahomedan society. Any scheme of teaching, the object of which is to make a
Mahomedan useful either to himself or agreeable to his fellows, would be incomplete unless
it included Persian. The Society, therefore, would recommend that so much of Persian be
introduced in the four lower classes out of the eight classes that are proposed to be formed in
the Arabic department that might enable the students to write Persian with correctness and
facility. The history of India in Persian should be read for want of a history of the country in
the Arabic language. The Society begs to annex in Appendix B a course of study in Persian,
which may be introduced in the four lower classes of the Arabic department; and in Appendix C,
the mode in which the different books in Arabic and Persian may be allotted to the eight classes.