DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68024#0195
187
at Commillah 7 per cent, of the zillah school boys are Mahomedans; at Noakhally nearly 16
per cent, are Mahomedans; at Chittagong the figures are-
Year.
Hindoos.
Mahomedans.
1867-68
93
39
1868-69
229
46
1869-70 . . .
151
43
1870-71
126
46
1871
98 .. .
30
The history of the Chittagong school for the last few years throws some light on these
figures. In or about 1868, a large aided school, managed and supported (I presume) mainly
by Hindoos, was amalgamated with the zillah school; in 1869 and 1870 the numbers of the
scholars fell off; and in 1870 a rival aided school was again started at Chittagong, and the
new school drew away pupils from the zillah school. During these vicissitudes the number of
Mahomedan lads at the zillah school remained much the same ; they seem not to have been
drawn away to the rival institution. It would appear quite clear that they prefer our schools
to aided schools managed and taught entirely by Hindoos. These figures about the Chittagong
school show that the school fell off about the time the law class was closed, and the plan of
reducing it from the status of a high school was broached. The only other statistics offered
by Mr. Clarke are the proportion of Mahomedan to Hindoo pupils in the three districts of the
Chittagong division on the 31st March 1871, namely,—
2,821 Hindoos to 727 Mahomedans.
After considering what Mr. Atkinson and Mr. Clarke say iu these papers, I quite agree that no
case has been made out as yet for establishing a regular system of Mahomedan zillah, ‘ town
and rural schools ' side by side with a parallel system of Hindoo schools. But I do not see
that anything is urged against the plan for a Madrassah in the Eastern districts, and for
teaching Persian or Arabic to those who may want to learn it at our zillah schools. I
cannot but fear that there is more in the representations of the little boys who complained of
the Hindoo teachers than the Director or Inspector would seem to think. The one difference
between North-Western Provinces'* schools, where there are more Mahomedans in proportion to
the population than Hindoos, and Bengal schools, where Mahomedan boys are miserably few
in proportion to the population,—the main difference between the two provinces is that the
department of education is largely officered by Mahomedans in the North-Western Pro-
vinces, while it contains no (or hardly any) Mahomedan officers in Bengal. Men who have
served down here know more about such a matter than I do; but I thought at the time of
the late Chief Justice Norman's death that I traced in the Bengalee Press, and in con-
versation with natives, a much stronger feeling of class and race antagonism between the
Baboos and Mahomedans in Bengal than I recollect to have noticed in Northern India. A
similar race-feeling is certainly strong among the educated and the uneducated Hindoos of
Western and Central India, where Mahomedans are enormously outnumbered by Hindoos. I
can quite fancy that this race-feeling makes itself felt in schools where the teachers, and the
great majority of the boys, are Hindoos. Among boys at an English school there is often a
feeling against Catholic boys. I would adhere to the recommendations contained in paragraph
33 of the foregoing note. In the face of the North-Western Provinces' statistics, I find it
difficult to think that orthodox or even bigotted Mahomedans abhor English schools and
English learning, and I cannot believe that this abhorence (if it exists) is fixed and unalterable
The Mahomedans of Eastern Bengal are probably more bigotted and more benighted than their
fellow-worshippers of the North-Western Provinces. Whatever may now be done will not, as
Mr. Clarke wisely says, bear much fruit for six or eight years to come; but that is no reason
why we should sit down and do nothing. At the same time it is clearly necessary to do
nothing rashly or hurriedly, and to take no step, such as the establishment of denominational
schools, the wisdom of which is doubtful, but from which it might be difficult to recede.
The establishment of a Mudrussah at Chittagong with the surplus of the Mohsin funds, the
maintenance of Arabic classes at Dacca, the payment of Mahomedan lads' fees out of the
Mohsin bequest, and the gradual introduction of Mahomedanism to our educational staff, would
not in any way amount to inaugurating a system of denominational schools. As I have men-
tioned at the end of paragraph 33 above, I would not at present substitute Hindustanee for
Bengalee as the language taught in rural schools of Eastern Bengal. I believe that Bengalee
is the language of the Mahomedans of these parts. Hereafter if there is clearly a demand
for Hindustanee schools, such schools could be opened.
Another paper which has come is a list of Mahomedan works received in the Bengal
Library from 1867 to 1870. It is not quite clear from the list in what languages, whether
Persian or Hindustanee, some of these books have been published. From this list (181
24 a
at Commillah 7 per cent, of the zillah school boys are Mahomedans; at Noakhally nearly 16
per cent, are Mahomedans; at Chittagong the figures are-
Year.
Hindoos.
Mahomedans.
1867-68
93
39
1868-69
229
46
1869-70 . . .
151
43
1870-71
126
46
1871
98 .. .
30
The history of the Chittagong school for the last few years throws some light on these
figures. In or about 1868, a large aided school, managed and supported (I presume) mainly
by Hindoos, was amalgamated with the zillah school; in 1869 and 1870 the numbers of the
scholars fell off; and in 1870 a rival aided school was again started at Chittagong, and the
new school drew away pupils from the zillah school. During these vicissitudes the number of
Mahomedan lads at the zillah school remained much the same ; they seem not to have been
drawn away to the rival institution. It would appear quite clear that they prefer our schools
to aided schools managed and taught entirely by Hindoos. These figures about the Chittagong
school show that the school fell off about the time the law class was closed, and the plan of
reducing it from the status of a high school was broached. The only other statistics offered
by Mr. Clarke are the proportion of Mahomedan to Hindoo pupils in the three districts of the
Chittagong division on the 31st March 1871, namely,—
2,821 Hindoos to 727 Mahomedans.
After considering what Mr. Atkinson and Mr. Clarke say iu these papers, I quite agree that no
case has been made out as yet for establishing a regular system of Mahomedan zillah, ‘ town
and rural schools ' side by side with a parallel system of Hindoo schools. But I do not see
that anything is urged against the plan for a Madrassah in the Eastern districts, and for
teaching Persian or Arabic to those who may want to learn it at our zillah schools. I
cannot but fear that there is more in the representations of the little boys who complained of
the Hindoo teachers than the Director or Inspector would seem to think. The one difference
between North-Western Provinces'* schools, where there are more Mahomedans in proportion to
the population than Hindoos, and Bengal schools, where Mahomedan boys are miserably few
in proportion to the population,—the main difference between the two provinces is that the
department of education is largely officered by Mahomedans in the North-Western Pro-
vinces, while it contains no (or hardly any) Mahomedan officers in Bengal. Men who have
served down here know more about such a matter than I do; but I thought at the time of
the late Chief Justice Norman's death that I traced in the Bengalee Press, and in con-
versation with natives, a much stronger feeling of class and race antagonism between the
Baboos and Mahomedans in Bengal than I recollect to have noticed in Northern India. A
similar race-feeling is certainly strong among the educated and the uneducated Hindoos of
Western and Central India, where Mahomedans are enormously outnumbered by Hindoos. I
can quite fancy that this race-feeling makes itself felt in schools where the teachers, and the
great majority of the boys, are Hindoos. Among boys at an English school there is often a
feeling against Catholic boys. I would adhere to the recommendations contained in paragraph
33 of the foregoing note. In the face of the North-Western Provinces' statistics, I find it
difficult to think that orthodox or even bigotted Mahomedans abhor English schools and
English learning, and I cannot believe that this abhorence (if it exists) is fixed and unalterable
The Mahomedans of Eastern Bengal are probably more bigotted and more benighted than their
fellow-worshippers of the North-Western Provinces. Whatever may now be done will not, as
Mr. Clarke wisely says, bear much fruit for six or eight years to come; but that is no reason
why we should sit down and do nothing. At the same time it is clearly necessary to do
nothing rashly or hurriedly, and to take no step, such as the establishment of denominational
schools, the wisdom of which is doubtful, but from which it might be difficult to recede.
The establishment of a Mudrussah at Chittagong with the surplus of the Mohsin funds, the
maintenance of Arabic classes at Dacca, the payment of Mahomedan lads' fees out of the
Mohsin bequest, and the gradual introduction of Mahomedanism to our educational staff, would
not in any way amount to inaugurating a system of denominational schools. As I have men-
tioned at the end of paragraph 33 above, I would not at present substitute Hindustanee for
Bengalee as the language taught in rural schools of Eastern Bengal. I believe that Bengalee
is the language of the Mahomedans of these parts. Hereafter if there is clearly a demand
for Hindustanee schools, such schools could be opened.
Another paper which has come is a list of Mahomedan works received in the Bengal
Library from 1867 to 1870. It is not quite clear from the list in what languages, whether
Persian or Hindustanee, some of these books have been published. From this list (181
24 a