DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68024#0219
211
Opinion of Rahim Khan, Khan Bahadur, Nawab Nawazish Ali Khan, Nawab Abdul Majid Khan,
Faqir Shams-ud-din, Muhammad Shah, Kaib-i-Abid, and Muhammad Jan, Muhammadan Members,
on Muhammadan Education.
We, the above named, having been called, on to give our opinion on the above subject, beg
to submit the same.
In reality the Muhammadan population is deprived of education and other advantages as
regards income, &c., which the other nations of India have derived; and, as Her Majesty's
Government has very kindly paid its attention towards the educational progress and reputation
of Muhammadans, they must thank the Government. As it is the desire of Government
not to make any alterations in the subjects of education, but only to amend the mode of educa-
tion, we therefore confine our remarks to the latter, otherwise we would have expressed our
opinion at more length on all points connected with the improvement of education. The sys-
tem or mode of education which at present prevails in the Government schools, as regards
English, Arabic and Persian, should continue as heretofore. We do not wish English educa-
tion to lessen in any way, as it is a key to the treasures of all sciences and arts of the age, and
men of every nation and occupation anxiously want it; for without this, according to the estab-
lished rule of the Government, no one can rise up or obtain any high office; consequently the
Government schools an dcolleges should remain open as usual to the Muhammadans for English
education.
2. If any Muhammadan may establish an aided school, and if the mode of its education
be inconsistent to that of the Government schools, it should be aided by Government grant
under the provisions of the rules, and the head of such an institution be set at liberty to teach
the prevailing sciences to the pupils, either in English, Arabic, or Persian, according to their
respective wishes, and the students of such schools may, as it is desirable, receive encourage-
ment from Government.
3. It is well known to our just British Government that the Muhammadan population of
India is generally poorer and more helpless than the other nations, and it is evident that
knowledge cannot be obtained without sufficient means of livelihood, purchasing books, the
payment of fees, and the expense of wearing clean clothes, which it is incumbent on every
pupil in Government schools and colleges. We accordingly beg to suggest that a special
committee be formed to ascertain the means, character, and status of the family of the pupils
of the poorer classes, and to fix some allowance for them, when it is believed that in course of
time they will, like the well-to-do Government subjects, receive both morally and mentally the
highest education, and thus they will no longer remain degraded before their fellow-brethren
of other castes in this country.
Opinion of Mr. P. S. Melvill.
In my opinion no special measures are required in the Punjab for encouraging Muham-
madans to participate more freely in the secondary and higher education provided by Govern-
ment, except that indicated in paragraph 5 below.
2. There seems to be but little room for doubt, and it is a fact admitted and acknow-
ledged to a very full extent by the Muhammadans themselves, that their only hope of o-0od
advancement in life is in obtaining the best education, and that such education can only be
obtained by the medium of English. Moreover, they admit, and with reason that it is 1
by the medium of English that the best education could, under any circumstances, be obtained^
so that even if “a more systematic encouragement and recognition of Arabic and Persian
literature" were given, their desire would not be to acquire knowledge through it, but through
the far wider door opened out by means of the English lan^ua^e. ° &
3. There can be no doubt that grants-in-aid should be given to Muhammadans to create
or continue schools of their own, on the same terms that such grants are given to other deno-
minations, and I believe that the existing rules admit of this being done.
4. What I believe the Muhammadans really want is that special pecuniary encourao-e-
ment should be held out to them over and above what is afforded to other sections of the ponu
lation. They allege, and truly allege, that a Mussalman of good family will choose death
rather than demean himself by engaging in trade or in any occupation which he considers dero-
gatory, and that, as a rule, the people of Islam are poor as compared with the Hindus
5. In considering this part of the question, it is difficult to separate the educational from
the administrative system generally. It will probably be admitted by most English officers
of the Government that it is very desirable, as well for the conduct of the administrative
machine as on considerations of justice, that a certain proportion of appointments in the
Government service should be held by Muhammadans, and that all those, appointments should
not be filled by Hindus or other cognate classes. The proportion that Muhammadan employe's
27 a.
Opinion of Rahim Khan, Khan Bahadur, Nawab Nawazish Ali Khan, Nawab Abdul Majid Khan,
Faqir Shams-ud-din, Muhammad Shah, Kaib-i-Abid, and Muhammad Jan, Muhammadan Members,
on Muhammadan Education.
We, the above named, having been called, on to give our opinion on the above subject, beg
to submit the same.
In reality the Muhammadan population is deprived of education and other advantages as
regards income, &c., which the other nations of India have derived; and, as Her Majesty's
Government has very kindly paid its attention towards the educational progress and reputation
of Muhammadans, they must thank the Government. As it is the desire of Government
not to make any alterations in the subjects of education, but only to amend the mode of educa-
tion, we therefore confine our remarks to the latter, otherwise we would have expressed our
opinion at more length on all points connected with the improvement of education. The sys-
tem or mode of education which at present prevails in the Government schools, as regards
English, Arabic and Persian, should continue as heretofore. We do not wish English educa-
tion to lessen in any way, as it is a key to the treasures of all sciences and arts of the age, and
men of every nation and occupation anxiously want it; for without this, according to the estab-
lished rule of the Government, no one can rise up or obtain any high office; consequently the
Government schools an dcolleges should remain open as usual to the Muhammadans for English
education.
2. If any Muhammadan may establish an aided school, and if the mode of its education
be inconsistent to that of the Government schools, it should be aided by Government grant
under the provisions of the rules, and the head of such an institution be set at liberty to teach
the prevailing sciences to the pupils, either in English, Arabic, or Persian, according to their
respective wishes, and the students of such schools may, as it is desirable, receive encourage-
ment from Government.
3. It is well known to our just British Government that the Muhammadan population of
India is generally poorer and more helpless than the other nations, and it is evident that
knowledge cannot be obtained without sufficient means of livelihood, purchasing books, the
payment of fees, and the expense of wearing clean clothes, which it is incumbent on every
pupil in Government schools and colleges. We accordingly beg to suggest that a special
committee be formed to ascertain the means, character, and status of the family of the pupils
of the poorer classes, and to fix some allowance for them, when it is believed that in course of
time they will, like the well-to-do Government subjects, receive both morally and mentally the
highest education, and thus they will no longer remain degraded before their fellow-brethren
of other castes in this country.
Opinion of Mr. P. S. Melvill.
In my opinion no special measures are required in the Punjab for encouraging Muham-
madans to participate more freely in the secondary and higher education provided by Govern-
ment, except that indicated in paragraph 5 below.
2. There seems to be but little room for doubt, and it is a fact admitted and acknow-
ledged to a very full extent by the Muhammadans themselves, that their only hope of o-0od
advancement in life is in obtaining the best education, and that such education can only be
obtained by the medium of English. Moreover, they admit, and with reason that it is 1
by the medium of English that the best education could, under any circumstances, be obtained^
so that even if “a more systematic encouragement and recognition of Arabic and Persian
literature" were given, their desire would not be to acquire knowledge through it, but through
the far wider door opened out by means of the English lan^ua^e. ° &
3. There can be no doubt that grants-in-aid should be given to Muhammadans to create
or continue schools of their own, on the same terms that such grants are given to other deno-
minations, and I believe that the existing rules admit of this being done.
4. What I believe the Muhammadans really want is that special pecuniary encourao-e-
ment should be held out to them over and above what is afforded to other sections of the ponu
lation. They allege, and truly allege, that a Mussalman of good family will choose death
rather than demean himself by engaging in trade or in any occupation which he considers dero-
gatory, and that, as a rule, the people of Islam are poor as compared with the Hindus
5. In considering this part of the question, it is difficult to separate the educational from
the administrative system generally. It will probably be admitted by most English officers
of the Government that it is very desirable, as well for the conduct of the administrative
machine as on considerations of justice, that a certain proportion of appointments in the
Government service should be held by Muhammadans, and that all those, appointments should
not be filled by Hindus or other cognate classes. The proportion that Muhammadan employe's
27 a.