DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68024#0369
361
have not taken full advantage of the facilities offered them in respect to the higher as well as
the lower education. On the four points of the Resolution, viz., the encouragement of the
classical and vernacular languages of the Musalmans in all Government schools and colleges,
the appointment of Musalman teachers, the assistance of Musalman schools by grants-in-aid,
and the encouragement to be given to the creation of a vernacular literature, Mr. Griffith,
then officiating as Director, submitted a full and interesting Report. In this he showed
that Persian and Arabic held a due place in the colleges and zila schools, that the former
was taught in the tahsili and in some of the halkabandi schools, that of 30 Deputy Inspectors
15 were Musalmans, that of the tahsili teachers in the Meerut Circle, where there was the
largest proportion of Musalman pupils, 76 were Musalmans against 65 Hindus, that prizes to
the value of R5,000 were annually given to encourage the formation of a vernacular litera-
ture, that the better class of Musalman schools already received liberal grants-in-aid, and that
the lower or indigenous schools failed to obtain the same assistance only because they resented
the visits of Government officials and rejected advice when offered. The unpopularity of
Government education with the Musalmans was accounted for on various grounds. Thus
“ the Musalmans of India object to the study” [of geography] a and think that their children
merely wasting “ time in acquiring information about countries which they will never see.
“ They think, too, that Urdu, as a language, neither requires nor deserves study by a Musalman,
“ and that Persian and Arabic are the only tongues which are worthy of their cultivation.
“ Halkabandi and tahsili schools are now looked upon with more favour as Persian, and, in
“some cases, Arabic, has been admitted into the scheme of studies; but they will not be
“ thoroughly popular w ith the people of Islam unless great preponderance is given to classical
“ studies, and geography, and some other subjects are altogether excluded. So violent a change
“in t he system of instruction is, of course, out of the question. It would be unfair to the
“ great majority of the students, and would not advance the true interests of the minority."
566. Results of measures taken.—The following table shows the proportion of Musal-
mans in 1881-82 to the total number of students in the various institutions of the Pro-
vince :—
Class of Institutions.
Total number of
students.
Musalmans.
Percentage.
Colleges, English . . . . . . . .
223
29
130
„ Oriental ........
444
17
3-8
r for Boys
4,273
697
163
High and middle schools, English .<
(. „ Girls
62
...
...
r „ Boys
3,267
662
20-2
„ „ „ Vernacular]
(. „ Girls
6
...
• ••
Primary schools, English ......
9,852
2,022
20-5
„ „ Vernacular ......
144,373
19,339
13-3
„ „ English, for girls .....
664
...
•••
„ „ Vernacular, „ .....
5,990
1,616
26’9
Normal schools for Masters ......
239
44
18-1
„ „ „ Mistresses ......
83
*
...
Total
169,476
24,426
1441
567. Independent efforts made by the Musalmans of the North-Western Provinces.—It
appears, then, that neither in the proportion of Musalmans at school in 1871-72, nor in the
endeavours since made to encourage a further advance was there any great cause for reproach.
On the other hand, there was great cause for hopeful anticipation in the movement set on foot
about this time by certain of the Musalman gentry of the Provinces. If dissatisfied with the
scanty progress made by their race in the higher education, their dissatisfaction was as much
with themselves as with the education they neglected. But it was not of that kind which
contents itself with querulous fault-finding. Recognising the evil, these Musalman gentlemen
were determined to discover the remedy; and, led by Maulavi Sayyid Ahmad Khan, whose
46
have not taken full advantage of the facilities offered them in respect to the higher as well as
the lower education. On the four points of the Resolution, viz., the encouragement of the
classical and vernacular languages of the Musalmans in all Government schools and colleges,
the appointment of Musalman teachers, the assistance of Musalman schools by grants-in-aid,
and the encouragement to be given to the creation of a vernacular literature, Mr. Griffith,
then officiating as Director, submitted a full and interesting Report. In this he showed
that Persian and Arabic held a due place in the colleges and zila schools, that the former
was taught in the tahsili and in some of the halkabandi schools, that of 30 Deputy Inspectors
15 were Musalmans, that of the tahsili teachers in the Meerut Circle, where there was the
largest proportion of Musalman pupils, 76 were Musalmans against 65 Hindus, that prizes to
the value of R5,000 were annually given to encourage the formation of a vernacular litera-
ture, that the better class of Musalman schools already received liberal grants-in-aid, and that
the lower or indigenous schools failed to obtain the same assistance only because they resented
the visits of Government officials and rejected advice when offered. The unpopularity of
Government education with the Musalmans was accounted for on various grounds. Thus
“ the Musalmans of India object to the study” [of geography] a and think that their children
merely wasting “ time in acquiring information about countries which they will never see.
“ They think, too, that Urdu, as a language, neither requires nor deserves study by a Musalman,
“ and that Persian and Arabic are the only tongues which are worthy of their cultivation.
“ Halkabandi and tahsili schools are now looked upon with more favour as Persian, and, in
“some cases, Arabic, has been admitted into the scheme of studies; but they will not be
“ thoroughly popular w ith the people of Islam unless great preponderance is given to classical
“ studies, and geography, and some other subjects are altogether excluded. So violent a change
“in t he system of instruction is, of course, out of the question. It would be unfair to the
“ great majority of the students, and would not advance the true interests of the minority."
566. Results of measures taken.—The following table shows the proportion of Musal-
mans in 1881-82 to the total number of students in the various institutions of the Pro-
vince :—
Class of Institutions.
Total number of
students.
Musalmans.
Percentage.
Colleges, English . . . . . . . .
223
29
130
„ Oriental ........
444
17
3-8
r for Boys
4,273
697
163
High and middle schools, English .<
(. „ Girls
62
...
...
r „ Boys
3,267
662
20-2
„ „ „ Vernacular]
(. „ Girls
6
...
• ••
Primary schools, English ......
9,852
2,022
20-5
„ „ Vernacular ......
144,373
19,339
13-3
„ „ English, for girls .....
664
...
•••
„ „ Vernacular, „ .....
5,990
1,616
26’9
Normal schools for Masters ......
239
44
18-1
„ „ „ Mistresses ......
83
*
...
Total
169,476
24,426
1441
567. Independent efforts made by the Musalmans of the North-Western Provinces.—It
appears, then, that neither in the proportion of Musalmans at school in 1871-72, nor in the
endeavours since made to encourage a further advance was there any great cause for reproach.
On the other hand, there was great cause for hopeful anticipation in the movement set on foot
about this time by certain of the Musalman gentry of the Provinces. If dissatisfied with the
scanty progress made by their race in the higher education, their dissatisfaction was as much
with themselves as with the education they neglected. But it was not of that kind which
contents itself with querulous fault-finding. Recognising the evil, these Musalman gentlemen
were determined to discover the remedy; and, led by Maulavi Sayyid Ahmad Khan, whose
46