DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68024#0382
374
dans will have no reason to complain, and the Chief Commissioner doubts if their true
leaders wish or expect more. In a province where they form a very small and not influential
part of the population there may be some danger of their not getting a fair share of public
employment, and both for their interests and for the good of the service, this danger should
be guarded against.
British Burma, No. 628-5E., dated PARA. 14. * * * * * * *
30th April 1884.
The Chief Commissioner would fully accept the recommendations of the Commission in
Chapter IX concerning Muhammadans *********
Para. 41. Turning next to the question of giving special encouragement to Muhammadan
Assam, No. 3641, dated 25th June education, I regret to say that I can go very little way with the
1884. recommendations of the Commission. The subject was fully
considered by me in 1882, when the Muhammadan memorial was circulated by the Government
of India to Local Governments, and the Note drawn up by my Secretary, Mr. Lyall, submit-
ted to the Government of India on 21st October 1882, represents the conclusion to which I
came. The Muhammadans of Assam are found chiefly in Sylhet, where they amount to half the
population of the district; they belong by birth to the lowest castes, and their inferiority in
learning is chiefly due to their having been unable to shake off the effects of this defect in
their pedigree. They are by no means an impoverished class; they speak the same vernacular
as the Hindus of the district and there is no reason why they should not frequent the primary
schools in equal numbers. I have little doubt that if a caste census were held it would be
found that as large a proportion of Muhammadan boys do attend our schools as of boys from
Hindu castes corresponding to them in the social scale. The annual reports show a constant
increase in the number of Muhammadans under education, and I see no evidence either that it
is necessary for their sake, or that it is fair to others, that any special encouragem ent such as
the Commission recommends should be offered to induce them to come to school. I select
recommendations Nos. 1, 3, 7, 9, as those to which I am most decidedly opposed. We follow
recommendation 2 in our “ payment by result” rules, which are liberal enough, though no
special terms are offered to Muhammadans. Nos. 4 & 5 do not apply here, since Bengali is
both the vernacular and the official language of Sylhet. No. 6 we already carry out, for
Persian classes are attached to all the Government high schools except two, and to one middle
school, and wherever there is a demand for it, this class of instruction is provided for. No. 8
is to a certain degree met by the rule that junior scholarships shall be given to all Muham-
madan lads in Sylhet who pass the Entrance examination, and are ready to read at any college
in Bengal for the University degree ; but I do not think it is desirable to set apart scholarships
at middle or high schools exclusively for Muhammadan boys. As to No. 9, I have already
expressed my adherence to the principle that all boys, not a certain percentage but an unlimited
number, not Musalmans only but all classes and religions, should be admitted free if it is
satisfactorily proved that they are unable to pay fees, and this is the practice in Assam, so
that no one is debarred from instruction by poverty. As to the rest of the recommendations,
they are already in force so far as they are applicable to this province. A special paragraph
has been given to Muhammadan education in the Inspector’s Report and in the Government
Resolution for the last two years, and, as I stated in my letter to the Government of India
referred to above (21st October 1382), the feeling in this province as to patronage is such that,
if there are two candidates for an office, both equal in attainments, but one a Hindu and the
other a Musalman, most officers would prefer to appoint the Musalman.
Para. 14. The recommendations regarding classes requiring special treatment are not import-
Coorg, No. 774-105 dated 5th ant in Coorg. There are no Native Chief s or noblemen, and the
September 1884. reasons which exist in some provinces for giving special en-
couragement to Muhammadan education do not apply to the few Muhammadans in Coorg. Spe-
cial schools for Muhammadans have, however, been established in the towns, where they are
to be found, and every endeavour will be made to accommodate the teaching in them to the
wishes of the Muhammadan community, and to encourage any indigenous private schools which
it may establish. There are certain aboriginal tribes to be found in the forests of Coorg and
certain castes of very low type, formerly slaves, in the villages.
Para. 12. Since the formation of this department, Muhammadan education has been
specially encouraged in the province. Urdu schools have
been started, special standards for Muhammadan primary
schools prescribed, provision made for teaching Persian and
Urdu in the high schools, special scholarships and exhibitions
for Muhammadans founded, and a Musalman Inspector ap-
Hyderabad, No. 231G., dated 7th
July 1884. (Extract para. 12 from
letter from Officiating Director of Pub-
lic Instruction, No. 42, dated 5th April
1884, to the Commissioner, Hyderabad
Assigned Districts.)
pointed to inspect Hindustani schools in the province. It will thus appear that most of the
dans will have no reason to complain, and the Chief Commissioner doubts if their true
leaders wish or expect more. In a province where they form a very small and not influential
part of the population there may be some danger of their not getting a fair share of public
employment, and both for their interests and for the good of the service, this danger should
be guarded against.
British Burma, No. 628-5E., dated PARA. 14. * * * * * * *
30th April 1884.
The Chief Commissioner would fully accept the recommendations of the Commission in
Chapter IX concerning Muhammadans *********
Para. 41. Turning next to the question of giving special encouragement to Muhammadan
Assam, No. 3641, dated 25th June education, I regret to say that I can go very little way with the
1884. recommendations of the Commission. The subject was fully
considered by me in 1882, when the Muhammadan memorial was circulated by the Government
of India to Local Governments, and the Note drawn up by my Secretary, Mr. Lyall, submit-
ted to the Government of India on 21st October 1882, represents the conclusion to which I
came. The Muhammadans of Assam are found chiefly in Sylhet, where they amount to half the
population of the district; they belong by birth to the lowest castes, and their inferiority in
learning is chiefly due to their having been unable to shake off the effects of this defect in
their pedigree. They are by no means an impoverished class; they speak the same vernacular
as the Hindus of the district and there is no reason why they should not frequent the primary
schools in equal numbers. I have little doubt that if a caste census were held it would be
found that as large a proportion of Muhammadan boys do attend our schools as of boys from
Hindu castes corresponding to them in the social scale. The annual reports show a constant
increase in the number of Muhammadans under education, and I see no evidence either that it
is necessary for their sake, or that it is fair to others, that any special encouragem ent such as
the Commission recommends should be offered to induce them to come to school. I select
recommendations Nos. 1, 3, 7, 9, as those to which I am most decidedly opposed. We follow
recommendation 2 in our “ payment by result” rules, which are liberal enough, though no
special terms are offered to Muhammadans. Nos. 4 & 5 do not apply here, since Bengali is
both the vernacular and the official language of Sylhet. No. 6 we already carry out, for
Persian classes are attached to all the Government high schools except two, and to one middle
school, and wherever there is a demand for it, this class of instruction is provided for. No. 8
is to a certain degree met by the rule that junior scholarships shall be given to all Muham-
madan lads in Sylhet who pass the Entrance examination, and are ready to read at any college
in Bengal for the University degree ; but I do not think it is desirable to set apart scholarships
at middle or high schools exclusively for Muhammadan boys. As to No. 9, I have already
expressed my adherence to the principle that all boys, not a certain percentage but an unlimited
number, not Musalmans only but all classes and religions, should be admitted free if it is
satisfactorily proved that they are unable to pay fees, and this is the practice in Assam, so
that no one is debarred from instruction by poverty. As to the rest of the recommendations,
they are already in force so far as they are applicable to this province. A special paragraph
has been given to Muhammadan education in the Inspector’s Report and in the Government
Resolution for the last two years, and, as I stated in my letter to the Government of India
referred to above (21st October 1382), the feeling in this province as to patronage is such that,
if there are two candidates for an office, both equal in attainments, but one a Hindu and the
other a Musalman, most officers would prefer to appoint the Musalman.
Para. 14. The recommendations regarding classes requiring special treatment are not import-
Coorg, No. 774-105 dated 5th ant in Coorg. There are no Native Chief s or noblemen, and the
September 1884. reasons which exist in some provinces for giving special en-
couragement to Muhammadan education do not apply to the few Muhammadans in Coorg. Spe-
cial schools for Muhammadans have, however, been established in the towns, where they are
to be found, and every endeavour will be made to accommodate the teaching in them to the
wishes of the Muhammadan community, and to encourage any indigenous private schools which
it may establish. There are certain aboriginal tribes to be found in the forests of Coorg and
certain castes of very low type, formerly slaves, in the villages.
Para. 12. Since the formation of this department, Muhammadan education has been
specially encouraged in the province. Urdu schools have
been started, special standards for Muhammadan primary
schools prescribed, provision made for teaching Persian and
Urdu in the high schools, special scholarships and exhibitions
for Muhammadans founded, and a Musalman Inspector ap-
Hyderabad, No. 231G., dated 7th
July 1884. (Extract para. 12 from
letter from Officiating Director of Pub-
lic Instruction, No. 42, dated 5th April
1884, to the Commissioner, Hyderabad
Assigned Districts.)
pointed to inspect Hindustani schools in the province. It will thus appear that most of the