mgp cc - history Flashcards
(140 cards)
Question,Answer
- What was the British response to the newly established INC?
• There were very few Britishers who wanted to work in close coordination with Indians and genuinely solve the problems of Indians. • Initially, the INC was composed of mostly Moderates • The initial attitude of Britishers towards the INC was of indifference - calling it a ‘microscopic minority’.”
- How did the Britishers applied the Divide and Rule Policy to deepen differences between moderates and extremists?
• Gradually, the membership of INC kept on increasing – even the Extremists entered the Assembly as representatives. • Moderates and extremists became the two most powerful sections of INC. • This led to hostilities being reflected in the British attitude. They started engaging with INC as a part of their Divide and Rule Policy. • Divide and Rule Policy = appeasement to the Moderates and negation to the Extremists. This would create a divide among the Indians. • With 4th – 5th session of INC, the British administration started engaging with the aim to break the unity in INC.”
- What were the major differences between the Moderates and Extremists?
Moderates Extremists Support Base • Only a small section including elite educated class • Mass base – mostly were Arya Samajists. Approach • Admired the British political institutions and sense of justice. • They were staunch Nationalists. Attitude towards Britisher • Due to gap in communication and lack of collective voice from Indians Britishers are not able to solve the problem of Indians. • They called for India for Indians. Methods and Techniques: • ‘Constitutional struggle’ • Believed in P4: Prayer, Petition, Persuasion and Philanthropy. • Believed in ‘Passive resistance’. • Criticised the Moderate methods as ‘Political Mendicancy’ and ‘Mai Baap policy’ - begging attitude. Objective • Self-government (persuasion to be with the Britishers) • Swaraj (demand as a matter of right)”
- What was the doctrine of Passive resistance?
- Aurobindo Ghosh was the father of ‘Passive Resistance’. In his book ‘New Lamps For Old’, he explained the Doctrine of Passive Resistance. 2. Passive resistance = activities, like boycotts, to keep a check on the government without any direct harm to life and property. 3. In his other work named ‘Savitri’, he explained religious and emotional nationalism (Mother Land – Maa Maati Manus) through poetry. 4. Revolutionaries transformed the Extremists’ policy of Passive Resistance into Active Resistance. Active Resistance was aimed at causing direct harm to the life and property of the enemy, risking one’s own life.”
- What was the political philosophy of Aurobindo and how his political journey ended?
- For him, ‘Political freedom is a life-breath of any nation’ => Free Constitution must be there to provide for popular government => to rival Autocracy and fulfil the democratic needs and aspirations of the people. 2. Barindra ghosh, younger brother of Aurobindo Ghosh, was a revolutionary. He conducted a raid on Arms Depo at Alipore, West Bengal. 3. Aurobindo Ghosh was caught and jailed with Barindra Ghosh under the Alipore conspiracy case. 4. Barindra Ghosh was given the life imprisonment. Aurobindo Ghosh, on the other hand, was defended by C.R. Das and was eventually acquitted of all charges. 5. After the case, Aurobindo retired from active politics and settled in Puducherry. He breathed last as a philosopher saint in Aurobindo Ashram.”
- What were the factors that led to the rise of extremism?
- Three are various international and internal factors: 2. International factors: a. Ethiopia defeated Italy in 1897; Japan defeated Russia in 1905. b. The defeat of Europeans at the hands of African and Asian nations broke the invincibility of the might of west. c. This encouraged and emboldened the spirit of Indians. 3. Internal factors: a. Entry of Arya Samajists in INC – inspired by ‘Cultural Nationalism’ => they raised the slogans of Swaraj, Swadeshi and India for Indians. b. Internal politics of Bombay had a deep impact on the rise of extremism. The tension between Gokhale and Tilak started reflecting in INC. c. India Council Act 1892: further generated rift between moderates and extremists as Britishers slowly started accepting the demands. Extremists were disgruntled by the satisfaction of Moderates. The act provided for: i. 1st time the word ‘elections’ was used - indirect elections was introduced for Provincial and Central Legislature. ii. Discussion over budget was allowed - without any vote and supplementary questions.”
- What was the role of East India Company (EIC) in development of education system in India?
- When EIC came to power in India, a debate regarding the education system in India was started. 2. EIC and it’s servants, however, were not interested in interfering in social, cultural and linguistic domains - to secure it’s position in India by avoiding any protest from the people of diverse culture. 3. Thus, for over 50-60 years company continued to rule without any educational policy in India.”
- How Britishers selectively established educational institutes for their own benefit?
- Subsequently, individual efforts were made – Warren Hastings established Calcutta madrasa to understand and interpret Muslim law based criminal system. 2. Jonathan Duncan established Sanskrit College at Banaras – to understand Indian cultural system. 3. By establishing Asiatic society of Bengal, in 1784, large scale translation of ancient and mediaeval Indian texts – to understand various dimensions of Indian culture.”
- What was the progress made to promote education post 1800?
- Three base agents of educational system in India developed after 1800 were: a. EIC officials b. Christian missionaries c. Indian Intellectuals 2. After 1800, due to the efforts of Charles grant, an educational policy was started in India. Thus, he is called the ‘Father of Modern Education in India’. 3. This led to Charter Act of 1813 – a landmark in the history of education system in India. Under it, ₹1 lakh budget was to be allocated for the development of education system in India.”
- What was the ANGLICIST vs ORIENTALIST debate?
- The biggest debate regarding education system was surrounded around the medium of instruction in India – ANGLICIST vs ORIENTALIST. 2. Anglicist – favoured ENGLISH medium to promote English way of life and western temperament in India. E.g. Lord William Bentick, Lord Macaulay etc. 3. Orientalist – favoured Vernacular medium as Indians would not easily accept English and thus, derailing the whole purpose of education. E.g. Lord Hastings, James Princep etc. 4. This debate led to a deadlock and the progress of the education was stagnated. Even the funds allocated for education could not be utilised.”
- What was the role of Lord Macaulay?
- Finally, the debate was taken to higher level – in 1835, Lord William Bentick (Anglicist) appointed Lord Macaulay as the chairman of the General committee on Public Instruction. 2. Lord Macaulay, being a strong Anglicist, had the nostalgia of western sciences and literature. He opined – one book of English literature was more than the entire literature of India and Arabia put together. 3. For him – entire learning system in India is unholy and defective. He envisaged creating a class of persons called ‘Brown English Men’ - Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect. 4. This class would penetrate English way of life and perpetuate British rule in India. 5. Macaulay’s narrow perspective was bound to harm the continuity of Indian culture and would stem the British linguistic system in India. This was seen as an imposition of western values on Indian culture”
- What was Macaulay Minute and Downward Filtration theory?
- Lord Macaulay presented a Minute – came to be known as Macaulay Minute to settle Anglicist vs Orientalist debate. Under it, in 1835, British administration decided to impart Western education in English medium. 2. He opined that Mass education in India is virtually impossible. Thus, propounded the concept of ‘Downward Filtration Theory’ or ‘Trickle down Theory’. 3. According to it, the upper and Middle class should be imparted education and this would infiltrate downwards to the lower class.”
- Was Downward Filtration Theory a success?
- Britishers failed to understand the socio economic dynamic in India. They could not acknowledge the huge gap between upper and lower class due to caste complexities. 2. Thus, downward filtration theory was bound to fail in India. 3. The first encroachment on Indian culture – in courts the Persian language as the official language was replaced by English - the first Medical College was established at Calcutta in 1835 itself. 4. As the downward filtration could not materialize, relatively no progress was made in education system till 1854”
- What was the Woods Dispatch?
- Under Lord Dalhousie education system was given a fillip. Inter alia, women education, the hitherto neglected topic, was taken to debate. 2. In 1854, a committee was constituted by Lord Dalhousie under Charles Wood- the then President of the Board of Control. This was called ‘Woods Dispatch’. 3. The aim of woods dispatch was to provide for a Comprehensive Model of Indian education system. 4. Its recommendations covered elaborate planning of education from primary education to university level. Thus, it came to be also known as the Magna Carta of Indian education system.”
- What were the major recommendations of Woods Dispatch?
- A hierarchy of education system was to be developed => Primary school at block level => high school at district level => college at town level => Universities to be established at Presidency level. 2. He rejected the Downward Filtration Theory and encouraged mass education, including women education. For him traditional education systems played an important part in imparting education. 3. He vouched for a mixture of vernacular and English medium – thereby finally settling the Anglicist vs Orientalist debate. 4. Primary and secondary education to be imparted in vernacular language. English to be introduced, alongside vernaculars, at High school level. College and university education to be imparted mandatorily in English. 5. He encouraged private educational systems by providing Grant In Aid – this led to increased private educational activities by Christian Missionaries 6. Teacher training college, new post of District Educational Officer, new Educational Department in Provinces were to be established. 7. Eventually, Universities were established in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras on the basis of London university. 8. The role of universities was mainly administrative in nature – conducting examinations, curriculum, monitoring of colleges etc. Academics were yet to start in universities.”
- What was the impact of Wavell plan on the status of the Muslim league?
- Wavell Plan = Muslim League got the veto power in the assembly. The plan suddenly enhanced the position of the Muslim league. 2. Muslim league raised a point during the Shimla conference – any bill affecting the sentiment of Muslims or is opposed by the Muslims must be passed by 2/3rd of the total strength of the house. 3. This discouraged nationalist sentiments and stemmed the tasks toward a unified India.”