Class 8 Note Book Civilising Natives H CH - 7
Class 8 Note Book Civilising Natives H CH - 7
Q1. Why did William Jones feel the need to study Indian history,
philosophy and law?
Ans 1. William Jones felt the need to study Indian history philosophy and
law due to the following reasons:
William Jones had a deep respect for ancient cultures, both of India and the
West.
He thought that Indian civilization had attained its glory in the ancient past,
but had subsequently declined.
He believed that in order to understand India. It was necessary to discover
the sacred and legal texts of ancient periods.
Q2. Why did James Mill and Thomas Macaulay think that European
education was essential in India?
Ans 2. James Mill was a severe critic of Orientalists.
He thought that European education was essential in India because:
The knowledge of the East was full of errors and unscientific
thoughts.
The aim of education ought to be teach what was useful and
practical.
Thomas Macaulay suggested that:
India was an uncivilized country that needed to be civilized.
No branch of Eastern knowledge could be compared to Western
knowledge. Oriental learning was of no practical use.
Q3. What do you mean by Orientalists?
Ans: Orientalists are those who were famous scholars in the language and
culture of Asia.
Answer: The Court of Directors of the East India Company in London sent
an educational despatch to the Governor- General in India in the year
1854. As the despatch was issued by Charles Wood, the President of the
Board of Control of the Company, it came to be known as Wood’s
Despatch.
Wood’s Despatch outlined the educational policy that was to be followed in
India.
It criticized the Oriental knowledge and emphasized the need of
European learning. Because it was full of errors and unable to instill
in people a sense of duty and a commitment to work.
The Despatch made it clear that European learning would enable
Indians to recognize the benefits that would flow from the expansion
of trade and commerce. It would also make them see the importance
of developing country’s resources. Indians needed to adopt
European ways of life because this would change their tastes and
desires and create a demand for British goods.
Wood’s Despatch further argued that European learning would
improve the moral character of the people of India. It would make
them honest and reliable and thus supply trusted civil servants to the
Company.
The Despatch strongly criticized the literature of the East because it
was full of errors and unable to instill in people a sense of duty and a
commitment to work.
Q8. What were the differences between the educational views of
Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore?
Answer: In many senses Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi thought about
education in similar ways. There were, however, differences too. Gandhiji
was highly critical of Western civilization and its worship of machines and
technology.
Tagore wanted to combine elements of modern Western civilization with
what he saw as the best within Indian tradition. He emphasized the need to
teach science and technology at Santiniketan, along with art, music and
dance.
Q9. Why did many company officials in India want to promote Indian
rather than western learning?
Ans. 1. Many Company officials thought that the British should encourage
Indian learning rather than Western learning. This is due to the fact that
they believed that institutions should be established to promote the study of
old Indian scriptures as well as to teach Sanskrit and Persian language and
poetry.
2. The administrators also believed that Hindus and Muslims should be
taught what they were already familiar with, as well as what they respected
and treasured, rather than subjects that were unfamiliar to them.
3. Only then, they reasoned, could the British hope to win the hearts of the
“natives”; only then could the alien rulers expect to be revered by their
subjects.
Q10. What type of education did Mahatma Gandhi want in India?
Ans.1. Mahatma Gandhi desired an education that would assist Indians in
regaining their dignity and self-esteem.
2. Mahatma Gandhi was adamant that Indian languages be used as a
medium of instruction. Indians were “strangers in their own lands” as a
result of their English education, which crippled them and separated them
from their own social circumstances.
3. He contended that education should foster the development of both the
mind and the soul. Literacy, or merely learning to read and write, did not
constitute education.
4. People had to labour with their hands, master a craft, and understand
how various machines worked. This would help to strengthen their brains
and understanding.
Q11.How were the irregularities of pathshalas checked by the
Company?
Ans. The Company took extensive measures to strengthen the system of
vernacular education.
1. It assigned several government pandits, each in charge of four or five
schools. The pandit’s job was to visit the pathshalas and strive to
enhance the teaching standards.
2. Each guru was required to produce periodic reports and attend
classes on a regular basis. Learning would be assessed through an
annual examination system.
3. Students were required to pay a regular tuition, attend regular
classes, sit in assigned seats, and follow the new disciplinary
procedures.
Q12. Write a note on Rabindranath Tagore and his school
Shantiniketan.
Ans. Rabindranath Tagore desired to construct a school where children
might be joyful and free to explore their thoughts and passions without
feeling repressed.
1. He advocated for providing children with natural environments in
which to foster their innate creativity.
2. Rabindranath Tagore founded Shantiniketan in 1901 with the
aforementioned principles in mind.
3. Tagore believed that existing schools were suffocating children’s
inherent learning to be creative. As a result, it was critical to assist
them in developing their interest by giving them with strong teachers
who could comprehend them.
4. He accomplished an excellent work in the realm of education by
building an institution such as Shantiniketan.
Q13. Who established the Asiatic Society of Bengal?
Ans. The Asiatic Society was founded by Sir William Jones in January
1784.
Q14. Why was Calcutta Madrasa set up?
Answer: Calcutta Madrasa was set up to promote the study of Arabic,
Persian and Islamic law.