Impact of Society, Culture & Education Policy

 Impact on Society & Culture

  • The Indian society underwent many changes after the advent of britishers in India.
  • In the 19th century, social practices like female infanticide child marriage, sati, polygamy and caste system where prevalent women were discriminated against at all stages of life.
  • The British brought in new ideas of Liberty, Equality and Freedom from Renaissance, the reformation movement that took place in Europe.
  • These ideas appealed to some sections of the society. The movements led by leaders like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Aruna Asaf Ali look for social unity and strive towards Liberty equality and fraternity.
  • Introduced to improve the status of women for example the prohibition of the Sati in 1829 by Lord Bentick. In 1872, a law was passed that legalised inter caste and inter communal marriage. Slavery was declared illegal. With Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar's assistance, the Widow Remarriage Act was passed by Lord Dalhousie in 1856.
  • Vidyasagar also campaigned against child marriage and polygamy.
  • The cruel custom of offering little children as sacrifice to please God, practised by certain tribes, was banned by Governor General Lord Hardinge.
Impact on Education Policy
  • The Britishers introduced the English language in India.
  • The reason for educating Indians in the English language was to prepare them to work as clerks on low wages for the Britishers.
  • This was aimed at reducing the expenditure on administration.
  • It was also expected to create a class of Indians who are loyal to the Britishers.
  • In addition, they would also increase the market for British goods in India.
  • The charter act of 1813 sanctioned Rs 1 lakh for promoting Western Sciences in India.
  • This amount was to be used for teaching Western ideas and literature through the medium of English language alone.
  • The Woods Dispatch of 1854 asked the government to assume responsibility for the education of the masses.
  • Departments of Education were instituted at all provinces and affiliated universities were opened in Calcutta, Madras and Bombay in 1857.
  • The English language and western ideas had some positive impact on the society as leaders like Swami Vivekananda, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar used the Western ideas of liberalism and democracy and used it to reform the non humanitarian social and religious practices of the time.
  • It also helped the Indians to adopt a modern, rational, democratic and liberal outlook.
  • English became the lingua franca of the educated people in India.
  • It made them politically aware of their rights and gave them the opportunity to study in England and learn about the working of the democratic institutions.

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