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Development of Education Under Company Rule
Early Initiatives
- During the early phase of Company rule, education was not a major state priority; the principal initiatives came from individual Company officials.
- Calcutta Madrasah — 1781: Established by Warren Hastings for the study of Muslim law and related subjects.
- Sanskrit College, Benaras — 1791: Established by Jonathan Duncan for the study of Hindu law and philosophy.
- Fort William College — 1800: Established by Wellesley to train Company civil servants in Indian languages and customs; it was closed in 1802.
- Calcutta Madrasah and Sanskrit College were useful to the colonial administration because they supplied Indians trained in subjects relevant to the Company's courts, while knowledge of classical and vernacular languages facilitated correspondence with Indian states.