Historical Background

India Education Historical Background:


The Vedas, Puranas, Ayurveda,Yoga, Kautilya's Arthasahtra are only some of the milestones that

the traditional Indian knowledge system boasts of. There are evidences of imparting formal

education in ancient India under the Gurukul system.



Under the Gurukul system, young boys who were passing through the Brahmacharya stage of life

had to stay at the Guru or the teacher's home and complete their education.

Although the ancient system of education has produced many geniuses and still a major area of

research, it was hardly egalitarian. Women and people of lower castes gradually lost their

right to educate themselves. The spread of Jainism, Buddhism, Bhakti and Sufi movements did

have some liberating effects on the condition of the women, sudras and atisudras. But it is

the English language and the reformation movements of the 19th century that had the most

liberating effect in pre-independent India. Thus, the Britishers, although rightly criticized

for devastating the Indian economy, can also be credited for bringing a revolution in the

Indian education system.