Question

What exactly did Macaulay mean when he wrote that “a single shelf of a good European library was worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia”? And why should he want to make Indians “English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect”? How does this relate to the ‘civilising mission’ mentioned at the start of the chapter? Ask your teacher to guide a class debate on these questions.

Answer 1

Macaulay’s statement shows that he believed European literature and knowledge were superior to the traditional learning of India and Arabia. He wanted British-style education and the English language to become more important in India.

He wanted Indians to become “English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect” so that they would adopt British ideas, values, and ways of thinking. This would also help the British administration by creating educated Indians who could work within the colonial system.

This idea was closely connected to the “civilising mission” mentioned in the chapter. The British claimed that they were bringing education, progress, and civilisation to India. However, this also meant undermining Indian languages, traditions, and knowledge systems and spreading British cultural influence. Thus, education became both a tool of colonial rule and a way of promoting British ideas in India.