- Sanskrit College at Benaras William Jones
- Calcutta Madrasa Warren Hastings
- Fort William College Arthur Wellesley
Which of the pairs given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 3 only
Answer: (b) Pair 1 is not correctly matched: The first generation of British administrators in India like Warren Hastings, William Jones and Jonathan Duncan popularised the view that India had a glorious past which had subsequently degenerated. These scholars and administrators were called Orientalists. They were keen to learn and propagate Indian languages and traditions. This, they thought, would ensure a better understanding of India which would eventually strengthen their rule over this country. Hence, in 1794, Jonathan Duncan founded the Sanskrit College at Benares.
Pair 2 is correctly matched: Warren Hastings set up Calcutta Madrasa in 1781 for the study and learning of Persian and Arabic. This was done as the British hoped to win a place in the hearts of the “natives”; only then could the alien rulers expect to be respected by their subjects.
Pair 3 is not correctly matched: There was a strong urge to make local British administrators familiar with Indian culture and tradition. Fort William College founded by Richard Wellesley in 1801 to train the young British recruits to the civil service in India was meant to serve primarily this purpose. This college became an important center for producing knowledge on and about India. It had many departments devoted exclusively to research on Indian languages and literature.
