Minute on Macaulay’s Education
The idea that education can be brought upon people in different forms and from different
places, is one that many share. Although it is important to consider the varying education
between countries and approach it with an open mind as there is much to learn from others,
Thomas Babington Macauly did not believe so himself. In his essay, “Minute On Indian
Education” (1835), British politician Macaulay was set to convince his audience that Indian
languages, history, and its education in general was worthless. He argued that the education
taught in the schools were not valuable compared to his home nation’s teachings. Macaulay’s
nationalistic views are revealed in his harsh comparisons, his use of historical allusions, along
with his false reasonings, enforcing his opinion of westernizing the Indian education and culture.
Regarding the theme of education more generally, Macaulay “believes” in education and its
ability to create a more developed country, but this idea is flawed in that he only really believes
in western education and not truly educating or developing himself.
Macaulay makes several comparisons of education in his address to the Council. When
regarding historical text, Macaulay’s views are very clear. He believes information the Sanskrit
historical records are, “less valuable than what may be found in the most paltry abridgments used
at preparatory schools in England,” (Macaulay 136). Here, he voices that historical information
of India has less worth than what is taught to children in England. He has degraded one form of
education for another. This is hypocritical in that he is for education, but only a certain kind as he
completely dismisses any worth of Indian records and history. Moreover, when mentioning his
findings after talking with those who are proficient in Eastern tongues, Macaulay states that they
all agreed that, “a good European library was worth the whole native literature of India and
Arabia,” (Macaulay, 136). Again, Macaulay compared one type of education to another, more
specifically literature. Literature is a great part of education, yet Macaulay is completely denying
this entire form of education of the natives in favor of his own, more importantly, without
knowing anything about the literature of India and Arabia himself. The use of comparisons
between Indian and European aspects of education reveal that in Macaulay's eyes, education is
only selectively valuable.
To further support his argument of implementing a more valuable education and give his
argument credibility, Macaulay employs historical allusions. He comments that the British can
do for India what the Greeks and Romans did for England as “the literature of England is now
more valuable than that of classical antiquity” (Macaulay 138). He concludes that English
literature became more valuable because of this new education. Next, he regards the western
impact on Russia. Macaulay how Russia was barbaric but became prosperous through “teaching
[them] those foreign languages in which the greatest mass of information had been laid up”
(Macaulay 138). This belief of the power of western languages and education over “barbaric”
societies reveals that Macaulay considers the Indian people as lesser and underdeveloped not
because they do not receive education, but because they do not receive the same education as he
had. Essentially, Macaulay communicates that the education he wants to provide will “save”
them from their own teachings as he believes in the power of education but fails to consider the
power of India’s own education.
Macaulay makes use of logical fallacies to further his argument of the power of
education. Macaulay’s reasoning behind implementing new education in India is flawed.
Macaulay appears to be for education, but in fact is not willing to educate himself. More
specifically, Macaulay states that he has not read any Indian text and that he has “no knowledge
of either Sanskrit or Arabic” (Macaulay 138). This reveals his false reasoning in that he does not
even know anything about an education that he is trying to change through implementing a
different kind of education that otherwise he himself is familiar with. Additionally, Macaulay
reveals to his audience his idea of unwillingness to educate himself. He wishes to “stop the
printing of Arabic and Sanskrit books…(and) abolish the Mudrassa and the Sanskrit College at
Calcutta '' (Macaulay 144). Through this quote, Macaulay’s true goals for the country are made
very clear, additionally revealing his true opinions on Indian education as a whole. This implies
his resistance to education when it does not favor his taught beliefs. Although he wants the
people of India to become educated, he is not willing to educate himself.
Macauly has evidently been educated in a certain way to think these harsh ideas toward
the Indian people, wanting to change their entire education system. On the other hand though,
Macaulay evidently lacked education specifically about the Indian people in that he had no
respect for them and their culture, history, language, and education. His view on education is that
the people of India have it all wrong and should adopt the western ways not only regarding
education in school but also the education of “taste, options, and morals” (Macaulay 143).
Macaulay is for education education and believes in its strength and power to create a more
developed and prosperous country, but he actually only truly believes in western education and
not even educating and developing himself and his ways of thinking.