Administration and Social Life under Vijayanagar c15.4

c15.4

But each village or each small group of villages had a pial school in which the teacher, who was generally called the vātti, taught the three R's to the children of school-going age. The school was either held in the pial of the house of the teacher or under the shade of some big tree. The remuneration of the teacher consisted of payments both in kind and cash. We have an interesting description of the working of the schools and the method of teaching followed in them, in the writings of the traveller Pietro della Valle. He says: "They (the boys) were four, and having taken the lesson from the master, in order to get the same by heart and repeat likewise their former lessons and not forget them, one of them singing musically with a certain continued tone (which hath the force of making a deep impression in the memory) recited part of the lesson; as for example, 'one by itself makes one,' and whilst he was thus speaking, he writ down the same number, not with any kind of pen, nor on paper, but (not to spend paper in vain) with his finger on the ground, the pavement being for that purpose strewed all over with very fine sand; after the first had writ what he sang, all the rest sang and writ down the same thing together. Then the first boy sang and writ down another part of the lesson; as for example, 'two by itself makes two' which all the rest repeated in the same manner, and so forward in order. When the pavement was full of figures, they put them out with the hand, and if need be strewed it over with new sand from a little heap which they had before them wherewith to write further. And thus they did as long as the exercise continu’d, in which manner likewise they told me, they learnt to read and write without spoiling paper, pens or ink which certainly is a pretty way.”¹ Thus the pial schools served as places where the young boys learnt the three R’s. According to Ibn Battuta the town of Onore contained twenty-three schools for boys and thirteen for girls.² Added to this general education the members of the different professions underwent courses of training suited to their respective professions.