Education in Ancient India c13.s1.3

c13.s1.3

Secular Studies tend to be neglected:—The majority of teachers in ancient India were priests, as was the case all over the ancient world. They did not exploit their position for promoting any selfish ends of their own, but they had the natural limitations of their class. When the even balance that was for a long time successfully held in Hindu society between the claims of religious and secular life (*Dharma-Moksha* versus *Artha-Kāma*) was disturbed, religious and semi-religious studies got undue predominance in the educational system. Secular sciences like history, economics, politics, mathematics and astronomy did not receive as much attention as theology, philosophy, ritualism and sacred law. Commerce and industry and fine and useful arts made no appreciable progress during the last 1500 years or so, because those in charge of education showed no keen interest in them. It may however be pointed out that down to the 18th century, educationalists in Europe also regarded religious studies as the most important constituents of the educational course; many of them like Franke and Comenius held that all children should be instructed above all things in the vital knowledge of God and Christ.¹