Ancient Indian Education: An Inquiry into its Origin, Development, and Ideals c7.85

c7.85

It must be remembered that Muhammadan education was at best confined, to a very large extent, to that minority of the population which embraced the religion of Islam. At first this minority was very small, and it has never included more than about one-fifth of the population. For centuries the Muhammadans were little more than an armed garrison in a foreign land, and though many inhabitants of India joined the Muhammadan religion the learned class of the Brāhmans held firmly to their old faith. In spite of this, however, the extent and influence of the Muhammadan education in India was by no means inconsiderable. Its fluctuating and uncertain character was very largely the result of despotic rule which indulged in sudden impulses and afforded no certainty of the continuance of any new undertaking, as shown in the many Delhis which were built and deserted. The same happened in the case of the madrasahs. Moreover the poverty of the country and the rapacity of officials stifled the popular demand for education. The maktab attached to the mosque was probably the most permanent of Muhammadan educational institutions in India, and those of them which taught Persian, a language which was required for official use, were resorted to even by Hindus who wished to acquire this language, and thus had an influence on a considerable proportion of the population. They formed part of that system of popular elementary education which will be described in a later chapter.¹