The East India Company's Education of its Own Servants

John Bowen

doi:10.1017/S0035869X00114029

The East India Company's Education of its Own Servants

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2011

John Bowen

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During the eighteenth century the East India Company did not consider the education of its own European civil servants as a necessary care. Appointment was by patronage, and it was assumed that the parents and friends of a writer would have subjected him to the ordinary education of his class. With no more than this background a young writer would sail for India at the age of about seventeen years. The Indian Service was confined to comparatively few families and he might reasonably expect to find relatives or friends of relatives at any of the three Presidencies, and these would give him hospitality and guidance. His initial employment would be as a copying clerk; as such hewould become familiar with the routine of the service before being given a post of responsibility. The only concession made by the Company to his need for any other instruction than that given by his daily employment was the payment to him of a Munshi's allowance, so that he might hire an Indian to teach him Persian and the local language.

Type: Articles
Information: Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society , Volume 87 , Issue 3-4 , October 1955 , pp. 105 - 123

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0035869X00114029 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1955

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^{page 105 note 1} As late as 1800 this was the view held by the President of the Board of Control. Dundas to Wellesley, 4th September, 1800. Add. MSS. 37275, ff. 189–190.

^{page 105 note 2} Davies, C. C., An Historical Atlas of the Indian Peninsular, p. 58Google Scholar. An examination of maps 25, 26, and 28 in this atlas will give some indication of the extent to which territories administered by the Company increased from 1772 to 1805.

^{page 106 note 1} Public letter from Bengal of 25th December, 1798. I have used the extract from this letter to be found in Home Misc., 488, ff. 1–4.

^{page 106 note 2} Mornington to Dundas, 24th October, 1799. Quoted in the Despatches, Minutes and Correspondence of the Marquess Wellesley K.G. During His Administration in India, ed. Martin, Montgomery (London, 1836), Vol. II, p. 132Google Scholar.

^{page 106 note 3} Public letter to Bengal of 7th May, 1800, extracted in Home Misc., 488, ff. 5–6.

^{page 106 note 4} I have used the copy of the Notes to be found in Home Misc., 488, ff. 19–142. There is also a copy in Home Misc., 487.

^{page 108 note 1} Brown, a friend of Charles Grant the Elder, then a Director, went to India to superintend the Free School at Calcutta, and was later appointed chaplain to the Presidency.

^{page 108 note 2} Chaplain at Barrackpore.

^{page 108 note 3} This is conjecture. The original letter, which would be endorsed on the back with the date of arrival and the ship conveying it, is not to be found in the Volume of Letters from Bengal of that year. The MSS. preserved in Home Misc., 487 and 488, are copies and so do not carry this information. But letters dispatched from Bengal at the same time have been received by Princess Mary on 11th April, 1801, and we know that on 10th May, David Scott, then Chairman of the Court, wrote to Cornwallis to thank him for an opinion on the proposed College. (See the Correspondence of David Scott, ed. Phillips, C. H.. Camden Society, Third Series, LXXVI, Vol. II, p. 306Google Scholar.)

^{page 108 note 4} “The papers . . . were put into my hands at the end of the last Direction, in order to prepare the heads of such an answer as would be likely to meet the sentiments of the Court.” Grant to the Rev. David Brown, 19th June, 1801. (Quoted in The Life of Charles Grant, by Morris, Henry, p. 241Google Scholar.)

^{page 109 note 1} Home Misc., 487, ff. 193–236.

^{page 109 note 2} See also the letter from Grant to Brown quoted above, which lists the objections as the Court saw them.

^{page 109 note 3} Phillips, C. H., The East India Company, 1784 to 1834 (Manchester University Press, 1940), pp. 19–22Google Scholar, describes the system in detail.

^{page 110 note 1} European MSS., F. 18/1, f. 179.

^{page 110 note 2} Letters From Bengal, Vol. 40. The folios of this volume are not numbered. This is duly endorsed on the back with the date of receipt.

^{page 110 note 3} Sweeney Toone, a Director, wrote to Hastings on 12th July, 1801, that the plan “appeared to the Court in General to be extravagant. . . . However he had done it, and there appeared to be a disposition in the Court not to blame anything which was sanctioned by his Lordship”. Add. MSS. 29177, f. 38. This letter has been inaccurately dated “1799” by some later hand. It could not have been written in that year and an examination of the seal confirms the year “1801”.

^{page 110 note 4} London Chronicle, Thursday, 17th December, 1801.

^{page 110 note 5} Draft No. 23. Home Misc., 487, ff. 245–256.

^{page 111 note 1} Written into para. 10 of the draft in red ink. Ibid., f. 254.

^{page 111 note 2} “And we cannot dismiss this subject without repeating our high approbation of the public spirit and conspicuous talents of the Marquess Wellesley in the conception and arrangement of a plan which under other circumstances of the Company's finances we should have thought deserving of the most serious consideration.” Added to the draft in red ink. Ibid., f. 254.

^{page 111 note 3} Dartmouth to Scott, 20th January, 1803 (Phillips, op. cit., Vol. II, p. 414).

^{page 111 note 4} Letter of 5th August, 1802, copied in Home Misc., 487, ff. 263–353.

^{page 112 note 1} These duties, the Court noted in a letter to the Board of 1st July, 1803, had originally been abolished by Cornwallis “on account of their injurious effects on commerce”. Ibid., f. 417.

^{page 112 note 2} Copied extracts of the will are to be found in Home Misc., 488, ff. 165–180.

^{page 112 note 3} Home Misc., 504, f. 349.

^{page 112 note 4} Castlereagh to Wellesley, 28th April, 1803 (Martin, op. cit., Vol. Ill, p. 379).

^{page 113 note 1} Board Minutes, Vol. 2, f. 419.

^{page 113 note 2} Home Misc., 487, ff. 379–386. It was not usual for the Board to initiate drafts in this manner, though they might suggest that a draft should be made.

^{page 113 note 3} Ibid., ff. 391–428.

^{page 113 note 4} Ibid., ff. 428–556.

^{page 114 note 1} Home Misc., 489, ff. 7–28.

^{page 114 note 2} Ibid., ff. 65–70.

^{page 114 note 3} Memorials of Old Haileybury College, ed. Danvers, F. C. (Constable, 1894)Google Scholar. From the Introduction, pp. 17–18.

^{page 114 note 4} They were allowed free board and lodging with a salary of not more than £500 per annum, Bengal Despatches, Vol. 49, ff. 457–8, 7th September, 1808, paras. 6–8. (In fact, the Bengal Government had engaged a certain Abdul Ali to teach at the College on a salary of £600 per annum. The Court pointed out that this was £100 more than the professors themselves received and that, reckoning free commons and quarters into the amount, £500 would be quite enough.) See also Public Letters From Madras, Vol. 4, ff. 244–6, letter of 10th January, 1812, paras. 84–5. The Madras Government asked that students for Madras should study Sanscrit (which is a base for Tamil and Telegu) and be given the option of studying either Persian or Hindustani. Telegu was, in fact, taught at Haileybury from 1825, Hindi and Marathi from 1827.

^{page 115 note 1} Bengal Despatches, Vol. 48, ff. 295–6, 2nd 03, 1808, para. 7Google Scholar.

^{page 115 note 2} Home Misc., 79, ff. 684–5. Extract from the Court Minutes of 14th January, 1806.

^{page 115 note 3} Bengal Despatches, Vol. 48, ff. 201–6, 26th 02, 1808, para. 75Google Scholar.

^{page 115 note 4} Memorials of Old Haileybury College. From the Memoir by Sir Monier Monier-Williams, p. 51.

^{page 115 note 5} 53 George III, c. 155, sections 44–6.

^{page 115 note 6} Substance of the Speech of Lord Grenville on the Motion Made by the Marquis Wellesley in the House of Lords on Friday, the 9th of April, 1813, for the Production of Certain Papers on Indian Affairs (London, 1813), pp. 31 and 68–9Google Scholar.

^{page 115 note 7} A Letter to the Right Hon. Lord Grenville Occasioned by Some Observations of his Lordship on the East India Company's Establishment for the Education of their Civil Servants, by the RevMalthus, T. R. (London, 1813)Google Scholar.

^{page 116 note 1} MrJackson, Randle, speaking at a General Court on 18th 12, 1816. Asiatic Journal, Vol. III, p. 156Google Scholar.

^{page 116 note 2} See the Asiatic Journal, Vol. III, pp. 150–165, 167–190, 254–277, 368–383, 569–607; Vol. IV, pp. 47, 56–81, 157–179, 263–300, 378–388; Vol. XVII pp. 314–344, 381–420, 521–541.

^{page 116 note 3} Sessional Papers, 1831–2, Vol. V, p. 55.

^{page 116 note 4} Memorials of Old Haileybury College, p. 104.

^{page 116 note 5} Statements Respecting the East India Company With an Appeal to Facts in Refutation of the Charges Lately Brought Against it in the Court of Proprietors, by the RevMalthus, T. R. (London: John Murray, 1817), p. 55Google Scholar.

^{page 117 note 1} Le Bas to Archdeacon Hale, 20th January, 1843. Memorials of Old Haileybury College, p. 58.

^{page 117 note 2} Sessional Papers, 1831–2, Vol. IV, p. 24.

^{page 117 note 3} Letters of the Board of Control to the East India Company, Vol. 11, f. 151.

^{page 117 note 4} Ibid., f. 171.

^{page 117 note 5} Memorials of Old Haileybury College, p. 123.

^{page 118 note 1} 1 Victoria, c. 70.

^{page 118 note 2} Canon Heaviside wrote to Monier-Williams, on 17th 05, 1893, “H. Melvill was always out-voted.” Memorials of Old Haileybury College, p. 124Google Scholar.

^{page 119 note 1} Revenue Despatches To Bombay, Vol. 2, ff. 171–2. Letter of 14th July, 1819, para. 57.

^{page 119 note 2} Public Letters From Bombay, Vol. 9, ff. 261–278. Letter of 29th August, 1821, paras. 59–79.

^{page 119 note 3} Public Despatches To Bombay, Vol. 6, ff. 485–499. Letter of 11th June, 1823, paras. 2–16.

^{page 119 note 4} Public Letters From Bombay, Vol. 10, ff. 479–83. Letter of 11th August, 1824, paras. 3–7.

^{page 119 note 5} Public Despatches To Bombay, Vol. 7, ff. 396–8. Letter of 21st September, 1825, paras. 4–6.

^{page 119 note 6} Public Letters From Bombay, Vol. 12, ff. 224–5. Letter of 1st November, 1827, paras. 4–6.

^{page 119 note 7} Public Despatches To Bombay, Vol. 8, ff. 692–6. Letter of 18th February, 1829, paras. 3–6.

^{page 120 note 1} Madras Despatches, Vol. 29, ff. 234–5. Letter of 12th March, 1802, para. 18.

^{page 120 note 2} Home Misc. 488. “Statement of the Measures Adopted for the Education of the Company's Civil Servants.” Undated. Unsigned, ff. 743–761.

^{page 120 note 3} Public Despatches To Madras, Vol. 3, ff. 497–500. Letter of 2nd April, 1813, para. 45.

^{page 120 note 4} The Proclamation is printed in Sessional Papers, 1831–2, Vol. 5, Appendix L, pp. 680–1. See also Public Letters From Madras, Vol. 4, ff. 247–257. Letter of 10th January, 1812, pares. 89–101.

^{page 120 note 5} Public Despatches To Madras, Vol. 3, ff. 492–4. Letter a/q, paras. 42–3.

^{page 121 note 1} Public Letters From Madras, Vol. 4, ff. 657–9. Letter of 31st December, 1813, para. 118.

^{page 121 note 2} Sessional Papers, 1831–2, Vol. 5, Appendix L, pp. 650–2. Prints a letter of the Civil Finance Committee dated 1st October, 1829.

^{page 121 note 3} Home Misc., 488, ff. 525–540. The Board had written a letter to the Court of Directors, suggesting that the Bishop and Archdeacon of Calcutta should be appointed to these two offices. The Chairs replied tartly in a letter of 5th July, 1814, that the offices had been abolished in 1807. “The College is now under the gratuitous management and control of some of the most respectable members of the Presidency.”

^{page 121 note 4} Ibid., ff. 541–603. Edward Strachey was at that time Second Judge of the Provincial Court of Appeal at Dacca.

^{page 122 note 1} Public Letters From Bengal, Vol. 6, ff. 320–9. Letter of 23rd June, 1814, paras. 312–325.

^{page 122 note 2} Home Misc., 488, ff. 743–761. “Statement” a/q. The suggestion is from an opinion by the Accountant-General.

^{page 122 note 3} Bengal Despatches, Vol. 113, ff. 891–910. Letter of 20th July, 1830, paras. 3–13.

^{page 122 note 4} Sessional Papers, 1831–2, Vol. 5, Appendix L, pp. 660–675. The correspondence between the Governor-General and the Council in Calcutta, together with other papers relevant to the closing days of the College are printed in this Appendix.

^{page 123 note 1} Sessional Papers, 1831–2, Vol. IV, p. 24.

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