Chinmoy Mani
History
November 2024
The social structure of Indian society was significantly impacted by the introduction of colonial education under British rule. Originally created to further the objectives of the British Empire, it resulted in the founding of educational institutions and schools with an English curriculum that disseminated Western ideals. Although this system was essential to colonial government, one of its unforeseen outcomes was the revelation of long-standing caste-based inequality. Social reform movements emerged as a result of colonial education, and influential reformers like Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Jyotirao Phule, and Raja Ram Mohan Roy used education as a means of bringing about social change. While Phule and Ambedkar concentrated on the advancement of lower castes and women's education, Roy's Brahmo Samaj advocated for social equality and the outlawing of customs like Sati. Despite its early control-oriented design, colonial education ultimately became a powerful force for social transformation, upending the inflexible caste and gender social systems in Indian culture.
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© Airo Journals 2021
