and of the six schools of Philosophy, which are the peculiar inheritance of the Brahmanical caste, is now neglected; while grammar, lexicology, poetical and dramatic literature, rhetoric, astrology, and medicine, to which even the Sudras were permitted access, are now monopolized by that caste. The Brahmans then possess in point of learning the position, which the lowest were once allowed to occupy; and the lower castes have suffered a corresponding declension in the scale of education." These remarks are very pertinent and just with regard to provincial education; or, in Anglo-Indian parlance, to Sanskrit as taught in the Mofussil. But they must not be understood, as they were not meant, to apply to Sanskrit as taught in large towns, and at the public colleges. In those districts, where the course of study has been looked into, or the qualifications of teachers and the attainments of pupils have been examined, the standard appears to be low. The pundits have sometimes. turned out incompetent, and the students unable to explain what they learnt. It does not appear that any sound knowledge, even to the most limited extent, is ever acquired. The pupil learns by rote from the master's mouth the meaning of the particular passage he is reading, without attempting to master the grammatical construction. The Agra and Azimgurh examinations proved this point. Neither does much attention seem to be given to poetry. The inattention to this branch was pointed out at Azimgurh as a matter of regret. What progress may have been made at Azimgurh in arithmetic, does not appear. Setting these branches aside, what can be said for the other branches of study? The astrology, in which the students do perhaps attain some proficiency, is worse than useless, nay positively injurious. The medical science of the Hindus can be of little practical benefit.

As for the Puranas, they contain a great deal which no European Government could be desirous to teach or diffuse. It is evident that they are studied simply as a means of qualification for the performance of religious duties.

Of the schools, where Sanscrit and Hindi are taught together, much need not be said. It must not be presumed from the existence of such schools, that there subsists any connexion between the two branches of study, or that the one leads to the other. Such is not the case. Mr. Adam took some pains to prove that no such relation was to be observed in the lower Provinces. They do no exist in every district. No distinct notice is required of their condition, inasmuch as they combine the characteristics ascribed above to the Hindi and Sanskrit schools separately.

Arabic schools are to be met with in small numbers almost every where. Both teachers and pupils are of course Mussulmans. The schools are usually permanent. The teachers are not highly remunerated. The course of study simply consists in learning portions of the Koran (a few Siparas) by heart, without understanding what they mean. It may be observed that six girls' schools, belonging to this class, were found in the city of Delhi (vide Appendix F. to General Report for 1846-47); they were all situated in one quarter of the town, were conducted by Punjabi women, and attended by girls of the same class. They were almost, we believe, solitary in

stances.

Even from this brief survey of the characteristics, which distinguish the various classes of schools, it is apparent that as yet the agricultural population have done but little to educate themselves; and that nearly the whole of this great work is yet before them. The only one of the great landholding castes, that possesses any thing like education, is the Brahman caste. The Mussulmans and Kayeths are to a certain extent educated; but they form but a diminutive portion of the whole. The Rajput caste certainly contributes some pupils to that number, which, we have seen, forms so small a per-centage of the juvenile population fit for education. But many, many, castes are not blessed even with the feeblest ray of light and the first attempts, that were made to penetrate this mass of darkness, were received with sinister suspicion, and were made the objects of superstitious jealousy. In Futtehpur, Allahabad, and Agra, the people concocted some preposterous legends about universal proselytism. At Muradabad, the school-masters had an impression that the investigation would destroy their livelihood, and at first withheld all the information they possessed. In many districts the ghost of the old bug-bear was conjured up again-some monster polltax must be in contemplation! So the people thought when the census was begun, and so they always think when any general enquiry is set on foot. But in one district the inves tigation communicated a wonderful impetus to education; and a number of new schools started into existence just after its

commencement.

In the foregoing pages various points of resemblance between the schools of the Upper and Lower Provinces have been incidentally adverted to. There are yet several topics in regard to which comparisons might be advantageously drawn.

It is clear from Mr. Adam's educational returns that the revolution, which has every where been more or less wrought in

Hinduism, has especially manifested itself in Bengal. There indigenous education, scanty though it be, has spread itself through all castes, from the highest to the lowest, in a manner which shows how much the levelling process has been carried on, and how much the disruption of social barriers has been effected. A tolerable proportion of the scholars belong to the lowest castes. And further these low-born scholars frequent not only the Hindi and Bengali, but the Persian, schools also; and sometimes even teach in the latter, as well as in the former. On the other hand Mussulman scholars and teachers are to be found in the Hindi and Bengali schools. The Kayasthas (or Kayeths), who once enjoyed the exclusive privilege of teaching, now find their vantage ground invaded, not only by high, but by lowcaste, Hindus, and even by Mussulmans. Nor have the Brahmans a complete monopoly even in the Sanskrit department. Some of the teachers belong to the medical caste, and among students a certain proportion own other castes besides the Brahmanical one. In many cases also the Brahmans learn Persian. This amalgamation however has not proceeded so far in Behar. There the boundary marks of ages have been partially preserved. Sanskrit is confined to the Brahmans; Vernacular teaching to the Kayeths; Persian to the Mussulmans; and utter ignorance to the low castes.

The North Western Provinces in these respects rather resemble Behar than Bengal. There the Sanskrit teachers and scholars are entirely Brahmans. The Brahmanical caste has admitted no intruders within their inviolate precincts. Nor have they ever joined in the study of the Mussulman language. The Kayeths have not kept their ancient prerogative quite intact; but their duties are shared by no other caste except the Brahmans. In the department of Mussulman education, they have gained ground, and are the only Hindu caste who teach Persian. The appearance of any other Hindu caste, as pupils in these schools, is rare. The Mussulmans do not venture out of their own sphere, nor do they ever figure either as teachers or scholars in the Hindi schools; as for the inferior castes, the numerical proportion of any caste, except Brahmans, Kayeths, Rajputs, and Bunniahs, is too small to be calculated; and the presence of low-caste scholars is a thing unknown. So that there is a liberality of sentiment (we might call it latitudinarianism) pervading indigenous education in Bengal, which is not to be met with in the N. W. Provinces.

The indigenous schools of Bengal also excel those of the Upper Provinces in respect of the instruction given. We have before stated that in the Hindi schools of the N. W. Provinces,

instruction is limited to accounts, commercial and agricultural. For Bengal and Behar, Mr. Adam gives the following table :

The two latter districts belong to Behar, and, as before remarked, resemble the Upper rather than the Lower Provinces. Mr. Adam observes that "with regard to the nature of these works, the employment of the Amara Kosha, the Ashta Sabdi, Ashta Dhatu, Sabda Subanta, and the verses of Chanakya, as schoolbooks in some of the Vernacular schools of the Bengal districts, indicates a higher grade of instruction, than that previously believed to exist in these schools. With the exception of the verses of Chanakya, the other works mentioned are grammatical; and their use is said to have been at one time general, which would imply that they are the remains of a former superior system of popular instruction." It will be interesting to prosecute this latter point of enquiry, and to ascertain (if possible) how far popular instruction of former ages excelled that of the present. But we apprehend that the extension of knowledge to the lowest castes must be the fruit of purely modern times. There are no data for inferring that the state of indigenous education in the Upper Provinces was ever otherwise than at present, except that there are grounds for supposing that the schools have increased numerically of late years. Such was proved to be the case at Delhi, where some educational records of the year 1826 were discovered.

The manner, in which Mr. Adam speaks of the Sanskrit instruction in the Lower Provinces, indicates that the pundits are more learned, and the scholars better grounded in what they acquire, than in the Upper Provinces. Mr. Adam shows by some tables, that those who avail themselves principally of Vernacular

education, belong determinately neither to the agricultural nor to the commercial community, and may be considered as a nondescript class, who expect to gain their livelihood as writers, accountants, &c. This rule is applicable to the N. W. Provinces, especially so far as it implies that Vernacular education is at present but little sought for by the purely agricultural classes.

We proceed to offer a few remarks on the respective uses and relative advantages of the four great classes of indigenous schools established in the N. W. Provinces.

The Hindi class of schools is undoubtedly the most practical and comprehensive in its effects, and extends its influence to the greatest number of people. It supplies just the information, which the agriculturists want. It invariably flourishes most in the rural villages and in the purely agricultural parts of the country. The schools are represented, by those who have examined them, to be capable, nay readily susceptible, of amelioration. They are, in their very nature and constitution, open to improvement. The institutions are transitory; therefore they want support. The teachers are poorer than those of the other schools; therefore they most need assistance. They are neither incumbered, nor over-awed by the prejudices of priesthood, sect, ceremonial religion, or superstition; therefore they are more likely to accept advice. Government is able to supply all these desiderata. And, in return, these schools are able to teach those people, whom Government most wishes to be taught.

The Persian schools are mainly kept up by that class, from whom Government draws most of its employeés. The attainments of the pupils are merely linguistic. They are pronounced, by those who have observed them most, to be not capable of material improvement. There is little or no chance of making them better than they are. They stand less in need of extraneous assistance. The advantage then of their being aided by Government at any cost or trouble is questionable. At the same time their existence is not without its use, supposing that they tend in any way to spread a knowledge of Persian among the landholders. Mr. Adam says that, in the Lower Provinces," Persian must be pronounced to have a strong hold upon native society." Such was also the case a few years ago in the Upper Provinces; but of late years the Delhi Society has done much to supplant Persian and to substitute Urdu. Persian is of course the key to Urdu: the written character of the two languages is the same. And Urdu is the legal and the fiscal language of the country-the special tongue of that class, which furnishes the officials of Government. Mr. Fink,