British colonial education in India, promoted under the policy frame of ‘filteration’, barely reached the remote recesses of the empire. Permeation was sluggish and growth uneven. A case in point would be the tribal hinterland of Chhotanagpur in Bengal province. This article shows that while parts of Bengal led colonial India in educational growth, places like Chhotanagpur, in stark contrast to centres such as Calcutta, remained largely untouched. This, despite the fact, that the system was introduced as early as 1839 (as a local project at the behest of the concerned official) in Chhotanagpur. Not only that, the system so introduced also received considerable impetus in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century from the colonial agenda of ‘civilizing’ the ‘barbarians’. For this task, the government usually relied upon the services of missionaries. The efforts of the missionaries, their humanitarian attitude toward the tribals notwithstanding, were ineluctably marred by the constraints of their mission field and prejudiced missionary paradigm. Owing to which, the missionaries were unable to devise a pro-tribal educational policy, thus leading to the tribals receiving the faulty system on their own terms. While the tribals valorized certain aspects of the system, they were, unlike elsewhere, unable to further develop the system through indigenous initiative.
Adam, William (1838), Third Report on the State of Education in Bengal, Calcutta, Bengal Orphan Press.
2.
Adivasi (1939), (Mahasabha Special Issue), March 1939.
3.
Bara, Joseph (2000), ‘Christian Missionaries and Popular Education in India’, Indian Social Science Review, Vol. 2: 2, pp. 301–33.
4.
Bara, Joseph (2007), ‘Colonialism, Christianity and the Tribes of Chhotanagpur in East India, 1845–1890’, South Asia, Vol. XXX: 2.
5.
Bara, Joseph (2005), ‘Seeds of Mistrust: Tribal and Colonial Perspectives on Education in Chhotanagpur, 1834–1850’, History of Education, Vol. 34: 6.
6.
Barooah, N.K. (1970), David Scott in North-East India, 1802–1831: A Study in British Paternalism, New Delhi.
7.
Barpujari, H.K. (1985), The American Missionaries and the North-East India (1836–1900 AD), Guwahati.
8.
Bhattacharya, S., J. Bara and C.R. Yagati, eds (2003), Educating the Nation: Documents on the Discourse of National Education in India 1880–1920, New Delhi.
9.
Biswas, Arun Kumar (2001), Father Eugene Lafont of St Xavier’s College, Kolkata and the Contemporary Science Movement, Kolkata.
10.
Bose, Sheela (1978), ‘A Study in Mass Education Policy of the Government of Bengal (1854–1882)’ (1978), Bengal: Past and Present, Vol. XCVII: 185.
11.
Buckland, C.E. (1976), Bengal under the Lieutenant Governors, Vol. I, New Delhi.
12.
Chota Nagpore Catholic Cooperative Credit Society, Report of the Director for the Registrar, 1923.
13.
Chotanagpur Diocesan Paper, Vol. 28: 110, October 1949.
14.
Clarysse, L. (1985), Father Constant Lievens, Ranchi.
15.
Correspondence Relative to the Expediency of Raising an Educational Cess in Bengal, Shimla, 1870.
16.
Correspondence with Government (misc.). Jesuit Archives, Ranchi.
17.
De Sa, Fidelis (1975), Crisis in Chota Nagpur: With Special Reference to the Judicial Conflict between Jesuit Missionaries and Government Officials, Bangalore.
18.
DiBona, Joseph ed. (1983), One Teacher One School: The Adam Reports on Indigenous Education, Delhi, Biblia Implex.
19.
Dublin University Mission to Chotanagpur Working under the SPG in Foreign Parts: Seventh Annual Report for the year 1896, Dublin, 1897.
20.
Dutt, Baboo Harashunker (1870), ‘On the Rise, Progress and Objects of the Free Church Institution in Calcutta’, Transactions of the Proceedings of the Bethune Society, Calcutta.
21.
Education File. Archbishop’s House, Ranchi.
22.
Fraser, A.G. (1920), Village Schools in India, London.
23.
Fraser, Sir Andrew H.L. (1911), Among Indian Rajahs and Ryots: A Civil Servant’s Recollections of and Impressions of Thirty-seven Years of Work in the Central Provinces and Bengal, London, second edition.
24.
General Report on Public Instruction in the Lower Provinces of Bengal, 1864–1884.
25.
Gharbandhu 1900–30.
26.
Ghurye, G.S. (1943), The Aborigines—So-called—and Their Future, Poona, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics.
27.
Government of Bihar & Orissa, Education and Development, Education, File No. IIE—I22, 1930.
28.
Government of Bihar & Orissa, Education Department, Education Branch, File No. III E—40, 1926.
29.
Government of Bihar & Orissa, Proceedings, Education, ‘A’, No. 43, June 1913.
30.
Government of Bihar & Orissa, Quinquennial Report on Public Instruction for 1922–27.
31.
Government of Bihar and Orissa, Education Branch, Education, File No. VI E-17, 1922.
32.
Government of Bihar and Orissa, Education Department, Education Branch, File No. III E—50, 1926.
33.
Government of Bihar and Orissa, Education Department, Education, File No. IE/79, 1913.
34.
Government of Bihar and Orissa, Education Department, Education, File No. III—40, 1926.
35.
Government of Bihar and Orissa, Education Department, Education, File No. III—40, 1926.
36.
Government of Bihar and Orissa, Education Department, Miscellaneous, Nos. 1–4, File No. Em/ 261, 1917.
37.
Haldar, Sukumar (1921), A Mid-Victorian Hindu: A Sketch of the Life and Times of Rakhal Das Haldar, Ranchi.
38.
Haldar, R.D. Personal Diary, 1873–75.
39.
Hauser, Walter, trans. and ed. (1995), Swami Sahajanand and the Peasants of Jharkhand: A View from 1941, New Delhi.
40.
Hoffmann, J. (1950), Encyclopaedia Mundarica, Vol. IV, Patna.
41.
Hoffmann, J. (1909), Social Works in Chota Nagpore, Calcutta.
42.
Hunter, W.W. (1883), Report of the Education Commission, Calcutta, Government Printing.
43.
Jha, J.S. (1979), Education in Bihar (1813–1859), Patna.
44.
Kujur, Ignace (n.d), Jharkhand Do Muhane Par (Ranchi: Sudarsan Press, undated).
45.
Kumar, N. (1970), Bihar District Gazetteers: Ranchi, Patna.
46.
Kurdeg Parish File. Jesuit Archives, Ranchi.
47.
Lakra, Herman (n.d.), Life Sketch (undated).
48.
M. Vermeire (comp.), Fr. Lievens Documents from Contemporary Missionaries.
49.
MacDougall, John (1985), Land or Religion?: The Sardar and Kherwar Movements in Bihar 1858–1895, New Delhi.
50.
Mandal, Archana (1975), ‘The ideology and interests of the Bengali intelligentsia: Sir George Campbell’s education policy (1871–74)’, Indian Economic and Social History Review. Vol 12: 1, pp. 81–98.
51.
Memorandum of the Chotanagpur Oraon-Munda Siksha Sabha (n.d.).
52.
Moens, J. (1987), St. John’s School, Ranchi: A Hundred Years (mimeo.), Ranchi.
53.
Mukhopadhyay, Gopal (1984), Mass Education in Bengal: 1882–1914, Calcutta.
54.
Nishkalanka 1921–31.
55.
Nottrott, A. (1903), Report on the Gossner Kol-Mission for the Year 1903.
56.
Our Field (August–September 1925), No. 7.
57.
Our Schools in Chota Nagpore (1910–25).
58.
Palit, Chitrabrata (1975–76), ‘Vernacular Education and the Structure of Politics in Bengal (1835–1870)’, Quarterly Review of Historical Studies, Vol. 15, pp. 163–72.
59.
Papers Relating to Chotanagpur Agrarian Disputes, Vols. I & II.
60.
Petition of the school, entitled ‘Chonha Nindka, Thomas Rudderford, Biharta Belay’ (in Kurux), dated Adivasi Dhumkuria, Kanke, 24 July 1945.
61.
Pickett, J.W. (1933), Christian Mass Movements in India: A Study with Recommendations, New York, Abingdon Press.
Presidential Speech by Hon’ble Mr. Jaipal Singh to All-India Adibasi Mahasabha at Ranchi on February 28, 1948 (mimeo.).
64.
Proceedings of the Meeting/ Proceedings of the Missionaries, 1916–30.
65.
Report of the Chota Nagpore Mission [GEL] for the Years 1863, 1907, 1908.
66.
Report of the Chotanagpur Mission of the SPG for the Years 1885–1910.
67.
Report of the General Committee of the Presidency of Fort William for the Year 1839–40, Calcutta, 1841.
68.
Report of the Indian Statutory Commission: Selections from Memoranda and Oral Evidence by Non-officials, Part I, London, His Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1930.
69.
Richey, J.A., ed., (1965), Selections from Educational Records, Part II, 1840–1859 (New Delhi: National Archives of India).
70.
Ricketts, H. (1855), Selections from the Records of the Bengal Government No. XX, Calcutta.
Sevrin, Oscar (n.d.), ‘Village Schools in Chota Nagpur’, Jesuit Archives, Ranchi.
73.
Sharp, H., ed., (1965), Selections from Educational Records, Part I, 1781–1839. New Delhi: National Archives of India.
74.
Sherring, M.A. (1884), History of Protestant Mission in India, London.
75.
Singh, K.S. (1983), Birsa Munda and His Movement 1874–1901: A Study of a Millenarian Movement in Chotanagpur, Calcutta.
76.
St John’s High School, Ranchi: Rector’s Reports; File: School Day & Prize Distribution Day/ Principal’s Report.
77.
Stokes, Eric (1982), The English Utilitarians and India, Delhi.
78.
Tete, Peter (1986), A Missionary Social Worker in India: Fr. J.B. Hoffmann, Ranchi.
79.
The Indo-European Correspondence, 26 March 1890.
80.
University of Calcutta: Convocation Addresses, Vol. I, 1858–1879, Calcutta, University of Calcutta, 1914.
81.
Vermeire Papers on Education.
82.
Waelkens, W. (1901), ‘Our Schools in Chota Nagpore’, Calcutta, 25 April 1910.
83.
Whitley, E.H. (1901), Historical Sketches: Chota Nagpur, Westminster, The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.
84.
Zastoupil, Lynn and Martin Moir, eds (1999), The Great Indian Education Debate: Documents Relating to Orientalist-Anglicist Controversy, 1781–1843. Richmond.
