CLASS 8 · NCERT HISTORY · CH 6: CIVILISING THE "NATIVE", EDUCATING THE NATION (NCERT CLASS 8 — OUR PASTS III)
Civilising the "Native" 📚
NCERT-aligned Class 8 History topic from Our Pasts III. Every item is anchored to a real location on India's map — built for boards (CBSE, ICSE, state) and UPSC aspirants.
📚 NCERT TEXTBOOK ALIGNMENT
Class
8 History —
Our Pasts III — Chapter:
Ch 6: Civilising the "Native", Educating the Nation (NCERT Class 8 — Our Pasts III).
9LOCATIONS
54QUESTIONS
CLASS 8NCERT LEVEL
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Key locations covered (9)
- Calcutta Madrasa & Benaras Sanskrit College — Bengal / UP
- Macaulay's Minute (1835) — Anglicists Win — Calcutta
- Wood's Despatch (1854) — Magna Carta of English Education — Calcutta · Wood's Despatch 1854 (Calcutta-headquartered EIC)
- Bombay University & Madras University (1857) — Maharashtra / Tamil Nadu
- Mahatma Gandhi on Western Education — Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad · Gandhi's base for Nai Talim ideas
- Tagore's Shantiniketan (1901) — West Bengal (Birbhum)
- Hindu College, Calcutta (1817) — West Bengal
- Aligarh — Sir Syed's Muslim University — Uttar Pradesh
- Serampore — Mission Press + Bible Translations — West Bengal (Hooghly)
Sample questions (12 of 54)
When + why was the CALCUTTA MADRASA established?
Founded 1781 by WARREN HASTINGS (Governor-General) — to encourage scholarship in ARABIC, PERSIAN + ISLAMIC LAW. The aim was to train Indian + European officials in the LANGUAGES + LEGAL TRADITIONS that the Mughal-era courts still operated in — particularly important because the Company had taken over revenue + judicial administration in Bengal + needed officials fluent in Mughal court conventions. The madrasa later evolved + still operates as Aliah University. Hastings' parallel founding of the BENARES SANSKRIT COLLEGE (1791) reflected the same "ORIENTALIST" preference for engaging Indian intellectual traditions on their own terms — before MACAULAY'S 1835 MINUTE reversed direction toward English-medium education.
Benaras Sanskrit College — when?
Founded 1791 by Jonathan DUNCAN — to encourage the study of Hindu scriptures and law.
What was the ORIENTALIST view (William Jones, Henry Colebrooke)?
Believed India had a great ancient heritage; Indians could be best educated in their own classical languages — Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian. Jones founded Asiatic Society of Bengal (1784).
CALCUTTA MADRASA — when + by whom?
Founded 1781 by WARREN HASTINGS (1st Governor-General). Purpose: educate MUSLIM elite in PERSIAN + ARABIC + Islamic law (so they could serve as munsifs / judicial officers under British). Persia was court language of Mughals + Sultanates — knowledge needed for COURTS that British were inheriting. Madrasa is STILL operational today as ALIAH UNIVERSITY (Kolkata, est. 2008 from the original madrasa). Also called CALCUTTA ARABIC MADRASA. Hastings ALSO founded ASIATIC SOCIETY 1784 (Sir William Jones) — to study India's LITERATURE + SCIENCE.
BANARAS SANSKRIT COLLEGE — when + by whom?
Founded 1791 by JONATHAN DUNCAN (Resident at Banaras + later Governor of Bombay). Purpose: educate HINDU elite (Brahmins) in SANSKRIT + Hindu law texts (Manusmriti, Yajnavalkya, etc.) + classical learning. Reason: British needed to KNOW Hindu law to ADMINISTER Hindu cases in courts. The college is STILL operational as SAMPURNANAND SANSKRIT UNIVERSITY (Varanasi). Together with Calcutta Madrasa, these were the FIRST British-funded oriental higher-education institutions in India — reflecting "ORIENTALIST" educational policy: respect Indian classical learning, train Indians in their own scriptures.
Calcutta Madrasa was founded in which year?
1781 (by Warren Hastings)
Sanskrit College at Benares was founded in?
1791 (by Jonathan Duncan)
Hindu College, Calcutta was founded in?
1817
Hindu College was founded by?
Raja Ram Mohan Roy, David Hare and Edward Hyde East
Macaulay's Minute on Education was passed in?
1835 (2 February)
Macaulay famously said his goal was to create a class of?
'Indian in blood and colour, but English in tastes, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect'
Wood's Despatch was issued in?
1854
All 54 questions are available in the interactive map quiz.
About this topic
This topic is part of the NCERT Class 8 History syllabus, specifically the textbook Our Pasts III, drawn from the chapter Ch 6: Civilising the "Native", Educating the Nation (NCERT Class 8 — Our Pasts III). Content is cross-referenced against the latest NCERT textbook editions + standard reference works (Bipan Chandra, R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar, Satish Chandra for history; G.C. Leong, Savindra Singh for geography; the UPSC Civil Services prelims + mains syllabus).
Use the interactive India map to learn civilising the "native" the way memory works best — by spatial location. Each pin opens a flashcard. Mark "Knew it" or "Didn't know" to track your mastery over time.
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