OPENING

PRAYER
 EDUCATION IN THE
MIDDLE AGES (INDIA)
10 th C e n t u r y A D - M i d d l e of 18th
Century

Reporter: Bernadette R. Mercado

Pro/essor: Ramon V. Villarey Jr., Ph.D.
Let’s think about it!

If y o u are to choose
between t h e t r a d i t i o n a l
education a n d modern
education, whi c h would
y o u prefer?
Why?
 Let’s recall…
* I n t h e o l d e n days, there was
no formal education i n
Indi a.
*2 systems of e d u c a t i o n
e m e r g e d - the Vedic a n d
Buddhist
Education.
*Education i n ancient India aims
to develop a person’s character,
m a s t e r t h e a r t of self-c o n t r o l ,
 Arab and Central Asian peoples brought Muslim
educational models to the subcontinent in both
the medieval and early modern periods.
Arab mariners began to trade,
reside, and intermarry with local
women in south India.
 Muslim rulers promoted urban
education by endowing libraries
and literary societies.
(maktabs) p r i m a r y
schools i n w h i c h s t u d e n t s
learned reading, writing,
a n d basic I s l a m i c prayers.
(madrasas)secondary schools
to teach a d v a n c e d l a n g u a g e
skills,
 India witnessed a large number of
Mohammedan invasions in the
beginning of the eighth century A. D.

M a h m u d of G h a z n i
invaded India and
established a large
n u m b e r of schools
a n d libraries i n his
own c o u n t r y b y the
looted wealth.
 Medieval period
witnessed a
radical
t r a ntshfeo Ir m
n daitai n
on i n
subcontinent. The
c o u n t r y was
invaded b y various
foreign rulers a n d
several t r a d e r s f r o m
a r o u n d the world
c a m e a n d settled i n
the country.
 The tradesmen
a n d the invaders
brought with
t h e m their own
cultures a n d
intermingled with
t h e people of each
d i s t r i c t of the
state. Besides,
r e l i g i o n , society
a n d culture,
Education i n
medieval India
also experienced a
new perspective.
 Let’s try this!
• D o y o u t h i n k i n fl u e n c e s f r o m o t h e r c u l t u r e s k i l l a
c o u n t r y ’s i d e n ti t y ?
• E x p l a i n y o u r answer.
 The Mughal rulers came to India and established
their rule
E d u c a t i o n developed w i t h a
f r e s h aspect d u r i n g t h a t p e r i o d
as there was a n excellent
i n t e r a c t i o n between I n d i a n a n d
I s l a m i c t r a d i t i o n s i n a l l fields
of k n o w l e d g e l i k e theology,
r e l i g i o n , p h i l o s o p h y , f i n e arts,
p a i n t i n g , a r c hi tecture,
mathematics, medicine a n d
 Several Madrasahs were set up by Sultans,
nobles, and their influential ladies.
The m a i n
objective of these
M a d r a s a h s was to
t r a i n a n d educate
scholars who
w o u l d become
e l i g i b l e f o r the
c i v i l service as
Chief Characteristics of
Muslim education:
 (1) Patronage of the rulers:

T h e r u l e r s h e l p e d i n the
spread of e d u c a t i o n . T h e y
b u i l t educational
i n s t i t u t i o n s a n d universities.
T h e y endowed t h e m w i t h
the f u n d s . B i g l a n d l o r d also
p r o v i d e d f i n a n c i a l h e l p for
t h e spread of e d u c a t i o n . T h e
rulers patronized the m e n
 (2) No state control

The rulers
neither claim
any authority
over the
educational
institutions
n o r interfered
with their
 (3) Religion dominated
education:
I n t h e words of
MUKERJI, “The
S.N.
whol e e d u c a t i o n a l
system was s a t u r a t e d
with the religious
ideals w h i c h
i n f l u e n c e d t he a i m ,
t he con t e nt s of
s t u d y , a n d even
the d a i l y li fe of
p uthepils.” The pupils
acquired knowledge
 Let’s try this !

In y o u r opinion,
do you t h i n k
that the
i n t e g r a t i o n of
r e l i g i o n i n the
e d u c a t i o n system
helps improve
students’
 (4) Countryside as the centre
of education:

B y a n d large,
educational
institutions
flourished i n
the c o u n t r y s i d e .
(5) Provision of various discipline:

T h o u g h e d u c a t i o n was
pr i m a r il y religion-
oriented, i t i n c l u d e d
t h e s t u d y of m a n y
i n t e l l e c t u a l activities
like mathematics,
astronomy, grammar,
po lity a n d politics.
Arts a n d l i t e r a t u r e
 (6) Norms of conduct:
Adequate stress
was l a i d o n
well- d e f i n e d
n o r m s of
behaviour,
p a t t e r n of
thought,
building up
 (7) Teacher-pupil relationship

I n t h e M u s l i m p e r i o d also
the
teacher was respected as
B uddudrhi insgt tpheeriB odr a. h
Tmh earn
ei c
i nwast i m a t e r e l a to i or n s h i p between
t he teacher a n d t he
a l tphuopui g l ,h t he practice of
lci ovwimni tgh t he teacher was n o t
m o n w i t h t he M u s l i m as
as
i twas ai n n t h e case of
B r a h mda B n iucd d h i s t period.
 I n I s l a m i c scheme of
e d u c a t i o n , t he
teacher is co n si d e r e d
as g u i d e ( m u r s h i d ) ,
a n d the s t u d e n t as
seeker (Taalib). B o t h
are to be sincere i n
their attitude
towards each other.
The relationship
between t he two is to
be g o v e r n e d b y
certain Qur‘anic
principles.
 (8) Learned
teachers:
Teachers t o o k to
t e a c h i n g f o r love of
l e a r n i n g . T h e y were
h e l d i n h i g h esteem.
“ L e a r n i n g was
p r i z e d f o r its o w n
sake a n d as a m a r k
of th e h i g h e s t
human
development a n d
 (9) Individualized instructions:

S i n c e the
n u m b e r of
students with
t h e teacher
was l i m i t e d , he
paid
individual
a t t e n t i o n to
each st u d en t .
(10) Monitorial system:

Although a
teacher d i d n o t
have m a n y
p u p i l s to teach
yet, s t i l l t h e
teacher w o u l d
t a k e t h e h e l p of
senior a n d
advanced
 (11) Discipline:
P u n i s h m e n t s were
q u i t e severe.
Truants and
d e l i n q u e n t s were
caned o n their
p a l m s a n d slapped
o n t h e i r faces.
sAt r a n g e m o d e of
p u n i s h m e n t was to
m a k e the c h i l dr en
h o l d t h e i r ears b y
taking their hands
f r o m u n d e r their
thighs while sitting
o n t h e i r tiptoes.
 (12) Types of institutions:

Primary
e d u c a t i o n was
imparted i n
‘Maktabs’ a n d
secondary a n d
high
education i n
‘Madrasahs’.
 (14) Vocational education:
P r o v i s i o n was also
fmoardveocational, technical
a n d professional
education. Emperor
A k b a r took considerable
interest i n e d u c a t i o n as
evident f r o m the
is
passage of f r o m th e
‘Ain-in-Akbar’. The
passage m a k e s
interesting reading a n d
provides valuable
 Curriculum and Mode of
Instruction:
During
those d a y s
there were
no printed
books for
the
beginners.
Wooden
 Curriculum and Mode of
Instruction:
The Quran :
After alphabets,
words
were
taught
to
students
 Stress o n
Calligraphy:
beautiful
and
fine
handwriting
was a n
important
e l e m e n t of
 T e a c h i n g of
Grammar:
G r a m m a r was
t a u g h t as i t was
considered
very v a l u a b l e
i n t e a c h i n g the
languages.
 Religious
Instruction:
Instructi
on
i m p a r t e d i n the
‘Maktabs’ was
religious
through and
 Books other t h a n
Q u r a n : After the
Q u r a n , the
‘ G u l i s t a n ’ a n d the
‘Bostan’ p o e ms of
poet F i r d a u s i
were t a k e n u p .
 ‘Paharas’:
S t u d e n t s also
learned
‘Paharas’
( m u l t i p l e of
numbers).
Students
memorized
these w h i l e
uttering
No r e g u l a r fees were
c h a r g e d f r o m th e
students. The
p a r e n t s gave
presents to t h e
teachers.
S t u d e n t s were
r e q u i r e d to
render personal
service to t h e
teachers.
S o m e t i m e s teacher
Do you think that
gifts from
students or
parents inspire
teachers to teach
better?
 Aims of Education
T h e f oremo st a i m
of e d u c a t i o n
d u r i n g the M u s l i m
p e r i o d was t h e
ex t en s i o n of
k n o w l e d g e a n d the
p r o p a g a t i o n of
Islam.