Civilising the Native, Educating the Nation Class 8 Extra Questions and Answers Free PDF Download
FAQs on CBSE Important Questions for Class 8 Social Science Civilising the Native, Educating the Nation - 2025-26
1. Who were the Orientalists, and what was their vision for education in India from an exam perspective?
The Orientalists were a group of British scholars and administrators who held a deep respect for Indian culture, languages, and traditions. For your exam answer, key points to include are:
- Their vision was to promote learning through traditional Indian institutions and languages like Sanskrit and Persian.
- Prominent figures like William Jones and Henry Thomas Colebrooke believed that understanding ancient Indian texts was crucial for effective British administration.
- They established institutions like the Calcutta Madrasa (1781) and the Hindu College in Benaras (1791) to encourage the study of Arabic, Persian, and Sanskrit law and literature.
- Their core belief was that the British should act as guardians of Indian culture, not destroy it.
2. What were the key arguments made by the Anglicists, particularly Thomas Macaulay, against Orientalist education?
The Anglicists strongly criticised the Orientalist vision. The most influential voice was Thomas Macaulay. His key arguments, important for a 3-mark or 5-mark question, were:
- He claimed that Eastern knowledge was 'unholy and absurd' and inferior to European learning.
- In his famous Minute of 1835, he stated that "a single shelf of a good European library was worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia."
- He argued for English as the medium of instruction to create a class of people who were "Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect."
- The goal was not to educate the masses but to create a loyal class of Indian administrators and clerks to serve the British Empire.
3. Explain the main provisions of Wood's Despatch of 1854. Why is it considered a major landmark for important questions on this chapter?
Wood's Despatch of 1854 is frequently asked in exams and is known as the 'Magna Carta' of English Education in India. Its main provisions were:
- It officially declared that the aim of education in India was the diffusion of European knowledge.
- It proposed a systematic educational hierarchy, with primary schools in vernaculars, high schools using Anglo-vernacular, and college-level education in English.
- It recommended the establishment of universities in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras, which were set up in 1857.
- It introduced a system of grants-in-aid to encourage private enterprise in education.
- It established Departments of Public Instruction in the provinces to oversee all educational matters.
4. How did Mahatma Gandhi’s views on education differ critically from the Western model proposed by the British?
Mahatma Gandhi was a staunch critic of Western education. A comparative answer should focus on these points:
- Medium of Instruction: Gandhi advocated for education in the Indian mother tongue, believing English education created an inferiority complex and alienated Indians from their own culture.
- Focus on Practical Skills: He championed an education that integrated learning with a practical craft (like weaving or pottery). He believed this would develop both the mind and the capacity for self-reliance. He famously said, 'literacy in itself is not education'.
- Goal of Education: For Gandhi, the ultimate goal was the all-round development of a person—body, mind, and spirit. The British system, in his view, was designed merely to produce clerks for colonial administration.
5. Why did Indian thinkers like Rabindranath Tagore feel the need to establish national educational institutions like Santiniketan?
This is a Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) question. Indian thinkers like Rabindranath Tagore were critical of the rigid and alienating nature of British schooling. He established Santiniketan because:
- He believed the existing schools killed a child's natural desire to be creative and their sense of wonder.
- He wanted to create an environment where learning was in harmony with nature and students could cultivate their curiosity.
- Tagore aimed to combine the best elements of both Western and Indian traditions, promoting arts, music, and dance alongside science and technology.
- The goal was to foster a holistic, self-reliant, and culturally-rooted individual, something he felt the British system failed to do.
6. What was the impact of the new British education rules on the traditional 'pathshalas'?
The British policies had a significant negative impact on the indigenous system of pathshalas. Before British intervention, pathshalas were flexible, with no fixed fees, timetables, or exams, making them accessible to rural children. The new rules introduced after the 1850s mandated:
- A fixed curriculum and the use of textbooks.
- A system of annual examinations and regular attendance.
- Pathshalas that conformed to these rules received government grants.
7. From an exam perspective for CBSE Class 8, why was European learning considered 'practical' by the British in the 1850s?
This is an analytical question often missed by students. According to Wood's Despatch, European learning was deemed 'practical' for several economic and administrative reasons:
- It would expose Indians to European ways of life, changing their tastes and creating demand for British goods.
- It would provide a steady supply of civil servants who were reliable, trustworthy, and cheap, as they would be paid less than British officials.
- Educated Indians would help develop the country's resources and boost trade and commerce, ultimately benefiting Britain.
8. How did the British aim to 'civilise the native' through education, and what were the underlying assumptions of this mission?
The British mission to 'civilise the native' was central to their education policy. Their aim was to change the values, tastes, and culture of the Indian people. The key assumptions behind this were:
- Cultural Superiority: The British genuinely believed that European culture, literature, and science were superior to anything produced in the East.
- Moral Duty: They saw it as their duty (the 'white man's burden') to uplift the 'uncivilised' Indians from what they perceived as superstition and error.
- Creating a Loyal Class: By imposing their culture through education, they hoped to create a class of Indians who would be more loyal to the British Raj and act as interpreters between the rulers and the masses.
