Education In Ancient India

Description

Education In Ancient India Considerable changes have been made in Edu- cation in Ancient India while presenting its second edition to the public. The first edition was in the form of a research work primarily intended for the students of Ancient Indian History and Culture. The reception that was given to it, however, showed that the general public was also interested in the subject and would welcome its presentation in a less technical and more popular form. Several Universities pres- cribed the work as one of the text-books for the paper dealing with the History of Indian Education at the B. T. examination, and it appeared that the teachers and students of the Training Colleges would welcome the treatment of the subject matter of the book, not only from the point of the orientalist but also from that of the educationalist. Further thought given to the subject also showed that a few more topics should be included in the book in order to make the treatment complete and comprehensive.

A considerable portion of the book has, therefore, been entirely rewritten for the second edition. Technical and detailed discussions have been transferred to foot-notes and appendices. A new appendix (appendix V) has been added, which explains technical terms and gives the dates of authors, works, kings and travellers incidentally refer- red to in the work. It is hoped that this appendix will give a proper chronological background to readers not acqua- inted with ancient Indian political and cultural history.

While rewriting the book the view point of the educa- tionalist has also been constantly kept before the mind. The treatment is more comparative that was the case in the first edition; the views and theories of Greek and Roman thinkers and medieval and modern educationalists have been referred to, wherever necessary, for a comparative estimate. Particular attention has been given to the method of teaching and curricula that prevailed in the different periods of Ancient Indian History.

The first edition began with the chapter on Educational Rituals. As this topic is not of particular interest either to the educationalist or to the general reader, it has been transferred to the end of the book as Appendix I. The book now opens with a discussion of the Conception and Ideals of Education, the section on the Conception of Education being entirely new. The second chapter which deals with some Educational Principles and Postulates is substantially new. It is hoped that students of education will find it to be a very useful back-ground for the study of ancient Indian education. Its concluding section, dealing with the caste system and education, will give information about the social life in ancient India sufficient to under. stand the educational problems. The next chapter dealing with the Teacher and the Student presents in a succinct form the information given in chapters II and III of the first edition. Chapter IV dealing with Educational Orga- nisation and Finance is to a great extent a new addition, and it is hoped that the educationalist as well as the ori entalist will find here a good deal of new and interesting information on the subject.

The concluding portion of the chapter dealing with the Educational Finance is based upon the chapter on Society, State and Education of the first edition. The next five chapters dealing with some Educational Centres, Higher Education, Primary Educa tion, Professional and Useful Education and Female Education occurred in the first edition, but they have been revised, rearranged and rewritten in a more succinct form for this edition.