In the 1820s, a vigorous debate took place among British politicians and intellectuals about the nature of British imperial rule in India
. Much of this debate centered on the question of education
. In essence, the question being debated was this: should the British become more Indian to better rule their colony (i.e., should they learn more about India and immerse themselves in its history, languages, and cultures), or should the Indians become more British to be better colonial subjects (or at least some sectors of Indian society, who could then run the colony under British supervision)?
This debate was eventually settled by Macaulay’s “Minute on Indian Education”, which proved the decisive intervention and became the basis for official British policy.
What does this text reveal about English attitudes towards India?
What motive of imperialism is revealed by the text?
