What was the role of Western education in the growth of Indian nationalism?

Introduction:

The western education was introduced in the wake of British rule in India. And it was this Western education which introduced various notions to the people of India.

Through Western education, again the Indians became familiar with the ideas of democracy and nationalism; it was in this process that the seeds of nationalism were sown amongst the Indian people.

b. Rammohan Roy:

Rammohon was convinced that knowledge of Western scientific learning would enable the countrymen to get rid of the various social evils and religious superstitions of which they are the victims.

And once that was possible political consciousness would develop automatically.

Rammohan Roy in a letter addressed to Lord Amherst frankly pointed out that if it was the intention of the govt, to introduce education in India then it should opt out for Western education rather than Sankrit learning.

c. Young Bengal Movement:

Some students of the Hindu College who gathered round their teacher Derozio came to be known as the ‘Young Bengal’. Those English-educated youngmen addressed themselves to various problems that beset the Indian society.

Their propaganda for freedom of thought and rational thinking helped to create a consciousness about the various problems of the country and thereby paved the way for the growth of national sentiments.

d. Growth of the Middle Class:

The introduction of Western education helped the emergence of a new social class that came to be called the ‘middle class’.

And this Indian middle class played a decisive role in the growth of Indian nationalism.

The Western- educated middle class intelligentsia was deeply imbued with nationalist feeling after they had come to know about the heroic feats of the leaders of Italy, Germany, France and other European countries.

Being influenced by the ideals and method of the political work of these leaders some of the English-educated middle class integrated the Indian people into a modern nation.

Again, it was from this middle class there emerged some national leaders who came to lead the Indian people in their struggle for independence.

Thus it may be said that the Western education made the people of India conscious about the evil effects of the British rule.

And it was this consciousness which paved the way for the growth of nationalist sentiment.