Foundation of Madarasa Aaliya and Asiatic Society in the 1780s

The 1780s marked a crucial period in the intellectual and educational history of British India, as it witnessed the establishment of two landmark institutions in Calcutta — the Madarasa Aaliya (Calcutta Madarasa) and the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Both were products of the growing British administrative presence in India and reflected the colonial state’s early attempts to understand, engage with, and influence Indian society, culture, and education.
While the Madarasa Aaliya symbolised efforts to integrate Islamic legal and cultural learning into the Company’s judicial administration, the Asiatic Society represented the beginning of organised oriental scholarship in India. Together, they laid the foundations for intellectual and cultural exchanges that profoundly shaped Indo-British relations during the late eighteenth century.

Establishment of the Madarasa Aaliya, Calcutta (1780)

The Calcutta Madarasa, later known as Madarasa Aaliya, was established in 1780 by Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of Bengal. Hastings recognised the necessity of training Indian scholars and British administrators in Islamic jurisprudence to facilitate effective governance under the newly instituted dual system of administration introduced by the East India Company.
Background and Purpose:

• After the Regulating Act of 1773, the Company’s judicial system required knowledge of local customs and laws to adjudicate cases involving Indian subjects.
• For Muslims, justice was to be administered according to Islamic law (Sharia), while Hindus were governed by their own legal traditions.
• To ensure accurate application of Muslim law, there was a growing need for qualified interpreters, judges (qazis), and scholars (ulama).

Objectives of Establishment:

• To teach Arabic, Persian, and Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh) to students.
• To train law officers and interpreters who could assist in the Company’s courts.
• To preserve and promote traditional Islamic education under the patronage of the British administration.

Structure and Curriculum:

• The Madarasa was located at Bowbazar, Calcutta, and funded by the East India Company.
• The curriculum included traditional subjects such as Quranic studies, Hadith, Fiqh, logic, grammar, rhetoric, mathematics, and astronomy, primarily taught through Arabic and Persian texts.
• It followed the classical Dars-i-Nizami system of instruction, prevalent in Islamic seminaries of the time.

Impact:

• The institution became a centre for Islamic higher learning and produced many scholars and judicial officers who served in colonial courts.
• It bridged the gap between traditional Muslim education and the colonial administrative system.
• Over time, it evolved into the Calcutta Aliah University, continuing its legacy as one of India’s oldest centres of higher education.

The establishment of the Madarasa Aaliya illustrated Warren Hastings’ policy of cultural accommodation, reflecting his belief that British rule should respect and operate through indigenous legal and cultural frameworks.

Establishment of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (1784)

The Asiatic Society of Bengal, founded in January 1784, was the second major intellectual institution established in Calcutta during the 1780s. It was founded by Sir William Jones, an eminent British jurist, linguist, and orientalist, with the support of leading British officials and scholars.
Background and Rationale:

• As the British expanded their control over Indian territories, there was a growing interest among scholars and administrators to understand India’s history, languages, religions, and culture.
• Sir William Jones, who arrived in India as a judge of the Supreme Court at Fort William, was deeply fascinated by oriental studies and sought to promote systematic research on India’s civilisation.
• The society was intended as an academic forum where British and Indian scholars could study the subcontinent’s rich intellectual and cultural traditions.

Objectives:

• To promote research into the history, antiquities, arts, sciences, and literature of Asia, particularly India.
• To collect, preserve, and publish manuscripts and texts of historical and literary importance.
• To foster collaboration among scholars of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Founding Members and Structure:

• The Society was founded as the Asiatick Society (later renamed the Asiatic Society of Bengal).
• Sir William Jones served as its first President.
• Its members included prominent colonial administrators, scholars, and orientalists such as Charles Wilkins, Nathaniel Halhed, and Henry Thomas Colebrooke.

Key Contributions:

1. Promotion of Oriental Studies:
   • The society became the nucleus of Oriental research in India, publishing translations of Sanskrit, Persian, and Arabic works.
   • It played a pioneering role in the study of ancient Indian languages and texts.
2. Discovery of India’s Classical Heritage:
   • Through the society’s work, India’s ancient literature, including texts like the Manusmriti, Hitopadesha, and Sanskrit grammar of Panini, were introduced to the Western world.
   • Jones’ discovery of the linguistic relationship between Sanskrit, Greek, and Latin laid the foundation of comparative philology.
3. Formation of the Asiatic Society Library and Museum:
   • The Society established a library and museum that became repositories of rare manuscripts, inscriptions, and artefacts from across India and Asia.
   • These collections contributed immensely to the development of Indology, archaeology, and ethnography.
4. Publications and Knowledge Dissemination:
   • The Society began publishing the Asiatic Researches (1788), one of the earliest academic journals in Asia, which disseminated research findings on the subcontinent’s cultural and scientific achievements.

Impact and Legacy:

• The Asiatic Society provided an intellectual foundation for the Orientalist movement in colonial India, which dominated British scholarship and administrative policy in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
• It significantly influenced British perceptions of Indian civilisation, helping shape early colonial educational and legal policies.
• Over time, it evolved into a prestigious centre for academic research, continuing to function as the Asiatic Society, Kolkata today.

Comparative Significance of the Two Institutions

While both the Madarasa Aaliya and the Asiatic Society of Bengal were established in the 1780s, they served distinct but complementary purposes within the colonial context.

Both institutions symbolised the early British recognition of India’s intellectual traditions and the need to engage with them for effective governance and scholarly pursuit.