English Education: The Kannada Context1

This paper looks at an article from Karnataka Nandini, a magazine published by

Tirumalamba, in the early 19th

century. Tirumalamba is the first woman novelist, critic,

editor and publisher in Kannada. This article is an obituary by her on late Ambal

Narasimmaiyengar who initiated education for women in Karnataka. It also documents

interesting aspects about acceptance of and resistance to English. Through this article, the

paper explores various components of „English‟ such as language in usage, in education

and as a component of foreign culture that brings threat to the age-old practices of the

Hindu religion.

Ambal Narasimmaiyengar was born in 1842. His parents had come to Mysore Samsthana

from Tiruchanapalli. He was from a very poor family and his parents worked in a temple

in Mysore. Ambal was not educated until he was seven. When he was eight, he went to

his maternal uncle‟s house in Coimbatore where he was assigned the job of grazing

cattle. There, he learnt (to read and write) Tamil and a little bit of English. Ambal

Narasimmaiyengar went to Kumbakonam with his uncle in 1857, stayed there until he

was 18 years, and then came back to Mysore to live with his parents. His parents tried to

get him a job at one of the temples in Mysore. When this turned out to be futile and the

family ended up not having money even for food and clothing. Narasimmaiyengar

realised, “English is the only way to get over this poverty2 and put all his effort and

passed matriculation and F.A. examinations”.

As per The History of Karnataka Legislature, the first Mysore Representative Assembly

was held in 1881. Since then the Members prominently expressed the craze for English

Schools in several years.

1 Presentation at the UGC-DRS-SAP (Phase III) Seminar, English in India: Documents for its Study,

English Department, University of Hyderabad, 29 March 2006.

2 Karnataka Nandini. Vol.3, issue 3, February 1920, p. 3

There was demand for English education at District and Taluk

Headquarters and even in Hoblis.3

When Narasimmaiyengar was studying BA, he was also appointed as a First Assistant

with a salary of Rs. 40 in Maharaja‟s College. Sri Rangacharyalu the first Dewan of

Mysore selected a group of students and invited Narasimmaiyengar home to teach them

English. Dewan Rangacharyalu took oath that he would give his daughter in marriage to

the student who would complete matriculation with a distinction. Krishnaswamaiyengar

was the lucky student and married the second daughter of the Dewan. This almost

sounds like the swayamvaras where the princess was given in marriage to the prince who

exhibited his skill in archery or some such event that executed efficiency in warfare and

was directly related to the act of sustaining power and executing control. “English”

represented power and superiority.

In 1868, when His Highness Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar died, Sri Rangacharyalu

was appointed as a controller in the palace. Sri Chamaraja Wodeyar the five years old

adopted son and the heir of Krishnaraja Wodeyar succeeded the thrown. The British

government had agreed to give the young Maharaja the advantage of European education

and so prepare him for the responsibilities, which might be committed to him4. Sir James

Gordon and Cornel Mallison were appointed as guardians to the Maharaja by the British

government and the Diwan appointed Sri Jayaramaraya as a tutor to His Highness. Ambal

Narasimmaiyengar was appointed as an assistant to the tutor.

Jayaramaraya the tutor was well versed in the vedas and shastras. In his lectures, he

compared Hindu Dharma with the Christianity and other dharmas and expressed the

problems of Christian Philosophy. Criticising him some of the Christian priests wrote

articles in Athenium a magazine published from Madras. In response to this,

Jayaramaraya wrote a series of articles that shook the Anglo-Indian community. Both,

chief commissioner and the guardian to the Maharaja stated that he was an extremist, an

ultra radical and an atheist and declared that under his training, the Maharaja might also

3 History of Legislature: The Mysore Representative Assembly Vol I (1881-1907). pp. 13-14

4 History of Legislature: The Mysore Representative Assembly Vol I (1881-1907). p. 206

turn out to be a non-believer and therefore he was detained from his job as a tutor and in

his place, Narasimmaiyengar was appointed on promotion. Jayaramaraya went to Europe

for a while. After his return, he started a newspaper named Cosmopolitan published from

Madras and fearlessly wrote what ever he saw.

Article by Tirumalamba in Karnataka Nandini gives us information regarding

Jayaramaraya‟s lectures that called for criticism by the Christain Priests and his articles in

response to their write up that appeared in Athenium.

Though the members of the Representative Assembly argued for the introduction of

English education and English Schools, they were found repeatedly criticising the usage

of English in courts and in administration. They were critical of the European and the

native Members in the assembly speaking in English. Resistance to English and a demand

for making Kannada the official language was always there.

In 1885 when the request to start English Schools at Taluk Headquarters was made, the

then Diwan, Sri K. Sheshadri Iyer promised to consider the request but emphasised the

need and importance of the study of the vernacular and Sanskrit. History of Karnataka

Legislature documents,

“Sir Arakalgudu Venkaiah Chetty demanded that examinations should be

conducted in vernacular also in addition to English”.5

English was acceptable for the social emancipation. At the same time, strong resistance

was shown to it whenever its dominance was felt or resistance in some way or the other

was shown to the changes it brought in the conventional social setup. While noting the

important changes brought by Ambal Narasimmaiyengar, Tirumalamba‟s article also

quotes from his last letter to the Maharaja requesting His Highness to restore

Varnashramadharma, the age-old practice .

5 History of Legislature: The Mysore Representative Assembly Vol I (1881-1907). 207

Ambal Narasimmaiyengar who was instrumental in introducing education for women

sent a letter to the Maharaja three days before his death. In this letter, he mentioned that

the main duty of the Maharaja is to protect Varnadharma. He said that a real Brahmin

would never think against the emancipation of Panchamas. Ramanujacharya was an

ideal example, he said. He also mentioned that the social order gets disturbed if the

Uttamas (the Brahmins) are seen as against the Panchamas (the lower castes). Due to the

influence of education, urbanisation and travel facilities, things are gradually changing

and therefore, matters like the caste system and other social practices should be left to the

responsibility of people instead of government interfering into them6, he proposed.

In a way, it was easier to make Sanskrit education available for a few selected castes and

conceal it from a number of other castes. This article in Karnataka Nandini proves; the

availability of English through compulsory education system in the Mysore Presidency

and through that, the availability of a hope towards social emancipation for lower-caste

came as a threat to the Brahmins.

In a discussion regarding what kind of education should be given to women,

Tirumalamba specifies,

“Both men and women need to understand that the education, which

teaches to read, write, that which brings health, wealth and is useful in the

day-to-day life are essential for both men and women. The education

should preach knowledge that is useful even in salvation. The question

here is, whether such an education should be a swadeshi one or a videshi

one.”7

She says it is essential for men to learn how to earn and support their family while

women should learn how to maintain their family. This kind of education she says,

restores the longstanding varnadharmashrama. The kind of education that supports the

varnadharmashrama is seen precious as against the videshi education that leads to

6 Karnataka Nandini. Vol.3, issue 3, February 1920, p.7

7 ibid. pp 8-9.

disasters. Restrictions made for Atmahitaartha and Lokahitaartha i.e. the wellbeing of

self and the others are neglected by men and women with videshi education, she says.

Tirumalamba felt, due to videshi education many men were turning away from

varnashramadharma. Some women also were seen doing the same. Attempt for

varnasankara the mixing of the castes was a “hazardous practise”, and has to be stopped,

she insists.

To conclude, English was appropriated with Christianity. It was seen as a practice that

influenced the youth with wrong deeds and by then changed the age-old social order and

thus played as an instrument to drive people away from the sacred Hindu tradition.

English was seen as a component of foreign culture that brings threat to the age-old

customs of the Hindu religion. English was also considered as knowledge, essential for

emancipation and a tool to attain power. English is always seen as against the vernacular.