BİR SİYASİ HAMLE OLARAK BOMBAY EĞİTİM TAHKİKATI

Kasım 1819’da Bombay valiliğine atanan Mountstuart Elphinstone göreve baş-ladıktan kısa bir süre sonra bölgede güçlü bir eğitim sistemi tesis etmek için harekete geçti. Eğitimin dönüştürücü rolüne inanan ve bunu farklı mecralarda dile getiren yeni vali, Bombay Hükümeti ve Bombay Eğitim Cemiyeti kanalıyla geleneksel Hindu eğitim kurumlarını himaye etmeye çalışarak bölgedeki İngiliz hâkimiyetine karşı oluşabilecek tehditleri ortadan kaldırmayı amaçladı. Yeni fatihlere karşı yerli halkın tutumunu değiştirmeye çalışan ve bir uzlaşma siyaseti benimseyen Elphinstone, İngiliz Doğu Hindistan Şirketi’nin Londra ofisinden James Mill ve Bombay vali meclisinden Francis Warden’ın ciddi eleştirilerinin hedefi haline geldi. Çabaları Londra tarafından “gereksiz” görülen Elphinstone eğitim politikalarının meşruluğunu kanıtlamak için Aralık 1823’te kapsamlı bir tutanak kaleme aldı ve tutanağında bir eğitim tahkikatı yapılmasını önerdi. Bu çalışma, bahsi geçen tutanağın ve tahkikatın asıl amacının eğitimden ziyade siyasi bir hamle olduğunu göstermeye gayret edecektir.

THE BOMBAY EDUCATIONAL SURVEY AS A POLITICAL MOVE

Mountstuart Elphinstone was appointed as Governor of Bombay in November 1819 and after that he immediately attempted to build an education system in the region. Believing in the transformative role of education and expressing this in different media, the new governor made an effort to protect traditional Hindu educational institutions through the Bombay Government and the Bombay Education Society, aiming to eliminate threats that may arise against British domination in the region. Trying to change the attitude of the indigenous people towards the new conquerors and adopting a policy of conciliation, Elphinstone became the target of serious criticism from James Mill of the London office of the East India Company and Francis Warden of the Bombay governor’s coun-cil. His efforts were called “useless” by London, and to prove the legitimacy of his educational policies, he penned a comprehensive minute in December 1823 and in this minute he recommended an educational survey in the Presidency. This study will claim that the report and the survey were a political move and will try to show that these steps political motives rather than education.

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