The Emergence and Expansion of Indian Universities Before Independence: A Historical Perspective

Abstract

The university education in India was established in 1857 echoing the western model based on the London University by the colonial rulers. Foundation of the universities was laid on the premise to get English-educated Indians for serving the British Government as it was the necessity of the British rulers to employ the natives for managing the administration of the vast country due to the political and economic changes that shaped the history of the world and India in retrospect. This paper analyses the emergence and expansion of the university system with reference to the major transformation that took place amidst the national movement and yet flourishing at the peak of it. Tracing the genesis of the universities historically is critical to understand the contemporary landscape through the relevant Commission Reports which form the basis for the existing universities that are discussed with reference to specific universities. The paper further explores that the establishment of universities was not solely the result of the British Government; rather it also resulted due to the initiatives taken by the Provincial Government. Emergence of the universities resulted due to varied interest groups, but the core had been its result in getting jobs.