Education in Medieval India

The present work Surveys the education system in medieval India during the period of muslim rule. Both, the Hindu and the Islamic system have been drawn in. the Hindu educational system was typically utilitarian in nature, whereas, the Islamic system stressed the need to devote in purely homilectic and theological pursuits. The Quran was widely read and a must for all. Despite its political superiority the Islamic spirit failed to impress the stoic Hindu. The two cultures co-existed drawing lines with deliberate neglect of one another. Nevertheless there seemed to be consistent, though restrained exchange of ideas. The resultant cross-culture marked the birth of a new language. The Persian and the Sanskrit parent bred ‘Urdu’, their offspring. It became the common heritage of both communities and the ‘Lingua franca’ of latter day India. In a balanced way, Mr. Ray reconstructs and reinterprets the socio-cultural history of muslim India. Based on the original sources of contemporary scholarly works and documents, the book gives a strong base to nurture our presumptions and deductions. It is definitely an important thesis for the historians and educationists of today. To the student of medieval India it is an indispensable book.