OPENING

PRAYER
 EDUCATION IN THE
MIDDLE AGES (INDIA)
10 th
Century AD-Middle of 18 th

Century

Reporter: Bernadette R. Mercado

Professor: Ramon V. Villarey Jr., Ph.D.
 Let’s think about it!
If you are to choose between
the traditional education
and modern education,
which would you prefer?
Why?
 Let’s recall…
*In the olden days, there was no
formal education in India.
*2 systems of education
emerged-the Vedic and Buddhist
Education.
*Education in ancient India aims
to develop a person’s character,
master the art of self-control, bring
about social awareness, and to
conserve and take forward ancient
 Arab and Central Asian peoples brought Muslim
educational models to the subcontinent in both
the medieval and early modern periods.
Arab mariners began to trade,
reside, and intermarry with local
women in south India.
 Muslim rulers promoted urban
education by endowing libraries and
literary societies.
(maktabs) primary schools
in which students learned
reading, writing, and basic
Islamic prayers.
(madrasas)secondary schools
to teach advanced language
skills,
 India witnessed a large number of
Mohammedan invasions in the beginning
of the eighth century A. D.

Mahmud of Ghazni
invaded India and
established a large
number of schools and
libraries in his own
country by the looted
wealth.
 Medieval period
witnessed a radical
transformation in
the Indian
subcontinent. The
country was
invaded by various
foreign rulers and
several traders from
around the world
came and settled in
the country.
 The tradesmen
and the invaders
brought with
them their own
cultures and
intermingled with
the people of each
district of the
state. Besides,
religion, society
and culture,
Education in
medieval India
also experienced a
new perspective.
 Let’s try this!
Do you think influences from
other cultures kill a country’s
identity?
Explain your answer.
 The Mughal rulers came to India and
established their rule
Education developed with a
fresh aspect during that period
as there was an excellent
interaction between Indian and
Islamic traditions in all fields of
knowledge like theology,
religion, philosophy, fine arts,
painting, architecture,
mathematics, medicine and
 Several Madrasahs were set up by
Sultans, nobles, and their
influential ladies.
The main
objective of these
Madrasahs was to
train and educate
scholars who
would become
eligible for the
civil service as well
Chief Characteristics
of Muslim education:
 (1) Patronage of the
rulers:
The rulers helped in the
spread of education. They
built educational
institutions and universities.
They endowed them with the
funds. Big landlord also
provided financial help for
the spread of education. The
rulers patronized the men of
 (2) No state control
The rulers
neither claim
any authority
over the
educational
institutions
nor interfered
with their
 (3) Religion dominated
education:
In the words of S.N.
MUKERJI, “The
whole educational
system was saturated
with the religious
ideals which
influenced the aim,
the contents of
study, and even the
daily life of the
pupils.” The pupils
acquired knowledge
 Let’s try this !
In your opinion,
do you think that
the integration of
religion in the
education system
helps improve
students’
learning?
 (4) Countryside as the
centre of education:

By and large,
educational
institutions
flourished in the
countryside.
 (5) Provision of various
discipline:
Though education was
primarily religion-
oriented, it included
the study of many
intellectual activities
like mathematics,
astronomy, grammar,
polity and politics. Arts
and literature were also
 (6) Norms of conduct:
Adequate stress
was laid on
well- defined
norms of
behaviour,
pattern of
thought,
building up
 (7) Teacher-pupil
relationship
In the Muslim period also the
teacher was respected as
during the Brahmanic or
Buddhist period. There was
intimate relationship between
the teacher and the pupil,
although the practice of living
with the teacher was not as
common with the Muslim as it
was in the case of Brahmanic
and Buddhist period.
 In Islamic scheme of
education, the teacher
is considered as guide
(murshid), and the
student as seeker
(Taalib). Both are to
be sincere in their
attitude towards each
other. The
relationship between
the two is to be
governed by certain
Qur‘anic principles.
 (8) Learned
teachers:
Teachers took to
teaching for love of
learning. They were
held in high esteem.
“Learning was prized
for its own sake and
as a mark of the
highest human
development and
teaching was never
 (9) Individualized
instructions:
Since the
number of
students with
the teacher was
limited, he
paid
individual
attention to
each student.
 (10) Monitorial system:
Although a
teacher did not
have many pupils
to teach yet, still
the teacher would
take the help of
senior and
advanced
students to teach
 (11) Discipline:
Punishments were
quite severe.
Truants and
delinquents were
caned on their
palms and slapped
on their faces. A
strange mode of
punishment was to
make the children
hold their ears by
taking their hands
from under their
thighs while sitting
on their tiptoes.
 (12) Types of
institutions:
Primary
education was
imparted in
‘Maktabs’ and
secondary and
high education
in ‘Madrasahs’.
 (14) Vocational
education:
Provision was also made
for vocational, technical
and professional
education. Emperor
Akbar took considerable
interest in education as is
evident from the passage
of from the
‘Ain-in-Akbar’. The
passage makes
interesting reading and
provides valuable
 Curriculum and Mode of
Instruction:
During those
days there were
no printed
books for the
beginners.
Wooden books
(taktis) were
used.
 Curriculum and Mode of
Instruction:
The Quran :
After alphabets,
words were
taught to
students
 Stress on
Calligraphy:
beautiful and
fine
handwriting
was an
important
element of
instruction.
 Teaching of
Grammar:
Grammar was
taught as it was
considered very
valuable in
teaching the
languages.
 Religious
Instruction:
Instruction
imparted in the
‘Maktabs’ was
religious through
and through
 Books other than
Quran: After the
Quran, the
‘Gulistan’ and the
‘Bostan’ poems of
poet Firdausi were
taken up.
 ‘Paharas’:
Students also
learned ‘Paharas’
(multiple of
numbers).
Students
memorized these
while uttering
collective in a
loud voice.
 No regular fees were
charged from the
students. The
parents gave presents
to the teachers.
Students were
required to render
personal service to
the teachers.
Sometimes teacher
also engaged
themselves in part
Do you think that
gifts from students
or parents inspire
teachers to teach
better?
 Aims of Education
The foremost aim of
education during
the Muslim period
was the extension of
knowledge and the
propagation of
Islam.