Latin and Greek in India

[Guest guest]

I have examined regulations and actual examinations for the British

era Indian Civil Service examinations going back to 1918, and neither

Latin nor Greek were among the required subjects on the examination

(neither were the Indian classical languages, namely Sanskrit,

Persian, Arabic, and Pali, though an Indian vernacular was). The list

of required subjects was rather short, usually composition, English,

and general knowledge, and the list of subjects from which optional

examinations had to be chosen was a rather long one. Therefore, at

least in the 20th century, it would not be absolutely necessary for

some Indian schools and colleges to offer the Western classics for the

sake of aspirants for the ICS who could not afford an education in

Britain. Whether at an earlier stage Latin and Greek were required

and how the change was coordinated with admitting Indians to the ICS

and administering the examinations in India as well as Britain, I

can't pursue just now.

 

Allen Thrasher

Library of Congress