Latin and the I.C.S. exams

[Guest guest]

I poked around in several books on the Indian Civil Service and

discovered only the following, from Naresh Chandra Roy, Indian Civil

Service. Calcutta : Book Company, 1935. Around 1860 in allotting

marks to the different subjects 750 were given to either Greek or

Latin language and literature but only 375 to Sanskrit or Arabic.

This was thought to be a deliberate attempt to make it more difficult

for Indians to succeed. In 1859 the Government raised the Eastern

classical languages to 500 points. In 1863 an Indian candidate

(unnamed by Roy) passed the examinations in London and joined the

I.C.S. and later in the same year the Eastern languages were bumped

back to 375 points, which was charged with being a deliberate response

to the man's success. (p. 64-65) In 1878 the Government of India

requested the Secretary of State for India to make the classical

languages equal but the latter replied that this would make "the

examination very favourable to the natives of India, even when they

have received a minimum of European education. Indeed it would be a

substantially oriental examination." (p. 92-93) This was because

mathematics was the one subject given equally with the classics the

highest number of points and Indian students showed a great aptitude

for it.

 

Of course, the other major hurdles which get more attention in the

books, were the question of the maximum age to take the examinations,

which if made lower made it harder for non-native speakers of English

to do as well on the English examination, and whether the tests could

be given in India as well as in England, the latter being vastly more

expensive for Indians and excluding some Hindus who had religious

scruples about ocean travel.

 

My institution doesn't have anything like a complete set of the

examinations so I can't trace when the various classics were given

equal marks.

 

Allen Thrasher

 

 

 

Allen W. Thrasher, Ph.D.

 

Senior Reference Librarian 101 Independence Ave., SE

Southern Asia Section LJ-150

Asian Division Washington, DC 20540-4810

Library of Congress U.S.A.

tel. 202-707-3732 fax 202-707-1724

Email: athr

 

The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the

Library of Congress.