Posted on: 30 October 2010

Class with teacher in vernacular school, Bombay - 1873

Photograph of a class in the vernacular school at Bombay in Maharashtra from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections: India Office Series (Volume 46), taken by an unknown photographer in c. 1873. This image of a class of young boys seated on the floor in front of the teacher was exhibited at the Vienna Exhibition of 1873 and is listed in John Forbes Watson's catalogue, where it is titled, 'Vernacular school and 'pantojee' (schoolmaster)'. Vernacular education (in the local language) was considered a special obligation for the Government from 1854 when it was declared a concern by the Court of Directors. The vernacular course covered both primary and secondary education and was carried out in many different types of establishment depending on the resources of the area. In Bombay, for example, the complete course of vernacular education was delivered at primary school. The Imperial Gazetteer of India states, "The type of primary school varies from the primitive pathshala or maktab to the modern institutions in which the pupils are educated in accordance with approved European methods. The Bombay local rates schools are in general better built, equipped, and managed than the Bengal indigenous institutions."

Source : British Library


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In the National Award winning film "Shyaamchi Aai" ("Shyam's Mother), the Pantoji with his cane has been immortalised in the song "Chhadi laage chhum chhum, Vidyaa yei gham gham" which is loosely translated as : Learning takes places as the cane starts hurting.

Also, for a majority of students, "Vha. Faa." - Vernacular Final - examination was the level to be aspired for as very few could afford or think of pursuing higher education delivered in English after this level.

Deepak : Any idea what First Form and Second Form was those days ?

This needs to be verified from more informed sources but if I understand correctly, Vernacular education was for six years leading to Vernacular Final Examination. Secondary and Higher Secondary education in English would start with Form I, Form II, etc. and go up to probably Form VI which was Matriculation. Generally, the city folk - mainly higher castes and relatively educated and / or well to do families - would send their children to English schools. Then there were a few colleges to for graduation in Arts or Science. The best and the brightest - and moneyed - would aspire to go to England to become Barristers (lawyers) or Wranglers (Mathematicians). My grandfather, though a humble peasant himself, also had seen a bit of the world when he earlier worked for the "Palace" in Kolhapur and had a worldview far ahead of his times and his station in life. He made his children study and gain education at great cost and effort. My father graduated in Science and was invited by the Engineering College in Pune to take admission for engineering. Yes, in those days Engineering colleges used to be after the prospective students! However, Kolhapur was a princely state outside the British territory and hence my father could not get admission in the Government Engineering college straightaway until my grandfather found some workaround to show that he was a British subject and therefore entitled to admit his son in the Government college. After my graduation in Engineering I went to my village to report the fact to my grandfather who was past his 100 mark. After listening to me he had only one question - whether I have completed my Matriculation or not! I think he was not wrong - Matriculation was probably intrinsically more valuable than today's graduation.

Thank you Deepak. That was such a heartening and inspiring story.

interesting that each little boy wears a hat.

like it

Class[ic]

Dada, thanks for sharing such a wonderful art works

not Bombay Mumbai