Question Details

Wellesley established the Fort William College Calcutta because

Options

A

he was asked by the Board of Directors at London to do so.

B

he wanted to revive interest in oriental learning in India.

C

he wanted to provide William Carey and his associates with employment.

D

he wanted to train British civilians for administrative purpose in India.

Show Answer

Correct Answer :

Option D

he wanted to train British civilians for administrative purpose in India.

Solution :

The correct option is: "he wanted to train British civilians for administrative purpose in India."

Step-by-step Explanation:

1. Historical Context: Lord Wellesley (Governor-General of India from 1798 to 1805) founded Fort William College in Calcutta (now Kolkata) on July 10, 1800.
2. The Core Objective: The primary motive behind establishing this college was to train young British civil servants sent by the East India Company to administer the Indian territories. Wellesley believed that these newly arrived British officers needed to be well-versed in local Indian languages, laws, history, customs, and culture to govern effectively and handle administrative affairs smoothly.
3. Curriculum and Training: The institution taught oriental languages such as Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, Bengali, Hindustani, and Marathi, alongside history, local law, and geography. This helped the administrators bridge the communication gap with the local population and manage revenue collections and judicial duties efficiently.
4. Why other options are incorrect:
- The Court of Directors in London actually opposed Wellesley's grand project due to the heavy financial burden, and they later established Haileybury College in England in 1806 for a similar purpose.
- While oriental learning did receive a boost under the college's scholars, reviving oriental learning for its own sake was not Wellesley's primary objective; it was a means to an administrative end.
- Providing employment to William Carey and other missionaries was merely incidental, as their expertise was utilized to teach local languages. The foundational goal remained the training of British civil servants.

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