learnt what they absolutely required in order to gain a
livelihood, looked with respect, amounting to adoration, on
their humble Pandhas, who taught them the elements of
two ‘Rs’.
Dr Leitner further describes the state of feeling with respect
to education in the Punjab. He writes:
The Punjab is classic ground. Not merely the celebrated
country between Sutlej and the Jumna, but also the whole
province teems with noble recollections. The history of its
culture will tell us of a simple worship...........of an ardent
republicanism allied to the most chivalrous devotion to
chiefs, of capacity for self-Government not equalled
elsewhere, and above all, of the universal respect for
learning and of the general spread of education. The priest
was a professor and poet, and education was a religious,
social and professional duty.
It is, therefore, our belief, founded on authentic historical
data, that before annexation, every Punjab village had a school
of its own.
In every Indian village which has retained anything of its
form...the rudiments of knowledge are sought to be
imparted; there is not a child, except those of the outcastes
(who form no part of the community), who is not able to
read, to write, to cypher; in the last branch of learning,
they are confessedly most proficient.’ (Vide BRITISH INDIA
by Ludlow).
Dr Leitner estimated that in 1854-55 there were at least 30
thousand schools, and if we count at least 13 pupils per school,
the total number of pupils will amount to 4 lakhs. Dr Leitner
writes:
‘The village school would contain 3,00,000 pupils, but
there are reasons for estimating larger number.’
Further, in backward districts like that of Hushiarpur, the
Settlement Report of 1852, shows a school to every 1,965 male
inhabitants (adults and non-adults), which may be contrasted
with the present proportion of one government or aided school to
every 9,028 or one school to 2,818.7 inhabitants including the
present number of ascertained indigenous schools throughout
the province, a significant contrast to the proportion of one
school to every 1,783 inhabitants in the most backward division
of the Punjab in 1849 when brought under British Rule after a
period of confusion following on war and annexation.