(with 199 scholars), Bellary 23, Trichnopoly 9 (with 131
scholars), and Malabar with one old institution maintained by
the Samudrin Raja (Zamorin), with 75 scholars. In most other
districts where no such institutions were known, the collectors
reported that such learning—in the Vedas, Sastras, Law,
Astronomy, Ganeetsastram, Ethics, etc.—was imparted in
Agraharams, or usually at home. The data regarding such
privately conducted learning in Malabar may be indicative of the
extent of such learning in other districts also (discussed in a
subsequent section). Table 6 indicates these and other details
more clearly.
In most areas, the Brahmin scholars formed a very small
proportion of those studying in schools. Higher learning,
however, being more in the nature of professional specialisation,
seems in the main to have been limited to the Brahmins. This
was especially true regarding the disciplines of Theology,
Metaphysics, Ethics, and to a large extent of the study of Law.
But the disciplines of Astronomy and Medical Science seem to
have been studied by scholars from a variety of backgrounds
and castes. This is very evident from the Malabar data: out of
808 studying Astronomy, only 78 were Brahmins; and of the 194
studying Medicine, only 31 were Brahmins. Incidentally, in
Rajahmundry, five of the scholars in the institution of higher
learning were Soodras. According to other Madras Presidency
surveys, of those practising Medicine and Surgery, it was found
that such persons belonged to a variety of castes. Amongst them,
the barbers, according to British medical men, were the best in
Surgery.^44
Besides the account provided by the Samudrin Raja
regarding the functioning of the institution supported by his
family in Malabar,^45 the collectors of Guntoor, Cuddapah,
Masulipatam, Madura and Madras also wrote in some detail on
the subject of higher learning. According to the collector of
Madras: ‘Astronomy, Astrology, etc. are in some instances taught
to the children of the poorer class of Brahmins gratis, and in
certain few cases an allowance is given proportionate to the
circumstances of the parents or guardians.’ The collector of
Madura on the other hand mentioned that: