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Indian History – my education system failed me
My school teachers and my school text books always told me that India had been ruled by the British.
But through my travel and the books that I have stumbled upon and read, reveal that nearly half of present-day India – the regions marked in yellow in the map above – was never ruled by the British. These states did not come ever come under the British rule.
Why then, was this not highlighted by the textbooks of primary school and secondary school history – a subject that was compulsory for 10 years of my basic schooling?
I first became aware of this fact only when my guide in Ladakh mentioned in passing, the fact that Ladakh was never under the Raj. And for a while I thought that this was an exception that applied only to Ladakh. But now I see that this ‘exception’ applies to roughly half of India.
Am baffled at this important and significant omission of my educators, people who were paid to deliver an education program to the children of the state through taxes paid by the people.
Was this unimportant? Was this insignificant?
I will go out and buy history books of all levels Grade 1 – 10 to verify this.
And I welcome views of others people from other states in India whose education did teach them that large regions remained independent of the British throughout history.
(My schooling gave me an S.S.C. from Maharashtra Board)
jm
Feb 2013
4 comments on “Indian History – my education system failed me”
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Well, Mysore and Hyderabad (both marked in yellow on the map) may never have been directly ruled by the British, but were both designated Princely States under British Raj. They were considered allies, but to all intents and purposes, were under British control in terms of the British being able to control their foreign policy, extract tribute and levy charges.
Okay. Thanks for the additional info.
Reblogged this on Ashishtandon's Blog.
It’s fascinating how travel and diverse sources of information can offer new perspectives on historical narratives. The revelation that nearly half of present-day India was never under British rule challenges the conventional understanding taught in schools. This underscores the importance of exploring diverse viewpoints and sources of knowledge beyond textbooks. It also highlights the need for Schools in Horamavu and elsewhere, to incorporate a more nuanced and comprehensive approach to history education, encouraging critical thinking and inquiry-based learning among students.