1S34.] On the Education of the Natives in Southern India. 35& 



this interesting subject, and trust that this part of India may be= 

 nefit from the liberality which dictated the record of his intention 

 to grant new funds when the same may be deemed expedient, 

 and to restore to their original purpose all funds diverted froni 

 this source. 



There is no doubt, that in former times, especially under the 

 Hindoo governments, very large grants, both in money and in 

 land, were issued for the support of learning. Considerable yeo^ 

 miahs, or grants of money, now paid to Brahmins from my treasu- 

 ry, and many of the numerous and valuable Shotrium villages, 

 now in the enjoyment of Brahmins in this district, who receive 

 one-fourth, one -third, one-half, two-thirds, and sometimes the 

 whole of their annual revenue, may, I think, be traced to this 

 source. Though it did not consist with the dignity of learning 

 to receive from her votaries hire, it has always in India been deem» 

 ed the duty of Government to evince to her the highest respecty. 

 and to grant to her those emoluments which she could not, consis- 

 tently with her character, receive from other sources; the grants 

 issued by former Governments, on such occasions, contained 

 therefore no unbecoming stipulations or conditions. They all 

 purport to flow from the free bounty of the ruling power, merely 

 to aid the maintenance of some holy or learned man, or to secure 

 his prayers for the state. But they were almost universally grant- 

 ed to learned or religious persons, who maintained a school for 

 one or more of the sciences, and tawght therein gratuitously; and 

 though not expressed in the deed itself, the duty of continuing 

 such gratuitous instruction was certainly implied in all such grants. 



The British Government, with its distinguished liberality, has 

 continued all grants of this kind, and even in many cases, where 

 it was evident that they were merely of a personal nature. But 

 they have not, until now, intimated any intention to enforce the 

 implied, but now dormant, condition of these grants. The reve- 

 nue of the original grantee has descended without much injury 

 to his heirs, but his talents and acquirements have not been 

 equally hereditary; and the descendants of the original grantees 

 will rarely be found to possess either their learning or powers of 

 instruction. Accordingly, considerable alienations of revenue, 

 which formerly did honor to the state, by upholding and enconr- 

 aginc^ learning, have deteriorated under our rule into the mean* 

 of supporting ignorance; whilst science, deserted by the powerful 

 aid she formerly received from Government, has often been reduc 



