Educational Development during Sultanate Period | History Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

Introduction

Education System during the Sultanate Period:

The education system in the Sultanate period can be divided into two main parts:

1. Religious Education:

• Religious education was primarily provided by mosques and madrasas.
• Madrasas were established to impart education based on the Quran and Hadith.
• Students in madrasas learned subjects like Arabic grammar,logic,jurisprudence, and philosophy.
• Famous madrasas included the Qutb Minar Madrasah and the one established by Shams-ud-Din Iltutmish.

2. Secular Education:

• Secular education was provided by kothis, which were similar to modern schools.
• The education in kothis was focused on persian literature,history,mathematics,astrology, and music.
• One of the most famous kothis was the one established by Amir Khusrau.

Islamic education system 

Non-Islamic Education System (Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain)

Subjects:

• Traditional in spirit and theological in content.
• Quran,Shariat,Arabic grammar,Persian grammar, and various secular subjects like mathematics,astronomy,medicine, etc.
• Traditional subjects (manqulat) dominated education from Iltutmish to Sikandar. Scientific and secular subjects (maqulat) became more prominent from Sikandar onward.

In these Madrasas and Maktabs, no distinction was made between religious and secular education.

Manqulat:

• Traditions
• Law
• History
• Literature

Maqulat:

• Rational science
• Logic
• Philosophy
• Medicine
• Mathematics
• Astronomy

Types of Institutions:

• Established and maintained by rulers and nobles
• Started by individuals with state assistance
• Those attached to mosques and tombs
• Started by individual scholars
• Attached to Khanqah

Method:

• Recitation
• Punctuation
• Vocalization of texts

Medium:

• Main medium of instruction was Persian
• Study of Arabic was compulsory for Muslims

Institutions:

• Maktabs: Institutions for primary education, often attached to mosques.
• Madarsa: Institutions for primary education.
• Khanqahs: Sufi centers that also imparted Islamic spiritual education.

Important Centres:

• Delhi
• Lahore
• Agra
• Jaunpur
• Lucknow
• Gulbarga
• Bidar
• Burhanpur

Providers (Teachers):

• Ulemmas served as teachers and heads of Makhtabs and Madrasas.

Royal Patronage:

• Muizzi,Nasiri,Firuzi,Madrasa-i-Ferozeshahi madrasas in Delhi were famous Madarsas built by Delhi Sultans.
• Iltutmish: Set up a Madrasa at Delhi named after Mohammad Ghori.
• Balban: Patronized men of learning like Amir Husain and Amir Khusrau, encouraging jurists, physicians, astronomers, and mathematicians.
• Ala-ud-din Khilji: Founded a Madrasa attached to Hauz-i-Khas and continued to patronize men of learning.
• Muhammad Bin Tughlaq: Established a Madrasa in Delhi in 1346, attaching a Mosque to it.
• Feroz Shah Tughlaq: Endowed 30 Madrasas across his kingdom, made liberal land grants for educational institutions, and converted karkhanas(workshops) into vocational training institutions.
• Bahmanis: Sultan Muhammad Shah opened educational centers and patronized scholars.
• Mahmud Gawan, Prime Minister of the Bahmani Kingdom, built a Madarsa at Bidar, a famous center of learning with a large library.
• Firuz Shah Bahmani: Supported Islamic educational institutions and patronized many learned people.
• Qutab Shah of Golconda: Established institutions of primary and higher education.
• Bengal: Sultan Hassan Shah set up a college in memory of the saint Qutbul Alam.
• Jaunpur: Ibrahim spread science and learning among Muslims, earning the title 'Shiraz of India'.

Non-Islamic education system 

Subjects of Study:

• Sacred Texts: Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Sanskrit grammar, six systems of philosophy.
• Science Subjects: Astronomy, astrology, mathematics.
• Buddhist Texts: Buddhist religious texts, tantric Buddhist texts.
• Jaina Texts: Jaina religious texts, Jaina logic.

Medium of Instruction:

• Sanskrit
• Hindi
• Regional languages (Prakrit in Gujarat region for Jaina texts, limited use of Pali)

Institutions of Learning:

• Pathshala: Often attached to temples for primary education.
• Chatuspatis or Tols: Centers of higher education in Bihar and Bengal.
• Temple Colleges: Colleges within temple complexes.
• Viharas: Buddhist monastic establishments.
• Mathas: Hindu and Jaina monastic institutions, often within temples.
• Basadis: Jaina viharas.
• Institutions in Vijayanagara: Agraharas, mathas, temples, brahmapuris, ghatika.

Important Centres:

• Tantric Buddhism: Vikramshila, Odantpuri, Jagdalpur.
• Anhilpatan: Capital of the Chaulukyas of Gujarat, home to Jaina scholars like Hemchandra Suri.
• Dhar: Capital of the Parmaras of Malwa, known for Bhojshala established by King Bhoja.
• Other Notable Places: Banaras, Mathura, Ayodhya, Kanchipuram, Madurai, Nadia (West Bengal).

Providers of Education:

• Brahmins: For Hindu education.
• Monks and Scholars: In Buddhist and Jaina education.

Royal Patronage:

• Palas, Parmars, Solanki/Chalukyas of Gujarat.
• Krishnadeva Raya: Promoted Telugu learning and literature, authored the Telugu book Amuktamalyada, and supported great literarians like Allasani Peddana, Tenali Ramakrishna, Dhurjati, Nandi Thimmana.

Limitations during Sultanate Period:

• No provision for women's education; royal and wealthy women received education at home.
• Medium of instruction was primarily Sanskrit and Persian, limiting access for common people.
• Education focused mainly on religious subjects.
• Entry to educational institutions was restricted to upper-class and upper-caste individuals, making education a privilege of the elite.