Government Sanskrit College , Varanasi
Encyclopedia
Government Sanskrit College was the first college in Benares. Established in 1791, it was a landmark college in India
from where several notable teachers emerged. In 1958 it merged with Sampurnanand Sanskrit University
.
, the officers of the East India Company thought in necessary to preserve the knowledge of Hindus and Muslims. In the year 1750 they passed a resolution for that purpose. To preserve Urdu
, they established a madrasa at Calcutta, whereas for protection and development of Sanskrit
, they chose Benares.
In 1791, during the period of British rule in India, Jonathan Duncan, the representative of the Honourable East India Company proposed the establishment of a Sanskrit college for development and preservation of the Sanskrit Vangmaya and to show that the English people were in favour of the development of the Indian culture. This was sanctioned by Governor General Lord Cornwallis. Kashi Naresh Mahip Narayan Singh donated a huge tract of land in the southern part of Benares for construction of the college. The first teacher of this Institution was Pandit Kashinath. The Governor General initially sanctioned a budget of Rs. 20,000 per annum.
with knowledge of European literature
and Philosophy
.
The Principals from 1844 were:
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
from where several notable teachers emerged. In 1958 it merged with Sampurnanand Sanskrit University
Sampurnanand Sanskrit University
Sampurnanand Sanskrit University is an institution of higher learning in Asian learning, Sanskrit allied areas, etc. that is located in Benares , Uttar Pradesh, India.- History :...
.
History
To establish their rule in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, the officers of the East India Company thought in necessary to preserve the knowledge of Hindus and Muslims. In the year 1750 they passed a resolution for that purpose. To preserve Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, they established a madrasa at Calcutta, whereas for protection and development of Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, they chose Benares.
In 1791, during the period of British rule in India, Jonathan Duncan, the representative of the Honourable East India Company proposed the establishment of a Sanskrit college for development and preservation of the Sanskrit Vangmaya and to show that the English people were in favour of the development of the Indian culture. This was sanctioned by Governor General Lord Cornwallis. Kashi Naresh Mahip Narayan Singh donated a huge tract of land in the southern part of Benares for construction of the college. The first teacher of this Institution was Pandit Kashinath. The Governor General initially sanctioned a budget of Rs. 20,000 per annum.
Education
Initially the college offered courses up to graduation. From 1857, the college started postgraduate teaching. The examination system was adopted in 1880. In 1894 the famous building of Saraswati Bhavan Granthalaya, where thousands of manuscripts are preserved, was constructed, . These manuscripts are edited by the Principal of the College and published in book form. The series of books are known as Sarasvati Bhavana Texts. More than 400 books have been published in the series.Principal
From 1791 to 1844 the college was governed by the Administrative officers of the city. Later British officers decided that Indians should also obtain knowledge of European literature and Philosophy. Therefore they ordered the appointment of a Principal for the college. The qualification laid down was the Principal must be a scholar of SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
with knowledge of European literature
European literature
European literature refers to the literature of Europe.European literature includes literature in many languages; among the most important of the modern written works are those in English, Spanish, French, Dutch, Polish, German, Italian, Modern Greek, Czech and Russian and works by the...
and Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
.
The Principals from 1844 were:
- Professor J. Myor, ICS (1844–1846)
- Dr.J.R. Ballentien (1846–1861)
- Ralph T. H. Griffith (1861–1876)
- Dr.G. Thevo (1876–1888)
- Dr.Aurthor Venice(1888–1918)
- Sir Ganganath JhaGanganath JhaSir Gaṅgānāth Jhā was an eminent scholar of Sanskrit, Indian Philosophy, Buddhist Philosophy and paṇḍit of Nyāya-Śāstra.-Early life:...
(1918–1923) - Gopinath KavirajGopinath KavirajGopinath Kaviraj was a Sanskrit scholar and philosopher. Kaviraj was the posthumous son of Vaikunthanath, a Bengali scholar of philosophy. He was born in Village Dhamrai, in the district of Dacca, now the capital of Bangladesh...
(1923–1937) - Dr.Mangal Dev Shastri(1937–1958)