Dharampal () (19 February 1922 – 24 October 2006) was an Gandhian thinker. He authored The Beautiful Tree: Indigenous Indian Education in the Eighteenth Century (1983), Indian Science and Technology in the Eighteenth Century (1971) and Civil Disobedience and Indian Tradition (1971), among other seminal works, which have led to a radical reappraisal of conventional views of the cultural, scientific and technological achievements of Indian society at the eve of the establishment of Company rule in India.
In 2001, he was named chairman of the National Commission on Cattle and Minister of State by the Government of India.
Dharampal was instrumental in changing the understanding of pre-colonial Indian education system.
Dharampal primary works are based on documentation by the colonial government on Indian education, agriculture, technology, and arts during the period of colonial rule in India.
Works
The Beautiful Tree: Indigenous Indian Education in the Eighteenth Century (1983). Translated into Kannada by Madhava Peraje with the title Cheluva Taru Indian Science and Technology in the Eighteenth Century (1971) Civil Disobedience and Indian Tradition (1971) The British Origin of Cow-slaughter in India With Some British Documents on the Anti-Kine-Killing Movement 1880-1894 (2003) By Dharampal, T. M. Mukundan. Understanding Gandhi (2003) Essays on Gandhi.
Relevance
Dharampal's pioneering historical research, conducted intensively over a decade, led to the publication of works which provides evidence from extensive early British administrators’ reports of the widespread prevalence of educational institutions in the Bombay, Bengal and Madras Presidencies as well as in the Punjab, teaching a sophisticated curriculum, with daily school attendance by about 30% of children aged 6–15. Dharampal highlights indigenous education system in India during pre-colonial and around the eve of British colonial era.
In 1818, the fall of Maratha Empire lead to large parts of India come under direct British rule. During the decade of 1820-30, following instructions from authorities in London, various provincial governments in India carried out detailed surveys of the indigenous education system prevalent in their provinces. The survey in Madras Presidency, which was perhaps the most detailed, was conducted by A.D Campbell, the collector of Bellary, during 1822-25. A survey in some selected districts of the Bombay Presidency was first conducted during 1824-25, followed by another similar survey in 1828-29. In 1835, on instruction from the Governor-General William Bentinck, William Adam, a missionary of the Unitary Church, conducted a survey of indigenous education in five districts of the Bengal Presidency: Birbhum, Burdwan, South Bihar, Tirhut and parts of Murshidabad. Adam also personally carried out a detailed statistical survey of the area under the Thana of Natore in the district of Rajshahi.
G.L. Prendergast, a member of the Governor’s Council in Bombay Presidency, recorded the following about indigenous schools in 27 June 1821:
Sociological Data
These survey data also reveals the wide social strata to which both the students and the teachers in these schools belonged to. Survey records teachers were represented by all caste groups, including minority of teachers from now former untouchable castes.
The more interesting and historically more relevant information is provided by the caste-wise survey of this data is that of the students, majority of whom belonged to shudra caste. This is true not only as regards boys, but also with respect to the rather small number of girls who, according to the survey, were receiving education in schools.
Translations
The book "The Beautiful Tree" is translated into Kannada as "Cheluva Taru".