East India Company and Linguistic Policy in India

This article explores the political procedure through which English has become the official language of Indian subcontinent. Therefore, we concentrate on a historical period, namely roughly between 1813- 1840, in which significant decisions has been made, that consequently led to a shift in area`s culture. We first pay our close attention to Charter Act of 1813 according to which Rs 100,000 has been allotted to promote education in Indian masses. Immediately after this act, British officers have been divided into two groups, namely orientalist and occidentalist. A controversy between these two groups has been aroused regarding the target of government`s budget. Arrival of Lord Bentinck, the Governor-General of India, in 1828 has fueled the controversy, since he was inclined to occidentalists both for practical reasons and intellectual ones. Then we examine the role of Lord Macaulay to put an end to the controversy. His Minute on Indian Education helped Bentinck in his attempt to hegemonize English language as the official language of India. As a result, a new policy of language and culture has been adopted and developed. Then we see how this policy was implemented in society.