HISTORY OF MADRASA EDUCATION IN INDIA: AN OVERVIEW

Author Name: Mahboob Ahmad Khoja

Volume/Issue: 03/09

Country: India

DOI NO.: 08.2020-25662434 DOI Link: https://www.doi-ds.org/doilink/03.2023-79698787/UIJIR

Affiliation:

Research Scholar Ph.D. Department of Religious Studies, Punjabi University Patiala, Punjab, India

ABSTRACT

The word Madrasah is derived from the tri-consonantal Semitic root “d-r-s” which means, “to learn, study”. Therefore, Madrasah literally means, a place where learning and studying are done. In the Arabic language, the word Madrasah simply means the same as school does in the English language. However, in English, the term Madrasah usually refers to the specifically Islamic institutions. Madrasa means a “place of study”, generally; the word “dars” means lecture or sermon. It is also used in the sense “to train” or to “discipline”. In modern Arabic, Madrasa signifies any educational institution from preschool to high school. The fall or rise of a nation depends upon its younger generation. The fate of a nation is irretrievably linked with it and, therefore, the men at the helm should pay due attention to its upbringing and training. The survival of the cultural values of national life and its hopes and aspirations crucially depends upon how they bring up the younger generation. They will be able to safeguard their cultural heritage, if they succeed in handing over it to their progeny. Otherwise, they will lose their cultural identity and the ideological foundation of the country will gradually will weaken. The younger generation will no doubt, survive physically but it will cease to maintain its distinct identity. If a nation wants to survive culturally, it should provide training to its younger generation in such a manner as to become the custodian of its traditional values. Education is, therefore an investment in the development of a total human personality. It is also an effective instrument of social, economic and political change. It supplies the required trained manpower to the community to run its professions, services and economy. If correctly applied, it may also help in creation of a just society and an accelerated development of the younger generation in intellectual, spiritual, cultural and aesthetic fields. In India, the word Madrasa is used for an educational institution where education-related to Islam is imparted along with many other modern subjects like English, Hindi, a state language, Science, Social Science and Mathematics. The curriculum of Madrasas may vary according to their affiliation.

Key words: Madrasa, Madrasa-e-Sufa, Maktabas, Islamic theology, Darul Uloom, Jamia, Spirituality