EPISODE · May 12, 2026 · 5 MIN
The Calcutta Madrasa: Warren Hastings and Muslim Education in Bengal
from The Hidden History of Bengal: Kingdoms, Empires, and Revolution — Fexingo History · host Fexingo
In 1781, Warren Hastings founded the Calcutta Madrasa (now Aliah University), the first modern institution of Islamic learning in British India. This episode explores the political and educational motivations behind its creation: Hastings' desire to train Muslim legal experts for the East India Company's courts, the challenge of preserving Islamic scholarship under colonial rule, and the madrasa's evolution through the 19th century. We discuss the role of maulvis and qazis in Company administration, the curriculum blending traditional Islamic sciences with modern subjects, and the controversial reforms under Lord Minto and Lord Macaulay—whose infamous 1835 Minute on Education sought to prioritize English over Persian and Arabic. The madrasa became a flashpoint in debates over language, religion, and power, producing figures like Maulana Shibli Nomani, who later championed a synthesis of Islamic and Western knowledge. This story illuminates the complex negotiation between colonial authority and Indian intellectual traditions, and how an institution founded to serve the Raj became a center of Muslim renewal. #CalcuttaMadrasa #WarrenHastings #IslamicEducation #AliahUniversity #EastIndiaCompany #MuslimLegalExperts #Maulvis #Qazis #LordMinto #ThomasBabingtonMacaulay #MinuteOnEducation #MaulanaShibliNomani #ColonialIndia #BengalHistory #18thCentury #EducationPolicy #History #FexingoHistory #PalaEmpire #SenaDynasty Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
What this episode covers
In 1781, Warren Hastings founded the Calcutta Madrasa (now Aliah University), the first modern institution of Islamic learning in British India. This episode explores the political and educational motivations behind its creation: Hastings' desire to train Muslim legal experts for the East India Company's courts, the challenge of preserving Islamic scholarship under colonial rule, and the madrasa's evolution through the 19th century. We discuss the role of maulvis and qazis in Company administration, the curriculum blending traditional Islamic sciences with modern subjects, and the controversial reforms under Lord Minto and Lord Macaulay—whose infamous 1835 Minute on Education sought to prioritize English over Persian and Arabic. The madrasa became a flashpoint in debates over language, religion, and power, producing figures like Maulana Shibli Nomani, who later championed a synthesis of Islamic and Western knowledge. This story illuminates the complex negotiation between colonial authority and Indian intellectual traditions, and how an institution founded to serve the Raj became a center of Muslim renewal. #CalcuttaMadrasa #WarrenHastings #IslamicEducation #AliahUniversity #EastIndiaCompany #MuslimLegalExperts #Maulvis #Qazis #LordMinto #ThomasBabingtonMacaulay #MinuteOnEducation #MaulanaShibliNomani #ColonialIndia #BengalHistory #18thCentury #EducationPolicy #History #FexingoHistory #PalaEmpire #SenaDynasty Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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The Calcutta Madrasa: Warren Hastings and Muslim Education in Bengal
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