Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/152

Rh were in favour of diffusing Sanskrit education throughout the country, and the Government of the time sided with them. But ultimately, on the petition of Raja Ram Mohan Ray, backed by Hare and Wilson, Government altered its former policy and resolved to propagate Western education in this land of the Hindus. After much efforts, a building for the accomodation of the Hindu and Sanskrit Colleges was erected at a cost of one lac and twenty-four thousand rupees on a plot of land presented for the purpose by the well-renowned, munificent David Hare. Hare is no more, but his name will be ever cherished very dearly in the heart of every English-educated Bengali. But for his indefatigable exertions and munificent gifts, the current of education in this country would have taken a very different course. In 1825, the two Colleges were set up in this new building.

Heretofore, the administration of the education department was in the hands of a Committee known by the name of "General Committee of Public Instruction." This committee had been started in 1823. The dispute of the two parties as to whether Western or Eastern education was beneficial to this country, alluded to before, continued for twelve years even after the foundation of this committee. At last, by the decision of Lord Macaulay, the promoters of Western education gained the victory. In the year 1839, Lord Auckland, the then Governor-General of India, declared in his Minute