The boyhood of Birbal Sahni: taking to science in 19th Century Panjab

Abstract

The rise of a scientist to eminence is better understood when viewed in the backdrop of events unfolding during that time and this is especially true of Birbal Sahni and his father, Ruchi Ram, who was one of the first science educationists of Panjab. Schooling and education in nineteenth century Panjab was quite different from what it is today. Liberal school education as known now, did not exist. In its place were traditional educational systems that had remained unchanged for several centuries: elitist schools catered only to the ruling class to help them learn the graces and manners of their times, and the ability to manage their land holdings. For the priestly class, there were special schools to teach the scriptures. For merchants, who held sway over the economy, all that was needed to get by was the use of simple arithmetic. For the common man it was difficult to get a good education. Here, I have tried to give the reader some background of the life and times of late nineteenth century Panjab and what it was like for an ordinary family, lacking in means, to develop a love for science and a rationalistic attitude in an environment where superstition and myth reigned supreme.