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Government Arts College, Rajahmundry

The Madras government's college for the Northern Circars. It opened in 1853 as a district (zilla) school, was made a provincial school in 1868, started its first college class in 1873 and became a first-grade college teaching up to the B.A. in 1877. In 1907 it was one of only three government first-grade colleges in the Presidency; in 1939–40 it was a first-grade college of the Andhra University.

The Government Arts College at Rajahmundry was the oldest government college in the Telugu districts.12 It served the four districts of the Northern Circars.12 It grew from a district school of 1853 into a college teaching up to the B.A. by 1877.12

From school to college

According to the Godavari gazetteer of 1907, the Government opened the school in 1853 as a zilla (district) school.1 It taught the children of the four Circars districts up to the secondary standard.1 In 1868 it was raised to a provincial school.1 The government meant such schools to grow in time into provincial colleges.34

For some years this did not happen.5 The Director’s report for 1872–73 says that up to the end of 1872 the school still taught only up to the matriculation (entrance) examination.5 It had often been left without a permanent headmaster.5 In November 1872 Mr. Metcalfe, a Cambridge graduate, arrived on the orders of the Secretary of State for India and took charge.5 Early in 1873 a small college class of four students was formed.5 In March 1873 the school had 219 pupils.6

A B.A. class was formed in 1877, and the school became a first-grade college.2 The high-school classes were closed in 1885.2 In 1886 the college was reorganised to meet the new courses of the Madras University.7 Classes in electro-metallurgy and carpentry were tried, but Satthianadhan says they “have not proved a success”.8

The college in 1907

In 1907 it was one of only three first-grade colleges in the Presidency run by the government.2 The other two were the Presidency College at Madras and the college at Kumbakonam.2 It had a European principal, three lecturers, six assistant lecturers and three munshis (language teachers) for Telugu, Sanskrit and Hindustani.2

It had about 230 students, 160 in the F.A. classes and 70 in the B.A. classes.2 Most came from the Godavari district.2 Over 200 of them were Brahmins, and the only hostel, a rented house, boarded Brahmin students.2 A hostel for all classes was being planned.2 The college also held scholarships for poor Muslim students.9

Later years

In 1900 Metcalfe retired as principal, amid a rumour that the college would be closed.10 Three missions then asked the government to hand it over to them as a united mission college.10 The government refused.10 The Metcalfe Hostel opened in July 1904.11

When the Andhra University Act was debated in 1925, the bill’s Select Committee chose Rajahmundry as the university’s headquarters.12 The Act as passed chose Vijayawada instead, but made Rajahmundry one of three centres for degree teaching.12 In 1939–40 the college was a first-grade college of the Andhra University.13 It had taught the B.Sc. in mathematics, physics and chemistry since July 1930.14 Its library held 18,047 books.11

For many years the training college for teachers at Rajahmundry was run by the principal of this college.1516 In 1917 it became a separate college.16 See Government Training College, Rajahmundry.

Where the sources disagree

No disagreement was found among the sources used for this page.

Footnotes

  1. F. R. Hemingway, Madras District Gazetteers: Godavari, Vol. I (1907), p. 154 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  2. Hemingway, Godavari (1907), p. 155 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12

  3. S. Satthianadhan, History of Education in the Madras Presidency (1894), p. 48 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  4. Satthianadhan, History of Education (1894), p. 49 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  5. Report on Public Instruction in the Madras Presidency for 1872–73, p. 29 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  6. Report on Public Instruction for 1872–73, p. 30 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  7. Satthianadhan, History of Education (1894), p. 209 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  8. Satthianadhan, History of Education (1894), p. 258 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  9. Hemingway, Godavari (1907), p. 157 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  10. Rajah B. Manikam, Missionary Collegiate Education in the Presidency of Madras (1929), p. 88 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  11. Andhra University: The Annual Register 1939–40, p. 358 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩2

  12. Progress of Education in India, 1922–27 (Ninth Quinquennial Review), Vol. I, p. 59 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  13. Andhra University: The Annual Register 1939–40 (1939), p. 302, list of colleges (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩

  14. Andhra University: The Annual Register 1939–40, p. 357 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩

  15. Hemingway, Godavari (1907), p. 156 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  16. Andhra University: The Annual Register 1939–40, p. 330 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩2

References

Sources (6)
  1. F. R. Hemingway, Madras District Gazetteers: Godavari, Vol. I (opens in a new tab), Government Press, Madras, 1907, pp. 154–157. [Public domain]
  2. Madras. Department of Public Instruction, Report on Public Instruction in the Madras Presidency for 1872-73 (opens in a new tab), Government Press, Madras, 1874, pp. 29–30. [Public domain]
  3. S. Satthianadhan, History of Education in the Madras Presidency (opens in a new tab), Srinivasa, Varadachari & Co., Madras, 1894, pp. 48–49, 209, 258. [Public domain]
  4. Rajah B. Manikam, Missionary Collegiate Education in the Presidency of Madras, India (opens in a new tab), Conestoga, Lancaster, Pa., 1929, pp. 88. [Public domain]
  5. Bureau of Education, India, Progress of Education in India, 1922-27 (Ninth Quinquennial Review), Vols. I and II (opens in a new tab), 1929, pp. 59. [Public domain]
  6. Andhra University, Andhra University: The Annual Register 1939-40, with Grierson Commemoration Volume (opens in a new tab), Andhra University, Waltair, 1939, pp. 302, 330, 357–358. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]

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