Previous Year Question

• Lord Wellesley established Fort William College at Calcutta in 1800.

• Its primary purpose was to train the newly recruited British civil servants of the East India Company in Indian languages, laws, history, culture and administrative practices so that they could govern India more effectively.

• The Court of Directors in London had not directed Wellesley to establish it. In fact, the Court did not approve of the heavy expenditure incurred on the college. Therefore, option (a) is incorrect.

• The college subsequently promoted Oriental languages, literature and translations, but this was an important consequence of its administrative training programme, not its original purpose.

• William Carey later joined the college as a teacher. Providing employment to Carey and his associates was therefore not the reason for establishing the institution.

Role clarity: Wellesley—founder; British Company civil servants—trainees; William Carey—later-appointed teacher; Court of Directors—not the initiating authority.