UPSC Prelims 2020 GS Paper I · Q34 of 99 History medium

Wellesley established the Fort William College at Calcutta because

  1. (a) he was asked by the Board of Directors at London to do so
  2. (b) he wanted to revive interest in oriental learning in India
  3. (c) he wanted to provide William Carey and his associates with employment
  4. (d) he wanted to train British civilians for administrative purpose in India ✓ UPSC's answer

Why the answer is (d)

• Lord Wellesley founded Fort William College in Calcutta in 1800 to train young Company civilians ('writers') in Indian languages, law, history and administration before posting — option (d).

• The Court of Directors in London disapproved of the expense and cut it down, later founding Haileybury College in England (1806) — so (a) is wrong.

• Reviving oriental learning (b) was a by-product, not the purpose; employing William Carey (c) happened incidentally, as he taught Bengali there.

• Hence option (d).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) he was asked by the Board of Directors at London to do so
The Directors opposed the college rather than ordering it.
(b) he wanted to revive interest in oriental learning in India
Oriental learning was incidental to the administrative purpose.
(c) he wanted to provide William Carey and his associates with employment
Employing Carey was a side effect, not the reason.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2020, held on 4 October 2020. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

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