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Consider the following statements : 1. Warren Hastings set up the. Calcutta Madrassa for the study and teaching of Muslim law related subjects. 2. Jonathan Duncan started a Sanskrit College at Varanasi for the study of Hindu law and philosophy. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct as Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of Bengal, established the Calcutta Madrasa in 1781. The primary objective was to facilitate the study and teaching of Muslim law and related sciences to provide a supply of qualified assistants for the British courts of justice. Statement 2 is also correct. Jonathan Duncan, who was the Resident at Benares, took the initiative to start a Sanskrit College at Varanasi (Benares) in 1791. This institution was designed for the preservation and cultivation of Hindu laws, literature, and philosophy, and to provide trained Hindu assistants for the judicial system. While some sources attribute the college's establishment to the era of Cornwallis, the specific initiative and inauguration are credited to Jonathan Duncan. Therefore, both statements accurately reflect the early Orientalist educational policies of the British administration.