प्राचीन भारत में शिक्षा (डॉ. ए.एस. अल्तेकर - गुरुकुल एवं बौद्ध विहार शिक्षण इतिहास)

VII] PRIMARY EDUCATION 173 · education. The nature of primary education naturally varies with the nature of the higher education that is to follow it. PRIMARY EDUCATION FROM C. 1000 B. C. to C. 200 B. C. **Introduction of Reading and Writing :—**There is ample evidence to show that the art of writing was well known to the Aryans at least from c. 1000 B. C., if not from an earlier date. Reading and writting must therefore have gradually begun to form an integral part of primary education. It is true that the cus- todians of the Vedic literature still continued to disdain the aid of the art of writing for its preserva- tion. But the new sciences that developed during this period, like grammar, etymology, metrics, etc., had no prjudice against it. As a matter of fact a proper grounding in these subjects, which were taught to all Vedic students, necessitated the knowledge of reading and writing. When once the alphabet came into general use, it is difficult to imagine how scholars, who intended to devote themselves to the study of the Vedic literature, grammar or phonology could have ignored its help. From the early centuries of the Christian era, writing and arithmetic were regarded, to quote the words of the Tamil thinker, Tiruvalluvar, as the two eyes of the soul, very useful in perfecting its insight into the nature of things. It may be passingly observed that reading and writing were introduced in Greek schools in c. 600 B. C. ; in India the event has to be placed much earlier. Obligatory Upanayana helps the Spread of **Literacy :—**During this period, Upanayana became an obligatory Sanskāra (ritual)¹ for all the Traivarṇikas

1. See Appendix I, B.