9 Greatest Teachers in Indian History
Best Teachers In Indian History: Education is the greatest wealth earned by anyone that you can give to anyone and nothing goes from you but grows. Teachers are considered to be the biggest source of knowledge. The teacher has an important place in every person’s life. Teachers have been given a special place in society from earlier times to the present times. These teachers taught many great people and took them to their target.
Words of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk:
“A good teacher is like a candle – it consumes itself to light the way for others.”
So teaching is the noble work and profession one can choose. It helps students to gain knowledge about subjects and also develops strengths and find their weaknesses to come out from. Teachers are the source of knowledge and inspiration to make their students better human beings.
Our country is proud to have a deep-rooted history in the field of education too. We have great teachers who are known as very famous teachers in Indian history.
It would not be wrong to say that India had gems in the form of great teachers. These teachers were not associated only with teaching but had a great influence on society with their thoughts and actions as well.
Former Teachers Name
The former Teachers name means the name of the teacher you had in the past and it can be any field, be it education, sports, or any other field. Some of the few examples in former teachers’ names and best teachers in Indian history in the above list are:
9 Best Teachers in India History
Learn about some such great teachers in this article:
Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
The second President and the first Vice President of Independent India, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was a great teacher and he is considered one of the best teachers in Indian history.
Teachers’ Day in India is celebrated on his birthday. Radhakrishnan is counted among the best teacher in India. He was born on September 5 in 1888 in Tiruttani, Tamil Nadu, India. He completed his Masters’s in Philosophy at the age of 21.
He gave importance to spiritual education and contributed significantly to the understanding and sharing of the most difficult concepts of philosophy. He imparted knowledge to students at Mysore Presidency College, and the University of Mysore and even worked as a Vice Chancellor of Andhra University.
He represented the University of Calcutta at the International Congress in the UK and the US and gave a lecture at Oxford on Comparative Religion. He was friendly with his students. He used to teach students both at school and at home. A great teacher like him is an inspiration to many teachers and the great teacher in the world even today. He died in 1975.
Dr Radhakrishnan believed that “A true teacher is one who helps us think for ourselves”.
Famous Quotes:
- “Books are the means by which we build bridges between cultures.”
- “A life of joy and happiness is possible only on the basis of knowledge and science.”
- “We must recall humanity to those moral roots from which both order and freedom spring.”
Savitribai Phule
Savitribai Phule is known as India’s first female teacher. She deserves to be mentioned as one of the best teachers in Indian history. She revolutionized India and together with her husband, opened a school in 1848 where she enrolled untouchable girls in society. Many people opposed this, but she did not panic and continued to teach in school. Later she opened five more similar schools. She is also a popular teacher in India.
Her journey as a teacher was not easy as she was often humiliated by the upper caste. Her effort was appreciated by the British Government. She raised her strong opinion against the atrocities committed on women, especially on the women of lower caste.
Her contribution as a great teacher is realized as the University of Pune is named after Savitribai Phule Pune University.
Famous Quotes
- “The lack of learning is nothing but gross bestiality. It is through the acquisition of knowledge that (he) loses his lower status and achieves the higher one.”
- “We shall overcome and success will be ours in the future. The future belongs to us.”
- “Sit idle no more. Go get an education.”
Chanakya
While mentioning the best teacher in Indian history and forgetting to mention Chanakya make the list of famous teachers incomplete.
Chanakya was also known as Kautilya and Vishnugupta from the 4th century. He was a great philosopher and jurist at that time. He is one of the great teachers of India.
Also, King Chandragupta Maurya made him his royal advisor. The impact of his two books namely Nitishastra (also called Chanakya Niti) and Arthashastra can be felt even today. Both books reflect his wisdom as it mentions a lot of experiential realities from his time.
His book Chanakya Niti also consists of a number of thought-provoking sutras which are important in life.
Famous Quotes
- “No one can defeat a powerful mind.”
- “Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth.”
- “Never settle for anything less than what you deserve. It’s not pride, it’s self-respect.”
Madan Mohan Malviya
Madan Mohan Malaviya was born in 1861 in Varanasi. He was an educationist and an independent activist in Indian history. He founded the largest residential university in Asia, the Banaras Hindu University, and was also its chancellor for nearly two decades.
The university trained around 35,000 students in various fields such as science, medicine, engineering, technology, law, agriculture, art and performing arts. The Indian educationist was a man who popularised the slogan “Satyamev Jayate” of India. He is known as the best educationist in India.
Famous Quotes
- “If you admit internal purity of the human soul, you or your religion can never get impure or defiled in any way by touch or association with any man.”
- “Fearlessness is the only way to Freedom. Be fearless and fight for justice.”
Rabindra Nath Tagore
The writer of the national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ believed that “The main objective of teaching is not to give explanations, but to knock on the doors of the mind”.
Rabindra Nath Tagore or Gurudev was born on May 7th 1861. He is considered one of the best teachers in Indian history and is still remembered for his scholastic excellence. He was an eminent teacher, writer, and freedom fighter who fought against the British government.
He supported activities to use for learning which will help students to develop both mental and physical faculties. His school at Shantiniketan, West Bengal emphasized teaching physical activities with basic education. They taught drama, climbing trees, plucking fruits and dancing at the school.
Famous Quotes
- “It is very simple to be happy, but it is very difficult to be simple.”
- “The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence.”
- “The main object of teaching is not to give explanations, but to knock at the doors of the mind.”
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda was not only one of the great Indian reformers but he was known for his unparalleled intellect and was one of the best teachers in India. He is one of the most popular teachers. The founder of ‘Ramakrishna Mission’ was born in 1863. Swami Vivekananda is also a former teacher’s name on the list.
In the monastery founded by him, his followers and monks come together to teach about Practical Vedanta and spread awareness about it. He advocated the Gurukula system where students study and live together with teachers.
Famous Quotes
- “Arise! Awake! Stop not until the goal is reached.”
- “Everything is easy when you are busy. But nothing is easy when you are lazy.”
- “Talk to yourself at least once a day otherwise you may miss meeting an excellent person in this world.”
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Although Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was well-known as a scientist, he was also a scholar. He inspired millions of children to move forward in their lives. He was the 11th President of India. He was also known as a missile man for his contribution to India’s nuclear and space engineering fields.
Kalam was a great teacher and one of the popular teachers who understood the level of students and used to think and tell them like them. He loved spending time with children. He kept lecturing the children till his last time. He died of a heart attack while going to a lecture at IIM Shillong.
Indian millennials are very well aware of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. He was born on 15th October 1931 in India. He believed in practical educational thinking which is why he was famous as a visionary. Kalam stressed integrating conventional teaching methods into modern educational practices. He kept stressing that basic amenities like safe drinking water, playgrounds and toilets are the things every student deserves.
He advocates availing education to both urban and rural areas in a balanced way. He also has a former teacher’s name on the list.
Famous Quotes
- “If you want to shine like a sun, first burn like a sun.”
- “All of us do not have equal talent. But, all of us have an equal opportunity to develop our talents.”
- “Don’t take rest after your first victory because if you fail in the second, more lips are waiting to say that your first victory was just luck.”
One of his thought-provoking quotes is “Some of the brightest minds in the country can be found on the last benches of the classroom”.
Gautam Buddha
Gautam Buddha was probably the first teacher in Indian history whom we still know. He was born in 480 BC as Siddhartha and was constantly in search of freedom and happiness. He was a king but he renounced his kingdom and luxurious life in want of salvation. He followed strict penance under a Bodhi tree and later founded Buddhism. He then went on to educate humanity through his Eightfold Path.
His eightfold path advocated eight practices and these were: right view, right intention, right speech, right livelihood, right conduct, right mindfulness, right effort and right Samadhi. As per his belief, these practices will help people put an end to every kind of suffering.
Famous Quotes
- “You only lose what you cling to.”
- “Win in your mind and you will win in your reality.”
- “You cannot always control what goes outside, but you can always control what goes inside.”
Swami Dayanand Saraswati
The Indian educationist and founder of Arya Samaj, Swami Dayanand Saraswati was a leader of Hindu reform movements during the Vedic period.
One of the best teachers of Indian history, he was a scholar of the Vedic lore and Sanskrit language. He took stands for women’s rights such as the right to education.
Famous Quotes
- “Validation of culture of a child is itself a validation of a child itself.”
- “Give the world the best you have and the best will come back to you.”
- ” The highest form of service is to help a person who is incapable of thanking in return.”
Conclusion
These proficient teachers of Indian history played an important role in the development of the education system and reformation. They lived exemplary lives and worked all their lives to uplift students. They were the inspiration for humans.
Read also: