Colonial Pedagogy in Kerala: A Study of Textbook Narratives as Instruments of Cultural and Political Subjugation

Abstract

The paper examines how British colonial-era textbooks in Kerala served as ideological tools to legitimize foreign rule and reshape indigenous identity. Through content analysis of prescribed school readers, it demonstrates how these materials systematically promoted Western cultural supremacy, distorted historical narratives of local resistance, and inculcated loyalty to the colonial government. The study argues that education was a primary mechanism for enforcing cultural assimilation and mental subordination, leaving a lasting legacy on the region’s socio-cultural and educational landscape.