ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF ARABIC LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE IN ASSAM

[Arabic one of the Semitic group of languages. Ya'rib bin Qahtan is considered as the father of this language. The teaching th of Arabic Language, in Assam, has been started in different ways with effect from 12 century. The first informal Institution for Arabic Studies of the north east region was established in the first decade of the 14th century by the famous Sufi Sah Zia uddin in Badarpur in Karimganj District of Assam. The modern Institution system for Arabic Studies was developed in north east region and Darul Uloom Baghbari was established in 1873 in erstwhile Cachar District at Karimganj. After twenty five years of it, Darul Uloom Bashkandi, a higher Educational institution for Arabic Studies of this time, came into existence in 1897. During British Period the Provin cial Government of Assam established Madrassa Education Board for Arabic Studies in 1934 in Sylhet with 9 Madrassas. After Independence the Board was renamed as State Madrassasa Education Board, Assam. The numbers of Madrassa are 707 in Assam under this Board. Senior level madrasa have a three years course for Madrassa Final Examination (Fadilul Marif.) equivalent to Bachelor Degree in Theological Subjects. In this stage the major subjects taught are Quran, Hadish, Figh, Asul, Aqaid, History of Islam, Arabic prose, poetry, rhetoric, grammar; Quranic translation and interpretation and logic, which are the main branches of Arabic Language and Literature. After that level, Title Madrasas level is started, which have a minimum of two years course for Mumtazul Muhaddis (M.M.) equivalent to Master's Degree in Theological subjects. The subjects of the M.M. course are Hadith, Tafsir and Tarikh, which are the essential part of the Arabic language and Literature. The Arabic literature started its journey from Madrassas and has taken higher positions in the Colleges and Universities of Assam, like Cotton College, B.N. College, B.H. College, Gauhati University and Assam University etc... Most of the Colleges and Universities of Assam have separate independent Department to acquire higher education in the Arabic Language and Literature. Various Arabic madrassas and Islamic cultural institutions of higher studies under the Local public guidance as well as higher education institutions under govt., which produced a large number of Arabic poets, Prose writers, Islamic Scholars, commentators of the Qur'an, scholars of the Traditions (Hadith) etc. In fact the Development of Arabic Literature can't be imagined without the role of Madrassas in Assam. In this brief research paper I have tried to highlight the role of Higher Educational Institutions in the growth and development of Arabic Language and Literature in Assam together with pointing out its major disadvantage as well as the some remedial measures.]