All are led to believe, that the Gurukula system of education that existed in India through the centuries was only meant for the Brahmins and that there was no other education system in the land.
The contrasting reality is that the Gurukula and all other centres of education of India were open to all, Indian as well as foreign. It is this fact that has been well brought out by the extensive survey conducted by a British officer, Major General Thomas Munro. 
He started this survey from Bellary, which is in the centre of Deccan. Bellary was a prosperous land, rich in minerals. This Bellary was associated with the Kishkinda Kingdom of Ramayana times. Bellary was thus not a backward area but a prosperous land from ancient times.
In the recent few decades too, Bellary has yielded mining wealth of legendary proportions.
It is from such a well-to-do region, that Thomas Munro started his famous education survey. The survey was extended all over South India.
It is from such a well-to-do region, that Thomas Munro started his famous education survey. The survey was extended all over South India.
Thomas Munro was then posted in Deccan region & was given the task of conducting an extensive survey of the schooling system that was prevalent there. He did a caste wise enumeration in each district that came under the purview of his survey.
His report is an eye opener for all.
His report is an eye opener for all.
The above statistics emphatically show that, in the Madras Presidency Area of those days, which covered most parts of South India, the Shudra and Athishudra children were the majority of students, uniformly in all the 4 language regions.
It can be observed that Madras Presidency Province extended from Orissa coast in the North to Kanyakumari in the South as well as to the Malabar Coast in the West. Adjoining kingdoms of Hyderabad, Mysore, Travancore and Calicut were also included in this extensive survey.
The survey also placed before all, district wise data of student of different castes studying in same school together.
Going through these statistics in the survey report, we see that district after district, without fail, Shudra & other castes outnumbered Brahmins in schools.
Going through these statistics in the survey report, we see that district after district, without fail, Shudra & other castes outnumbered Brahmins in schools.
The word Soodra was the way Shudra was spelt in those days.
This emphatically brings out the fact that, it was not only the Brahmins who went to Gurukula. All students of the society had equal opportunity to go to the traditional and native schools of India.
This emphatically brings out the fact that, it was not only the Brahmins who went to Gurukula. All students of the society had equal opportunity to go to the traditional and native schools of India.
In the analysis of this chart, what comes out clear is that it was the kings, the Raja who did not send their children to Gurukula but instead seemed to prefer home schooling.
Whereas the students of Brahmana, Vaishya, Shudra and Athishudra, all studied together in the same schools, under the same teachers, in same classrooms and studied the same subjects.
These statistics clearly bring out, that the interest of Shudra in education and enrollment in schools were in equal numbers or infact a lot more.
For the efforts of this survey and his other such untiring efforts, such as redesigning a peasant friendly land revenue system and a more people friendly district
administration system which survives to this day, Major General Thomos Munro was knighted as Sir Thomas Munro.
administration system which survives to this day, Major General Thomos Munro was knighted as Sir Thomas Munro.
