About the Book: Land of Pathshalas presents a compelling overview of indigenous Indian education in the 19th century, revealing how local pathshalas, tols, maktabs, and madrasas served diverse occupations and communities. Drawing on extensive surveys, census data, district gazetteers, and personal interviews, the book demonstrates how access to learning spanned across castes and genders—challenging the myth that traditional education was restricted only to elite groups. It details inclusive education practices where Dalits, Brahmins, and others learned together in community-funded schools, often hosted in temples, homes, or under banyan trees with no formal fees or uniforms. The narrative explores how knowledge transmission combined vocational training, classical studies, and practical skills, grounded in Indian epistemological frameworks like dharma and Yoga. This richly researched, reflective text illuminates a comprehensive, pre-colonial education system that fostered local agency and resilience—long before colonial restructuring.