College, one day, on inspection duty, and had a long talk with Vidyasagar on various topics. In course of conversation, Vidyasagar complained of the hard lot of the students of the Sanskrit College. He said that they had now no prospects. The post of Judge-Pandit, which had so long been reserved for them, had been abolished. The numerical strength of the College was, in consequence, falling off. It was, therefore, meet and proper, that Government should do something for them. It was finally settled that a number of vernacular schools should be established in the country, and the teachers for these schools should be taken from among the students of the Sanskrit College. 101 such schools were established in the different parts of the country from 1844 to 1846, and they were styled "Hardinge Schools" after the name of their founder. These schools were set up in imitation of Western schools for the propagation of Bengali education, and Vidyasagar was not wholly unconnected with them. He took great pains for their advancement.
The selection of teachers for these schools by examination, and their appointment were intrusted to Mr. Marshall and Vidyasagar. The latter had now to face difficulties of a strange sort. The elderly professors of the Sanskrit College and some other private Pandits turned to be his bitter enemies. The professors grudged his influence with the authorities, that young Vidyasagar was
