Which of the following statements are true regarding Macaulay?
A. He succeeded in replacing Persian with English as the administrative language.
B. He promoted training of English-speaking Indians as teachers.
C. He was inspired by Utilitarian ideas.
D. He promoted “useful learning”.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

The correct option is A and B only.

Let us analyze the statements step-by-step to understand why statements A and B are correct, while statements C and D are not the main characteristics or are incorrect in this context:

Statement A is correct:
Thomas Babington Macaulay, through his famous "Minute on Indian Education" (1835), strongly advocated for the introduction of English education in India. His efforts led to the passage of the English Education Act of 1835. This policy successfully replaced Persian with English as the official administrative and court language in India, making it the medium of instruction and administration.

Statement B is correct:
Macaulay's education policy aimed to create a class of anglicized Indians who could serve as intermediaries between the British rulers and the ruled. He promoted the training of English-speaking Indians so that they could act as teachers and administrators, facilitating the spread of Western education and values among the masses.

Statement C is incorrect:
While Macaulay was a reformer, he was primarily a Whig politician and liberal historian. He was not directly inspired by the Utilitarian philosophy (associated with figures like Jeremy Bentham and James Mill) in the same way as other administrative reformers of his time.

Statement D is incorrect:
Although Macaulay wanted to teach Western science and literature, the concept of "useful learning" in the colonial Indian context is more closely associated with other educational reformers, administrators, and charter acts rather than being the defining slogan or credit specifically attributed to Macaulay's Minute.

Therefore, only statements A and B are true, making "A and B only" the correct option.