La Martinière College is a consortium of bi-national elite

private schools A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their financial endowme ...

, majority of them located in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. They are officially non-denominational private schools with units of two-two branches in Indian cities of

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

and

Lucknow Lucknow () is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the largest city of the List of state and union territory capitals in India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is the administrative headquarters of the epon ...

respectively and in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, the consortium is represented by a number of three branches in

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

. La Martinière Schools were founded posthumously by Major General

Claude Martin Major-General Claude Martin (5 January 1735 – 13 September 1800) was a French army officer who served in the French Indies Company, French and later East India Company, British East India companies in colonial India. Martin rose to the rank of ...

, in the early 19th century. Martin had acquired a large fortune while serving the

Nawab of Awadh The Nawab of Awadh or Nawab of Oudh was the title of the rulers of Kingdom of Awadh (anglicised as Oudh) in northern India during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Nawabs of Awadh belonged to an Iranian dynasty''Encyclopædia Iranica'', R. B. B ...

Asaf-ud-Daula Mirza Asaf-ud-Daula (23 September 1748 – 21 September 1797) was the Nawab wazir of Oudh ratified by Shah Alam II, from 26 January 1775 to 21 September 1797, and the son of Shuja-ud-Dowlah. His mother and grandmother were the Begums of ...

and bequeathed a major part of his estate to establish the schools. His will outlined every detail of the schools, from their location to the manner of celebrating the annual Founder's Day. The seven branches function independently, but maintain close contacts and share most traditions.

La Martinière College, Lucknow La Martinière College is an elite educational institution located in Lucknow, the capital of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The college consists of two schools on different campuses for boys and girls. La Martinière College (for boys) wa ...

was awarded a

Battle Honour A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or Military operation, operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In ...

– 'Defense of Lucknow' for the part the staff and pupils played in the Defence of the Residency at Lucknow during the

Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the form ...

– the only school in the world so distinguished.

La Martinière Calcutta ''La Martinière'' (informally known as LMC) comprises two independent private single-sex schools for day scholars, with a few boarders, located in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), West Bengal, India. They were established in 1836 in accordance with ...

and La Martinière Lucknow consist of separate girls' and boys' schools, while the three in

La Martinière Lyon LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smit ...

are co-educational. The Colleges are day schools, but Indian units have boarding facilities as well. Extra-curricular activities, including sports and community service organizations, are emphasized, and music and dance are included in the general curriculum.

Major-General Claude Martin, the founder

Claude Martin was born on 5 January 1735 in Lyon, France. He came to India when he was seventeen. After the French influence declined in India, he served in the

British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

and rose to the rank of Major-General. After taking up residence in

, he occupied an important position in the court of Nawab

Shuja-ud-Daula Shuja-ud-Daula (19 January 1732 – 26 January 1775) was the third Nawab of Oudh and the Vizier of Delhi from 5 October 1754 until his death 26 January 1775. He was a key 18th-century Mughal ally who despised the Maratha-backed Imad-ul-Mulk. ...

h and later his son,

. During this period Martin accumulated a fortune of about 4,000,000 rupees. He built the palace of 'Constantia' and his fine house of Farud Baksh, both of which he equipped with luxuries that included a library of some 4,000 volumes written in many languages and a picture gallery containing a collection of works of art. Martin died in Lucknow on 13 September 1800. According to his will, he was buried in the vault prepared for his remains in the basement of the college in Lucknow. The major portion of his estate was left for the founding of three institutions, one each at Lucknow, Calcutta and his birthplace Lyon in France. It took 30 years to dispose of the litigation arising out of Claude Martin's will. Finally, as the result of a Supreme Court decision, La Martinière Schools opened in Calcutta, on 1 March 1836. Though his will had not mentioned any ethnic or religious restrictions on those who would be allowed to apply to the institutions of learning, the La Martinier College in Calcutta (after thirty years of litigation) only permitted European and Armenian Christians to apply. Coming about due to changing attitudes towards race among the Company administration in India, the school only permitted Indian students (of any religious denomination) to apply in 1935.

La Martinière coat of arms

The La Martinière coat of arms was designed by the founder Claude Martin.La Martiniere history at Tripod
accessed 10 August 2007 It is supported by seven flags, each bearing the design of a fish, the emblem of

Oudh The Kingdom of Awadh (, , also Oudh State, Kingdom of Oudh, Awadh Subah, or Awadh State) was a Mughal subah, then an independent kingdom, and lastly a British protectorate in the Awadh region of North India until its annexation by the Br ...

.Oudh fish coins at the British Museum
accessed 10 August 2007 The devices on the

escutcheon Escutcheon may refer to: * Escutcheon (heraldry), a shield or shield-shaped emblem, displaying a coat of arms * Escutcheon (furniture), a metal plate that surrounds a keyhole or lock cylinder on a door * (in medicine) the distribution of pubic ha ...

appear to epitomise Claude Martin's life. The ship recalls his voyage to India where he established his fortune. The flag with the pennant represents his career as an officer in the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

and with the

Nawab of Oudh The Nawab of Awadh or Nawab of Oudh was the title of the rulers of Kingdom of Awadh (anglicised as Oudh) in northern India during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Nawabs of Awadh belonged to an Iranian dynasty''Encyclopædia Iranica'', R. B. B ...

The setting sun behind the castellated building to the right of the fish has been said to point to the sunset of his days and the large part which the building of "Constantia" played in his later years. The coat of arms and the accompanying motto "Labore et Constantia" are now shared by all the schools founded by Martin. The La Martinere College flag consists of the coat of arms on a blue and gold background. The flag is generally flown above the buildings, and used for formal events and celebrations, such as the annual Founder's Day. The seal is engraved on the school buildings.

College traditions

Founder's Day

Founder's Day is commemorated every year on 13 September, the day Claude Martin died. Some of the traditions of this day include an extended formal assembly in the morning with a faculty march, a speech by a prominent guest or alumnus, the playing of bagpipes, singing of the school song and other selected hymns by the College choir, and the laying of a wreath at Claude Martin's tomb. For the Founder's Day dinner the entire senior school and staff are treated to an elaborate sit-down dinner in the afternoon. Claude Martin had apparently listed in his will that his death should not be commemorated as a day of mourning but one of celebration of his life. He had also written out a menu for the meal to be served. Although today, the menu does not remain the same, the tradition of the Founder's Day dinner is still preserved. A Founder's Day Social is held in the evening for the senior school. Classes are suspended on Founder's Day, which is generally followed by a school holiday.

Prize Day

At the end of each academic year, usually in April, Prize Day is held to recognize academic excellence and to honour high achieving students. Some of the traditions include a formal assembly in the afternoon involving a faculty march, a formal speech by a prominent guest or alumnus, singing of the school song and other selected works by the College choir. Generally the top three ranking students of each class are awarded prizes, usually books, and upper classes receive subject proficiency awards. In India, the students achieving first rank in competing academic examinations in grades 10 and 12 are awarded the Founder's Gold Medal. Several additional special prizes are also awarded.

Sports Day

Each year, on the last Sunday of November, the athletic talents of the students are displayed. Traditions include a school march (which involves a military-type march around the school grounds), gymnastics, a performance by the school band, and an athletic competition between the school houses. The athletic competition includes several events such as shot put, track and field events and long jump.

The School Socials

The Socials at La Martinière are elegant events in the English tradition. Students from both the girls and boys sections are invited to the socials. Ceremonial uniform is worn by boys, while formal dresses are worn by girls. "The Social" is a tradition of La Martinière and a memory of its English past. The Socials are held in the College Hall and the girls are invited to the boys school. Socials are also held after the yearly 'Inter-Martiniere Meet' is held between the two schools at Lucknow and Kolkata. La Martinière has always been regarded as one of the finest schools in India. Given its foundation in English tradition, it has been compared to the Public Schools of England, and has been referred to as "The Eton of the East" by William Dalrymple, in his book "The Age of Kali."

Hostel

La Matinière Calcutta and Lucknow both have hostel facilities. Dormitories are provided with swimming and other facilities. Every December the boarders have a special night named "Boarders Night" where all the boarders and teachers come together for a dance party. The next night is followed by Boarders Night Socials where both boys and girl school boarders have socials.

Notable alumni

* The Lumiere Brothers, early filmmakers, studied at the La Martinière, Lyon. * The actress

Merle Oberon Merle Oberon (born Estelle Merle O'Brien Thompson; 19 February 191123 November 1979) was a British actress. She began her acting career in British cinema in the early 1930s, with a breakout role in ''The Private Life of Henry VIII'' (1933). She ...

studied at La Martinière, Calcutta. * Both the Lucknow and Calcutta Girls' Schools have produced a "Miss India" each:

Priyanka Chopra Priyanka Chopra Jonas (; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress and producer. The winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant, Chopra is India's highest-paid actress and has received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awards and fiv ...

, from La Martinière Lucknow and

Nafisa Ali Nafisa Ali is an Indian actress, politician, activist and former beauty pageant titleholder. She is a member of the All India Trinamool Congress. Early life Nafisa Ali was born in Kolkata, the daughter of Ahmed Ali, a Bengali man and Philome ...

, from Calcutta. * La Martinière Calcutta has produced a father and son duo

Vece Paes Vece Paes (born 30 April 1945) is an Indian former hockey midfielder, representing the Indian team in the 1972 Munich Olympics, that won the bronze medal. He is the husband of former basketball player Jennifer Paes and father of tennis ...

, hockey player, and

Leander Paes Leander Adrian Paes ( ; born 17 June 1973) is an Indian former professional tennis player and the first Asian man to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. He is regarded as one of the greatest doubles tennis players of all-tim ...

, tennis player, both of whom won medals at the Olympics. * Rajendra K. Pachauri, academic, studied at La Martinière, Lucknow. *

Vijay Mallya Vijay Vittal Mallya (born 18 December 1955) is an Indian businessman and a former politician. He is the subject of an extradition effort by the Indian Government to return him from the UK to face charges of financial crimes in India. His last ...

, businessman and politician, studied at La Martinière, Calcutta *

Muzaffar Ali Muzaffar Ali (born 21 October 1944) is an Indian filmmaker, fashion designer, poet, artist, cultural revivalist, and social worker. Biography Raja Muzaffar was born in Lucknow of the erstwhile United Provinces, British India, in 1944. The elde ...

, Bollywood film producer. *

Vinod Mehta Vinod Mehta (31 May 1941 – 8 March 2015) was an Indian journalist, editor and political commentator. He was also the founder editor-in-chief of ''Outlook'' from 1995 to 2012 and had been editor of publications such as '' The Pioneer'', ''The S ...

, journalist, editor and political commentator, La Martinière, Lucknow. *

Ali Fazal Ali Fazal (born 15 October 1986) is an Indian actor who works primarily in Hindi films and television series. He made his screen debut with a small role in the film ''The Other End of the Line'' (2008) before appearing in the television miniser ...

, actor, studied at La Martinière, Lucknow.

References

External links

La Martiniere Old Boys (Blacks and Tigers)
{{Coord missing, West Bengal Girls' schools in France Girls' schools in West Bengal Private schools in France Private schools in Kolkata Schools in Colonial India Educational institutions established in 1836 1836 establishments in British India Private schools in Uttar Pradesh Girls' schools in Uttar Pradesh