Drawing on extensive archival research, this examination proposes that early efforts by British officials in the 19th century to create village schooling systems in Punjab were thwarted by a variety of factors—factors which ultimately doomed the country’s educational infrastructure. Developments such as the Revolt of 1857, crusades against female infanticide, and tension between the government and Christian missionaries all assisted in the creation of a strong indigenous voice for educational innovation and change by the beginning of the 20th century.