Name: The Unofficial Sources of Indian History
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 4 min 18 s
Description: The British recorded Indian history with an emphasis on their rule and administration. What other sources can be used to understand the Indian side of history?

Question

How did James Mill divide Indian history? Explain.

Accepted Answer

James Mill, a British historian and philosopher, divided Indian history into three distinct periods in his influential work "The History of British India" published in $1817$ .

First, he described the "Hindu period" as a stagnant and despotic era marked by religious superstition and social decay.

According to Mill, the Hindu period extended from the earliest times to the Muslim conquest of India in the $12^{t h}$ century.

Second, he discussed the "Muslim period," which he considered as a period of foreign rule characterised by religious intolerance, despotism, and cultural decline.

This period began with the arrival of Muslim conquerors and lasted until the establishment of British colonial rule.

Finally, Mill identified the "British period" as the era of enlightenment and progress brought by British colonisation.

He credited British rule for modernising India, introducing Western education, and promoting liberal ideas.

While Mill's categorisation was influential during his time, it has been criticised for its Eurocentric bias and simplistic characterisation of Indian history, overlooking the complexity and richness of indigenous cultures and civilisations.

How did James Mill divide Indian history? Explain.

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