How did James Mill divide Indian history?

James Mill was a Scottish economist and political philosopher. He wrote three volumes of the book called ‘A History of British India’. In this book, he wrote about the division of the Indian History into Hindu, Muslim and British. This division of Indian History was accepted by many.

The main purpose was to know about the different characteristics and features of Indian History separately. Indian History has been divided to set a boundary between different characteristics of the society that existed and to give importance to each one of them. It helps us to know about the importance of the changes that happen in Indian History.

He supported his idea of the division with a view that ‘all Asian societies were at a lower level of civilisation than Europe’. He thought that Hindu and Muslim rulers ruled India before the British came to India. Social life was dominated by Religious intolerance, caste taboos and superstitious practices. It was important to introduce European manners, arts, institutions and laws in India by the British as only they could civilize Indians. He also advocated the idea that for educating Indian people and for their happiness, Britishers should conquer all the territories as Indians cannot advance without British help.