What is history?
History is about changes that occur over time. It is about finding how things were in the past and how things have changed.
What produced the maps of India and who ordered for them?
Rennel was asked by Robert Clive to produce the maps of Hindustan.
Who was the symbol of British power?
Britannia
Why is history often associated with dates?
There was a time when history was an account of battles and big events. It was about rulers and their policies. It was about rulers and their policies. Historians wrote about the year a king was crowned, the year he married, the year he had a child, the year he fought a particular war, the year he died and the year next ruler succeeded to the throne. For events such as these, specific dates can be determined and in histories debates about dates continue to be important.
Who was the first governor-general of British India?
Warren Hastings
Who was the last Viceroy of British India?
Lord Mountbatten
Who published ” A History of British India”?
In 1817, James Mill, a Scottish economist and political philosopher published a massive three-volume work, a history of British India.
How did James Mill divide India in his work “a History of British India”?
Mill divided Indian history into three periods – Hindu, Muslim and British.
Why do we divide history into periods?
History is divided into periods in an attempt to capture the characteristics of a time, its central features as they appear to us. So, the terms through which we periodize – that is – demarcate the differences between periods – become important. They reflect our ideas about the past and show the significance of the change from one period to next.
What was James Mill opinion on Asian Societies?
According to James Mill telling of history, before the British came to India, Hindu and Muslim despots ruled the country. Religious intolerance, caste taboos and superstitious practices dominated social life.
How could India be civilized according to James Mill?
According to Mill, British rule could civilize India. To do so, it was necessary to introduce European manners, arts, institutions, and laws in India.
How, do historians usually classify Indian history?
Historians have usually divided Indian history into ancient, medieval and modern.
What are the problems with the modern division of Indian history?
The periodization is borrowed from the west where the modern period was associated with the growth of all the forces of modernity – science, reason, democracy, liberty, and equality. Medieval was a period when these modern amenities did not exist. However, even in times of British, people did not have equality, freedom or liberty.
What is colonization?
When the subjugation of one country by another leads to political, economic, social and cultural changes, we refer to the process as colonization.
In what ways did British colonized India?
Britishers colonized India in the following ways –
- They came to conquer the country and establish their rule, subjugating local nawabs and rajas.
- They established control over the economy and society, collected revenue to meet all their expenses.
- They bought goods they wanted at a low price, produced crops they needed for export.
What is the most important source for historians to write about the history of India?
The most important source is the official records of the British administration.
What actions in the British government produced the administrative culture of memos, nothing, and reports?
Britishers believed that the act of writing was important. Every instruction, plan, policy, decision, agreement, investigation had to be clearly written up. Once this was done, things could be properly studied and debated. This conviction produced an administrative culture of memos, notings, and reports.
What led to the construction of tahsildar’s office, the collectorate, and other offices?
The British felt that all important documents and letters needed to be carefully preserved. So, they set up record rooms attached to all administrative institutions. The village tahsildar’s office, the collectorate, the commissioner’s office, the provincial secretariats, the law courts – all had their record rooms. Specialized institutions like archives and museums were also constructed to preserve important records.
Who are calligraphists?
Calligraphists are people who specialized in the art of beautiful writing.
When did the National Archives of India come up?
The National Archives of India came up in the 1920s.
Why did practice of surveying became common under the colonial administration?
The practice of surveying became common under the colonial administration because Britishers believed that a country had to be properly known before it could be administered.
How do historians get to know about history from the perspective of the common man?
Historians find it in the diaries of people, accounts of pilgrims and travelers, autobiographies of important personalities and popular booklets that were sold in the local bazaars.
How will the information historians get from old newspaper be different from that found in police reports?
Police records tell us what the officials thought, what they were interested in and what they wished to preserve for posterity. However, in newspaper historians get to know what exactly the individuals felt.
State whether true or false:
- James Mill divided Indian history into three periods – Hindu, Muslim, and Christian.
Answer – False
Reason – James Mill divided Indian History into three periods – Hindu, Muslim and British.
2. Official documents help us understand what the people of the country think.
Answer – False
Reason – Official documents tell us what officials thought, what they were interested in and what they wished to preserve for posterity.
3. The British thought surveys were important for effective administration.
Answer – True

Leave a comment