Q1-State whether true or false:
a) James Mill divided Indian History into three periods- Hindu, Muslim, and Christian
Ans. False
b) Official documents help us to understand what the people of the country think.
Ans. False
c) The British thought surveys were important for effective administration.
Ans. True
Q2- What is the problem with the periodisation of Indian History that James Mill offers?
ANS-
- James Mill divided his book into three period, namely: Hindu Muslims and British.
- The view of Mill has several problems which is not acceptable due to reasons:
- All the Asian societies were less civilized than the European ones. So the British could civilize India by conquering all the territories of India.
- The Hindus and the Muslims are not capable of ruling India.
- All rulers in ancient India did not share the same faith. So naturally there wouldn’t be religious tolerance.
Q3- Why did the British preserve official documents?
ANS- The British preserved the important official documents because-
- These served as records of what the officials thought.
- According to the British, writing was more important than speaking.
- As the documents in archives and museums could be utilized for reference at a much later period whenever required for studying or debating.
- These can also serve as an information or proof of any decision or action taken earlier on some matter.
Q4- How will the information historians get from old newspapers be different from that found in police reports?
ANS-
- Information found in newspapers is based on the views and thinking of the correspondents, news editors etc.
- In police records we could find some evidences for an incident and unbiased reports.