Who was the author of the book ‘History of British India’?

James Mill, a Scottish historian, economist, and philosopher, was the author of the monumental work 'The History of British India', first published in 1817 [4]. This three-volume work was a significant contribution to colonial historiography, where Mill categorized Indian history into three distinct periods: Hindu, Muslim, and British, based on the religious affiliation of the ruling powers [2]. Despite never visiting India or knowing any Indian languages, Mill's work became an instant success and was used as a standard text for British officials [1]. His writing was heavily influenced by Benthamite Utilitarianism and sought to justify British rule by portraying Indian society as stagnant and in need of Western guidance [3]. While his son, John Stuart Mill, also worked for the East India Company, the authorship of this specific historical work belongs to James Mill [1].

Sources

1. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_History_of_British_India
2. [4] https://www.loc.gov/item/05002068/
3. [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 2: Major Approaches to the History of Modern India > Colonial Approach/ Historiography > p. 14
4. [3] https://era.ed.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/1842/15798/Chen2000.pdf