Consider the two statements on the Periodisation of Indian history for the teaching of India’s pasts and choose an appropriate option.
Statement (I) : British historians divided the history of India into three periods : Hindu, Muslim and British.
Statement (II) : This periodisation was based on the idea that the religion of rulers was the only important historical change.

Correct option is C

Both statements are correct and statement (II) is a correct explanation of statement (I).
• Statement (I) accurately describes the periodization of Indian history proposed by British historians, who divided the past into three distinct periods: Hindu, Muslim, and British. This periodization was based on the assumption that the religion of the ruling power was the primary determinant of historical change.
• Statement (II) provides a rationale for the periodization described in statement (I). It highlights the underlying assumption that religious identity was the most significant factor in shaping India's history. This perspective led British historians to emphasize religious transitions as the main markers of historical change.
• Therefore, both statements are true, and statement (II) provides a valid explanation for the periodization outlined in statement (I). The British historians' emphasis on religious identity as the driving force of historical change reflects their own cultural and religious biases.

Information Booster:

• Periodisation is a method of dividing history into distinct time frames.
• British historians simplified Indian history through a religious lens.
• Modern historians critique this approach for neglecting social, economic, and cultural factors.
• A more inclusive periodisation includes socio-economic and political factors.
• Nationalist historians have offered alternate frameworks focusing on broader historical processes.