In 1817, James Mill, a Scottish economist and political philosopher, published a massive three-volume work, A History of British India. In this he divided Indian history into three periods—Hindu, Muslim and:

Correct option is B

The correct answer is (b) British.
Explanation:
● James Mill categorized Indian history based on the religion of the rulers for the first two periods (Hindu and Muslim) and colonial rule for the third (British).
● This classification was later criticized for its communal bias and oversimplification.
Information Booster:
● James Mill never actually visited India; his work was based solely on documents.
● His history was widely used as a textbook by British officials in India.
Additional Knowledge:
● Modern Classification – Most historians now use the Ancient, Medieval, and Modern periods to study Indian history.