What it is:
Dominant in 19th-century India.
Two meanings:
History of colonial countries.
History influenced by colonial ideology (domination). This is the main focus today.
Written by colonial officials to justify and maintain colonial rule.
Criticized Indian society and culture while praising Western culture and glorifying colonial figures.
Key Figures: James Mill, Mountstuart Elphinstone, Vincent Smith.
Common Characteristics:
Orientalist Representation: Portraying India as exotic, backward, and in need of Western intervention. This often involved stereotyping and misrepresenting Indian culture.
British Brought Unity: The idea that India was a collection of disparate kingdoms and the British unified it. This ignores existing cultural and historical connections.
Social Darwinism: Belief in the superiority of the British race and their "right" to rule "inferior" races. They saw themselves as the "fittest" to govern.
Stagnant Society: Viewing India as unchanging and incapable of progress without British guidance. This is linked to the idea of the "White Man's Burden"—the supposed duty of Europeans to civilize non-European peoples.
Pax Britannica: The idea that British rule brought peace and order to a chaotic and divided India. This ignores the violence and disruption caused by colonialism itself.
In short: Colonial historiography aimed to justify British rule by portraying India as backward and in need of British guidance, while glorifying British achievements and downplaying the negative impacts of colonialism