James Mill and the History of the History of British India

Apart from the economic drain of wealth that occurs under imperialism, it is the colonizer’s discourse on the colonized that is most insidious. Once set in motion, it has impacted the colonized past and continues to influence and undermine the postcolonial present. One such discourse is James Mill’s History of British India, which has lingering effects on the representation of Ancient India, Hindus, and Hinduism even after two hundred years of its production. This introductory chapter gives a crisp outline of colonialism and postcolonialism and, within that context, discusses the biography of James Mill that led to the writing of the History of British India.