The “Colonial” Period
Colonization is the process of establishing dominance over a nation by another nation that results in social, economic, political, and cultural change. To put it another way, colonization is described as the exploitation of one nation by another, which results in alterations to its social, economic, cultural, and political systems.
In an effort to depart from British categorization, historians typically split Indian history into “ancient,” “medieval,” and “modern” periods. The term “modern” is a borrowing from the West, where modern was defined as the development of all qualities of modernity, including science, reason, liberty, democracy, and equality, whereas “medieval” was characterized as not having any of these features. This split is challenged because there was no equality, freedom, or liberty under British authority; as a result, many historians refer to that time as the “colonial” period.
Even this division has issues.
- It is a periodization that was adopted from the West, where the development of all modernity’s forces—science, reason, democracy, liberty, and equality—was regarded as a hallmark of the modern era. A society that lacked these modern-day characteristics is referred described as medieval.
- This characterization of the modern era is challenging to accept because, while under British authority, there was no equality, freedom, or liberty for anyone. It also wasn’t a time of economic advancement and expansion. So, this time period is often referred to as “colonial” by historians.
How Do We Periodise? l How, When And Where l Class 8 History
Periodisation enables us to comprehend the order of distinct occurrences as well as their outcomes. It captures the key characteristics of a specific era and enables us to distinguish it from other eras. To fully understand the traits and traits of a certain period in history, it is crucial to dive deeply into history.
Periodisation