CBSE Class 8 Answered

In India, history is divided into ancient, medieval and modern period. It has been genrally accepted that the ancient period was Hindu period, medieval was Muslim and the british ruled in the modern period. It has been argued by many historians that it is not correct to periodise Indianhistory on the basis of religion of the rulers. For example, when the Hindu kings ruled in ancient India, many religions existed peacefully. The same is also true
for mediaeval India. It was not correct to periodise mediaeval India as Muslim History because people belonging to
different faiths existed during this time. Such periodisation which was based on the religion of the rulers suggests that the lives, practices and culture of the other people do not matter

 Historians divided Indian History into ancient, medieval and modern. But this classification has its own problems. This periodisation is borrowed from the West where modern period is associated with the growth and development sciences, rationalism, humanism, logic, freedom and equality. The term 'Medieval' was used to describe a society which was not democratic and liberal. 

However, in the Indian context ,the British period in history cannot be termed as 'modern' because Indians were denied liberty, equality and justice. There was no economic progress and the Indian industires declined rapidly. Thus, it is appropriate to term this period as 'colonial'.