Who wrote 'The Early History of India' (1904)?

"The Early History of India: From 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan Conquest" was written by the British historian Vincent Arthur Smith and first published in 1904.

About the book:

• It was one of the first comprehensive histories of ancient India based on a critical study of sources such as inscriptions, coins, Greek and Chinese accounts and Sanskrit texts.
• It covers the period from about 600 BCE (the Mahajanapadas and the rise of Magadha) to the Turkish conquest of north India.
• It became a standard textbook for decades, though later historians criticised its colonial viewpoint, such as its emphasis on strong rulers and its view that India was united mainly under powerful empires.

About Vincent Arthur Smith (1848-1920):

• He was born in Dublin, Ireland, and served in the Indian Civil Service (ICS) in the North-Western Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh) from 1871 to 1900.
• After retiring, he devoted himself to historical writing.

His other books include:

• "Asoka: The Buddhist Emperor of India" (1901).
• "Akbar the Great Mogul" (1917).
• "The Oxford History of India" (1919).
• "A History of Fine Art in India and Ceylon" (1911).

Other historians of India:

• James Mill: "The History of British India" (1817), which divided history into Hindu, Muslim and British periods.
• Alexander Cunningham: first Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India (1861); "Father of Indian Archaeology".
• L. Basham: "The Wonder That Was India" (1954), a sympathetic survey of ancient Indian civilisation.
• C. Majumdar: "The History and Culture of the Indian People" (editor).
• Romila Thapar: "Asoka and the Decline of the Mauryas", "Early India".
• S. Sharma: "India's Ancient Past", "Indian Feudalism".

Why not the other options?

• ✗James Mill wrote "The History of British India".
• ✗Alexander Cunningham was the first Director-General of the ASI.
• ✗L. Basham wrote "The Wonder That Was India".