Why study History | Studying the past

● Why study History | Studying the past?
● Have you ever wondered how people lived in the past?
● What did they eat?
● What kind of clothes did they wear?
● What kind of houses did they lived in?
● What ganes did the children play and what kind of schools did they attend? 
● The study of history helps us to find the answers to all these questions.

History is the study of the past. Look closely at the word 'History '. Does it contain another word? Yes, it does. The word story is hidden in it. So history is the story of people who lived in earlier times.

Why study History

History is made up of events that occurred in the past. Sitting in a history period, many of you must have often wondered - why study history? History teaches us about the past. But why study about the past? The study of the past is important to understand the present. Since history is a continuous story of one event leading to another, the present cannot be understood without understanding the past. To know and fully understand the world we live in we have to be aware of its past.

Discuss

How does the past help us in understanding the present?.

Time frame in History

History is generally divided into three time periods prehistory, proto-history and history.

The word history comes from the Greek word historia which means learning or knowing by enquiry.

Prehistory 

the prehistoric period is the time when writing had not been involved. Hence, there are no written records of this period. Our knowledge of prehistory is based entirely on archaeology. To understand prehistory, archaeologists dig deep into the ground and dig out the remains of the past. These physical remain such as pots, jewellery, tools coins, bones, etc. Help them to know about the past.

Imagine

you are living at a time when there is no written or spoken language. How will you express your ideas to your friends? Try enacting a play or skit in class.
Proto-history the proto-historic period is the time for which we have written records. However, they are very few and still cannot be read. So archaeological sources are the main sources of information of this period also. An example of this period is the indus valley civilization.

Why study history



Archaeologists fitting together pieces of pottery found during an excavation.

An early example of writing from mesopotamia
An early example of writing from mesopotamia




An early example of writing from mesopotamia

 History

The time period after the invitation of writing is known as history. We have written records from this period. Early writing was done on rocks, pillars, copper plates, clay tablets, palm leaves and on the barks of birch trees. Over the years, many of these evidences have been destroyed. The ones that remain, however, are rich source of information.

Dates of history

Dates in history are expressed in BC and AD. Nowadays, most historians use BCE instead of BC, and CE instead of AD. BCE stands for before the common Era and CE stands for are counted backwards. For example, 100 BCE comes before 99 BCE. The years expressed in CE are counted forwards. For example, 99 CE comes before 100 CE.
If you want to find out the time period between two dates (in BCE or CE ), subtract the smaller date from the means a period of 300 years. Similarly, 200 CE to 500 CE also means a period of 300 years. To calculate the time period between two dates (when one date is in BCE and the other is in CE ), add the two dates. For example, 500 BCE to 200 CE means a period of 700 years.


Find out

The kalinga War, between Emperor Ashoka and the king of kalinga, was fought in 261 BCE. Calculate how many years ago was this war fought.


The geographical framework

Geographical has played an important role in the history of india. A large country like india has diverse geographical features. There are high mountains, hot desert, fertile river valleys and numerous rivers. The himalayas mountains in the north act as a natural barrier between india and Central Asia. The passes in these mountains have acted as routes of contact since ancient times. People soldiers, merchants, traders, travellers, scholars and others have often crossed these passes and travelled from one place to another. They have brought new ideas,Customs and habits that have made our culture richer.


Think and answer

Why did people travel from one place to another in ancient times?

The indus and the Ganga plains are very fertile regions. So is the valley of River Narmada. These river valleys were areas where people settled first. This was because
 
1. The river provided sufficient water for all their needs.

2. The land near the river was very fertile. People could grow crops easily.

3. The river served as means of transport.
Geography also determines the development seen in a particular area. Places with unfavourable environment are sparsely populated. The culture that develops there is not much affected by external influences. On the other hand, areas where the environment is favourable are densely populated.

Sources of history

How do we find out about something that took place thousands of years ago? We learn about it from the remains which people of that time have left behind. Archaeologists and historians study these remains and tell us what might have happened in the past.
The work of an archaeologists and a historian is similar to that of a detective. Just as s detective solves a mystery with the help of clues, archaeologists and historians solve the mystery of the past with the help of historical clues. They look at clues such as a piece of writing, a wall painting or even some broken pots. From these, they slowly put together the history of the period. These clues are the sources of history. These sources can be divided into two types archaeological and literary.

To do 

your father is taking you meet his friend, who is an archaeologists. Prepare a set of questions that you would like to ask him.

Archaeological sources

Archaeological sources are direct evidence. They cannot be changed or altered by human beings. They are of four types - inscriptions, monuments, artefacts and coins.

Inscriptions

Written records engraved on rocks, cave wall, metal pillars, walls of temples and palaces and on clay and copper tablets are called inscriptions very often, kings got the important events in their reign and their achievements inscribed so that people could read them. Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Dynasty put up a large number of inscriptions in different parts of his empire. We know so much about him largely through these inscriptions.


Monuments

Buildings of historical importance are called monuments. They tell us about the period in which they were build. They inform us about the knowledge of science of the people of the period in which the monuments were built. Temples, forts, palaces, stupas and monasteries make the past come alive.


Artefacts

The objects that humans made in the past pottery, tools, ornaments, metal objects, jewellery and weapons are called artefacts. They are found by archaeologists in the course of excavations. They give us vital clues to the past. 



Why study History | Studying the past
Coins are a valuable archaeological sources.


Coins

Coins are an extremely valuable source of information. They tell us about the reigning periods of kings, the economy of the kingdom , the extent of a king's. Empire and about trade with other regions. Coins also throw light on the art and religion of earlier time.


Literary sources

Handwritten records of the past, in the form of books, Are called manuscripts. These were usually written on palm leaves and the barks of birch trees. Due to their fragile nature, many manuscripts have been destroyed. Those that have survived have helped us to know more about the past.
Literary sources maybe divided into two types - religious and secular.


Religious literature

Writing which deal with religion are called religious literature. Many books are based on religious themes. The Vegas, the ramayana and Mahabharata, The Gita and the 

Why study History | Studying the past
Temple are an important archaeological source.


Why study History | Studying the past
A palm leaf manuscript



puranas are important sources of information on ancient india.

Why study History | Studying the past
A birch bark manuscript



Secular literature

Writing which are not religious are called Secular literature. These include stories, poems, plays, biographies of kings, accounts of foreign travellers and books on politics and science. The arthashastra by Kautily, the indika by Megasthenes, the plays and poem of kalidasa, the account Of Fa Hien and Hiuen Tsang and the Sangam literature are some examples of secular literature written during the ancient period.

To Sum Up

1. History is the study of the past. It is divided into prehistory ( no written records available ), proto-history history (very few written records available ) and history ( written records available in plenty ).

2. The history of india is influenced by its geography. The first civilization emerged in the fertile valley of River indus.

3. Archaeological and literary sources are the two main sources of history. Inscriptions, monuments, artefacts and coins are archaeological sources. Literary sources are divided into religious and secular sources.



● Why study History | Studying the past?
● Have you ever wondered how people lived in the past?
● What did they eat?
● What kind of clothes did they wear?
● What kind of houses did they lived in?
● What ganes did the children play and what kind of schools did they attend? 
● The study of history helps us to find the answers to all these questions.

History is the study of the past. Look closely at the word 'History '. Does it contain another word? Yes, it does. The word story is hidden in it. So history is the story of people who lived in earlier times.

Why study History

History is made up of events that occurred in the past. Sitting in a history period, many of you must have often wondered - why study history? History teaches us about the past. But why study about the past? The study of the past is important to understand the present. Since history is a continuous story of one event leading to another, the present cannot be understood without understanding the past. To know and fully understand the world we live in we have to be aware of its past.

Discuss

How does the past help us in understanding the present?.

Time frame in History

History is generally divided into three time periods prehistory, proto-history and history.

The word history comes from the Greek word historia which means learning or knowing by enquiry.

Prehistory 

the prehistoric period is the time when writing had not been involved. Hence, there are no written records of this period. Our knowledge of prehistory is based entirely on archaeology. To understand prehistory, archaeologists dig deep into the ground and dig out the remains of the past. These physical remain such as pots, jewellery, tools coins, bones, etc. Help them to know about the past.

Imagine

you are living at a time when there is no written or spoken language. How will you express your ideas to your friends? Try enacting a play or skit in class.
Proto-history the proto-historic period is the time for which we have written records. However, they are very few and still cannot be read. So archaeological sources are the main sources of information of this period also. An example of this period is the indus valley civilization.

Why study history



Archaeologists fitting together pieces of pottery found during an excavation.

An early example of writing from mesopotamia
An early example of writing from mesopotamia




An early example of writing from mesopotamia

 History

The time period after the invitation of writing is known as history. We have written records from this period. Early writing was done on rocks, pillars, copper plates, clay tablets, palm leaves and on the barks of birch trees. Over the years, many of these evidences have been destroyed. The ones that remain, however, are rich source of information.

Dates of history

Dates in history are expressed in BC and AD. Nowadays, most historians use BCE instead of BC, and CE instead of AD. BCE stands for before the common Era and CE stands for are counted backwards. For example, 100 BCE comes before 99 BCE. The years expressed in CE are counted forwards. For example, 99 CE comes before 100 CE.
If you want to find out the time period between two dates (in BCE or CE ), subtract the smaller date from the means a period of 300 years. Similarly, 200 CE to 500 CE also means a period of 300 years. To calculate the time period between two dates (when one date is in BCE and the other is in CE ), add the two dates. For example, 500 BCE to 200 CE means a period of 700 years.


Find out

The kalinga War, between Emperor Ashoka and the king of kalinga, was fought in 261 BCE. Calculate how many years ago was this war fought.


The geographical framework

Geographical has played an important role in the history of india. A large country like india has diverse geographical features. There are high mountains, hot desert, fertile river valleys and numerous rivers. The himalayas mountains in the north act as a natural barrier between india and Central Asia. The passes in these mountains have acted as routes of contact since ancient times. People soldiers, merchants, traders, travellers, scholars and others have often crossed these passes and travelled from one place to another. They have brought new ideas,Customs and habits that have made our culture richer.


Think and answer

Why did people travel from one place to another in ancient times?

The indus and the Ganga plains are very fertile regions. So is the valley of River Narmada. These river valleys were areas where people settled first. This was because
 
1. The river provided sufficient water for all their needs.

2. The land near the river was very fertile. People could grow crops easily.

3. The river served as means of transport.
Geography also determines the development seen in a particular area. Places with unfavourable environment are sparsely populated. The culture that develops there is not much affected by external influences. On the other hand, areas where the environment is favourable are densely populated.

Sources of history

How do we find out about something that took place thousands of years ago? We learn about it from the remains which people of that time have left behind. Archaeologists and historians study these remains and tell us what might have happened in the past.
The work of an archaeologists and a historian is similar to that of a detective. Just as s detective solves a mystery with the help of clues, archaeologists and historians solve the mystery of the past with the help of historical clues. They look at clues such as a piece of writing, a wall painting or even some broken pots. From these, they slowly put together the history of the period. These clues are the sources of history. These sources can be divided into two types archaeological and literary.

To do 

your father is taking you meet his friend, who is an archaeologists. Prepare a set of questions that you would like to ask him.

Archaeological sources

Archaeological sources are direct evidence. They cannot be changed or altered by human beings. They are of four types - inscriptions, monuments, artefacts and coins.

Inscriptions

Written records engraved on rocks, cave wall, metal pillars, walls of temples and palaces and on clay and copper tablets are called inscriptions very often, kings got the important events in their reign and their achievements inscribed so that people could read them. Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Dynasty put up a large number of inscriptions in different parts of his empire. We know so much about him largely through these inscriptions.


Monuments

Buildings of historical importance are called monuments. They tell us about the period in which they were build. They inform us about the knowledge of science of the people of the period in which the monuments were built. Temples, forts, palaces, stupas and monasteries make the past come alive.


Artefacts

The objects that humans made in the past pottery, tools, ornaments, metal objects, jewellery and weapons are called artefacts. They are found by archaeologists in the course of excavations. They give us vital clues to the past. 



Why study History | Studying the past
Coins are a valuable archaeological sources.


Coins

Coins are an extremely valuable source of information. They tell us about the reigning periods of kings, the economy of the kingdom , the extent of a king's. Empire and about trade with other regions. Coins also throw light on the art and religion of earlier time.


Literary sources

Handwritten records of the past, in the form of books, Are called manuscripts. These were usually written on palm leaves and the barks of birch trees. Due to their fragile nature, many manuscripts have been destroyed. Those that have survived have helped us to know more about the past.
Literary sources maybe divided into two types - religious and secular.


Religious literature

Writing which deal with religion are called religious literature. Many books are based on religious themes. The Vegas, the ramayana and Mahabharata, The Gita and the 

Why study History | Studying the past
Temple are an important archaeological source.


Why study History | Studying the past
A palm leaf manuscript



puranas are important sources of information on ancient india.

Why study History | Studying the past
A birch bark manuscript



Secular literature

Writing which are not religious are called Secular literature. These include stories, poems, plays, biographies of kings, accounts of foreign travellers and books on politics and science. The arthashastra by Kautily, the indika by Megasthenes, the plays and poem of kalidasa, the account Of Fa Hien and Hiuen Tsang and the Sangam literature are some examples of secular literature written during the ancient period.

To Sum Up

1. History is the study of the past. It is divided into prehistory ( no written records available ), proto-history history (very few written records available ) and history ( written records available in plenty ).

2. The history of india is influenced by its geography. The first civilization emerged in the fertile valley of River indus.

3. Archaeological and literary sources are the two main sources of history. Inscriptions, monuments, artefacts and coins are archaeological sources. Literary sources are divided into religious and secular sources.



Previous Post Next Post

0 Comments