Meaning of history
History is the study of our past, a record of the events that happened long, long ago. It is a written account of the development of human civilisation which helps us to understand the political and social systems, economic activities and culture of people, causes and effects of events in a sequence. History not only looks at important events such as
wars, revolutions, changes of governments and great inventions but also explains Why and How. It is the story of the progress of man from the beginning of civilisation to the present time in chronological order.
Why do we study the past?
We study the past to learn how our forefathers
lived. History is the link between the past and the present. Every new thing invented, and every new idea has its origin in the past.
• History tells us about kings, queens and about the life of ordinary people.
We learn about the achievements of great men, how they changed people's lives and influenced not only them but future generations also. It answers many questions about past events.
Sources of History
Historians rely on various sources in order to make a correct assessment of past events. The sources of history are of two kinds. They are: Literary Sources and Archaeological Sources.
Literary Sources
Historians have derived knowledge from the literary evidence. The literary sources include literature of Hindi, Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit along with other foreign accounts. Writings which deal with religion are called religious literature, for example - the Vedas, the Ramayana,
the Mahabharata, the Jatakas, the Angas etc. Literature which is not religious is called Secular literature. These include biographies, dramas, chronicles and accounts of travellers.
Archaeological Sources
Archaeology is the study of human life through the discovery and study of archaeological sources such as the ruins of buildings and tombs, artefacts such as pottery, weapons, tools and coins, inscriptions, stone engravings and even shipwrecks. The archaeologists use the Radio-Carbon method to determine the dates of the finds. Our knowledge of the prehistoric period comes solely from
Archaeological sources. The script of the Indus Valley, an advanced civilisation, has not yet been deciphered. As a result, we have to depend on material remains as a source of information for the Harappan Civilisation. History of ancient India is based heavily on evidences supplied by archaeology. The word archaeology in Greek means “the study of what is ancient.
Monuments
Old buildings which are important historically are called monuments' Monuments, such as
forts, palaces, temples, etc. make history come alive. These places give us an idea about the life of people of a particular period. They are the examples of engineering marvel and fine art. They are our heritage. It is our responsibility to save our monuments and keep them as they are. Stupas of Bharut and Sanchi, Ajanta and Ellora Caves, temples of Mahabalipuram and Thanjavur, Qutub Minar, etc. are monuments of our country.
Artefacts
The remains of materials such as weapons, pottery, monuments, coins, etc. are discovered after digging or excavation. These material remains are also called artefacts. They are of historical or archaeological interest. These sources have helped historians to reconstruct the past. It is not that there are no missing links but the search goes on to fit in the missing jigsaw pieces and complete the picture.
Early Man
The first human like creatures appeared on the Earth's surface 5.6 million years ago. Primitive man lived through various stages of evolution. He shifted from nomadic life to settled agriculture. The prehistoric period is also known as the Stone Age because stone was used to make tools in this period.
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