8th Class Social Science Sources and Historical construction Notes - History-When, Where and How

 

History ? When, Where and How

 

History is a study of the past. This is facilitated by dividing the past into blocks of time. This is called periodisation and it helps in the study and analysis of history.

 

IMPORTANCE OF DATES IN HISTORY

 

History is a study of the past events. Historical events need to be seen in the context of dates. A major part of history is about kings and rulers. Succession of a ruler to the throne, important battles fought by him and important events under his rule. All these can be expressed with reference to time, and dates.

 

Dates are important to history, because they help to show cause and effect relationships between events. By knowing exactly when things occurred, historians can make accurate comparisons. However, events and incidents have prolonged effect. We can always find cause and effect relation 'between the events, if we know their time and period correctly.

 

A Wedding ring of 1870's. This itself shows that dates are important even for a common man

 

However, it is not right to fix a date for changes which have happened over time. This is because the change is gradual. It is a process and not a sudden event. We cannot point a fixed date on which the Mughal period declined. This is because it did not declined in a day. It was a gradual process which happened over a period of time.

 

SELECTION OF DATES

 

Which dates are important? How do we choose and categorise important dates? The criteria for choosing a particular set of dates as important one, depends largely on the topic in focus. If the subject in focus changes, then another set of dates become important. For instance, in the medieval period, the literature available was written by the historians who were supported by the rulers themselves. But during the British period, the rule of each Governor-General was important. So, the dates are arranged in a manner where period of each Governor General has been described in terms of their policies and achievements. The British historians have glorified the rule of the East India Company.

Thus, a new format is required for writing the history of this period.

 

Thus, history is divided into chapters. The focus of each chapter is different, and consequently, different dates are important in each chapter. For instance, if the focus of the chapter is on political changes during British rule, the dates of the wars won by the British against the Indian rulers will be important. In the other chapter, the focus is on socio-cultural changes during British rule, and then the dates of the policies that affected Indian society will be important.

 

PERIODISATION IN HISTORY

 

The demarcations of time into different periods of the past is known as 'Periodisation', this is very useful in history as it helps in differentiating the happenings and changes from one period to the next. Initially, the British historian, James Mill proposed the periodisation of Indian history as Hindu, Muslim and British periods. According to him, Hindu and Muslim monarchs had ruled India, a backward country riddled with social evils like?religious intolerance, caste system and superstitions. According to him, the Indian society during Hindu and Muslim periods was really backward and conservative. British rule had helped India to become a more progressive and liberal society.

 

 

This periodisation done by Mills has many flaws. He divided history on the basis of religion. The religion of the ruler cannot determine the period in history. Also, all the rulers in the Hindu period were not Hindus. Many Hindu rulers practiced different religions. The Muslim period did not begin all of a sudden. Muslims had been living in

India much earlier also. Mill has divided the period of Indian History on communal lines. He had incorrect ideas about the achievements of Indians during the ancient and medieval period. According to him the British rule was a 'birth of new India'.

 

Some other historians divided the Indian history into three periods, for instance-ancient, medieval and modem. This periodisation too had its shortcomings. Compared to the modern period, the medieval and ancient periods were projected as the dark ages when there was no scientific and technology development knowledge. But this line of thinking too has many contradictions.

 

Q. Do the periodisation of your life till present.

 

AN OVERVIEW OF MODERN INDIAN HISTORY

 

The subjugation of one country by another leading to political, economic, social and cultural changes is called colonisation. It involves dominating the original inhabitants of the area. The more powerful country exploits the weaker country by using 'its' resources and become more richer. The British originally came to India as traders. Slowly, from traders they became politically very powerful. Gradually, they took control of the government and administration of the country. They made decisions and policies to serve their economic and political interests.

They made the peasants grow the crops that were useful to the British, bought them at cheap prices and then sold them in European countries at high prices. This had disastrous consequences for Indians. The British rule had its impact on the culture of our country too. Thus, the British rule led to political, social, economic and cultural changes in India. The effects of colonisation were not same for everyone. It had different impacts on different classes of people.

 

Photographs of the British Period are a good source of information e.g. this photograph shows how the Indians were treated by the British

 

COLONIAL PERIOD AND THE SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 

There is no dearth of sources of information of the modern period. There are administrative records, surveys, photographs, letters, government orders and official records etc. that are readily available as sources of history.

 

Administrative Records

Official records and documents are a major source of history. The British were very particular about writing down everything to the minutest detail on paper. Every policy, decision and administrative action carried out was recorded. The British maintained strict control and made sure that all administrative actions were well documented. This led to the culture of notes and memos.

 

 

Moreover, the British also preserved these records. They preserved the documents to maintain a permanent record of the official documents. Documents in archives and museums can be utilised for reference at a much later period also. These can also serve as an information or proof of any decision or action taken earlier on some matter. Record rooms were made in all government offices so that documents could be preserved. There are proper official papers of all government transactions. There are useful trade records of the East India Company which tell us about the trading rules and the trading strategy of the period. Thus, we come to know about the trading strategy of the British. Before the advent of printing, all documents were copied out by calligraphists. When printing began in India, many copies of the documents could be printed and these were then preserved.

 

 

Archaeological Sources and Museum Records

The British also set up archives and museums. These preserved the important records. The National Archives of India is located in New Delhi. It houses the government records of the modern phase viz official correspondences, government orders and even diaries. The gallery cum museum was set up in March 1891 in Calcutta (now Kolkata) as the Imperial Record Department. This was transferred to New Delhi in 1911. The National Museum and the National Archives were both located near

 

 

The British Viceroy's residence. Later, it was shifted to its present building in 1926. The major work of the National Archives of India is to preserve the records of the government of India. The museums hold many artefacts which are useful for the period under study. The National Museum of India is located at New Delhi and is home to many such artefacts.

 

Q. why was the setting of the Imperial Record Department in 1891 very important for studying Indian history?

 

 

 

Survey means to study or investigate important facts and figures regarding a particular subject for acquiring additional and specific information. The British began surveys in India. According to them, in order to have effective administration, it was imperative to get detailed knowledge of the place. They had the whole country surveyed and mapped. They had surveys done on all important topics from flora and fauna to the history of a place. A census was carried out after every ten years.

 

They were able to get information on the-population, caste, religions and occupations of the people. Also, maps of the whole country were prepared. These surveys and maps have been preserved and are extremely useful sources of information. There were many surveys-population surveys, botanical   surveys, zoological surveys, archaeological surveys, anthropological surveys and forest surveys.

 

 

 

History Reveals

The Survey of India was set up in 176 7 in Dehradun. The surveyors had an onerous task of exploring the unknown. Bit by bit the country was surveyed by the painstaking efforts of a distinguished line of Surveyors such as Mr Lambton and Sir George Everest.

 

The shortcomings of official records

As we have already discussed, official records are very important sources of information. However, they give information only on what the British did; their interests, their actions and their views. They do not tell us about the common people-what they felt and did, their circumstances and their views.

 

Other sources of information

There are required besides official records. Her Sources of Information There are other sources like-literature, biographies, autobiographies, newspapers, accounts of travellers, etc. Many plays, stories and books were written. Though these are excellent sources but these also have limitations. These sources give us very little information on the lives, actions and views of the tribals and peasants etc.

 

Literary Sources

Many biographies of great people were written during the modern period. These give us authentic information about the people and the times they lived in. For example, Mahatma Gandhi's biography was written by William Shirer.

 

The printing press which had been invented in the 15th century resulted in mass printing of newspapers and magazines. They were circulated in Hindi and various regional languages. Mahratta (English), Kesari (Marathi), Bande Mataram (English) and Yugantar (Bengali) were some of the newspapers. They infused Indians with a national spirit. They give us interesting and useful glimpses into the history of the 18th and early 19th centuries. They bring light to the views of the Indians. Pictures, advertisements and cartoons in newspapers also help us to understand the society of this period. In addition, many plays and novels give us a very clear picture of the colonial rule. Bankim Chandra wrote 'Anandamath', Dinabandhu Mitra wrote 'Neel Durpan' and Bharatendu Harishchandra wrote 'Bharat Durdasa'. Other important works are 'Nation in the Making' by Surendranath Banerjee and Dadabhai Naoroji's 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India.' The last book gives a detailed account of how wealth from India was drained away to Britain.

 

Many indigenous literary works are also important sources of information on this period. Ghulam Hussain Tabatabai wrote the Persian chronicle Siyar-ul- Mutakherin. The diary of Ananda Ranga Pillai in Tamil gives an account of the South Indian politics during the years of Dupleix, the French General.

 

 

Paintings

Many paintings were made which depicted the people and their condition during the period under study.

 

Tilly Kettle, a British artist who had visited India in the 18th century made many paintings on the themes of Sati and other Indian ceremonies. He also made portraits of Muhammad Alt Khan, the Nawab of Arcot and Shuja-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Awadh. Arthur William Devis painted Indians engaged in their arts and crafts. His most successful painting was 'Lord Comwallis Receiving the Sons of Tipu as Hostages'.

 

John Zoffany completed two famous paintings capturing the life in Lucknow. Some of his other famous paintings are-Tiger Hunting in the East Indies, A Battle Piece against Haider Alt, The Death of the Royal Tiger and The Embassy of Hyderabad to Calcutta. All these and many more are informative about the modem period in India.

 

Monuments and Heritage Buildings

Many monuments were built during the British rule. These constitute the archaeological evidence.

 

The important buildings in New Delhi are the Parliament House and the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The latter is a grand building that was the residence of the British Viceroy of India. It is now the residence of the President of India. Another important monument in New Delhi is the India Gate.

 

Madras (now Chennai) has some important monuments built during the British time. Fort St. George which was built by the East India Company and the War Memorial Hall are among them. Bombay (now Mumbai) also has several buildings constructed during the British rule. The Bombay railway station, also known as Victoria Terminus (now renamed as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus), the Bombay High Court, the Prince of Wales Museum, the General Post Office of Bombay and the Gateway of India may be mentioned. In Calcutta (now Kolkata), the

Victoria Memorial is an important monument. Some other buildings are Fort William, General Post Office, National Library, and so on. You will study them in length in 10th chapter of this book.

 

 

Photographs, Films, Newspapers and Radio Broadcasts

Some historic photographs are available which are useful in reconstructing history. Many films like Gandhi by Richard Attenborough have been made. Many documentaries are also available. Films like Lagaan give information about the economic exploitation of India by the British. Shatranj ke Khiladi, Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Mongol Pandey are films that shed light on the freedom struggle. Gadar shows the communal riots during the time of partition. Radio broadcast tapes of songs like, Mera Rang de Basanti Chola also show the spirit of nationalism during the freedom struggle.

Oral Evidence

The accounts of the people who were alive during the time of the freedom struggle are very important sources of study in the modern period.

 

Around the World

 

 

For hundreds of years, the vast continent of Africa was divided into kingdoms led by powerful African rulers, m 1652, the Dutch conquered an area called Cape Colony in the south and by the 1800s, French, British and Portuguese traders had settled along the coast. However, most of Africa was still unknown to Europeans. Things began to change in the 19th century when European countries tried to conquer land for their empires. The European also hoped to find gold and precious stones in Africa and they competed fiercely against each other. This struggle cam® to be known as the Scramble for Africa.