What is History ?
What is History ? The study of the past is called ' History ' .
The English word ' History ' is derived from the Greek word ' historia meaning research , inquiry or investigation . Thus , the knowledge acquired by investigation is known as ' historia ' .
The Greek historian Herodotus ( 484 BC - 425 BC ) was the first real historian of the world . He wrote only one book ' The Histories ' ( 430 BC ) .
' The Histories ' describes the background and events of the Graeco - Persian / Greek Iranian Wars . First of all, the Roman philosopher Cicero ( 106 BC - 43 BC ) called him the Father of History ' .
However, Herodotus contemporary Thucydides (c. 460 BC–c. 400 BC) is credited with having first approached history with a well-developed historical method in his work the History of the Peloponnesian War.
Thucydides, unlike Herodotus, regarded history as being the product of the choices and actions of human beings, and looked at cause and effect, rather than as the result of divine intervention (though Herodotus was not wholly committed to this idea himself).
In his historical method, Thucydides emphasized chronology, a nominally neutral point of view, and that the human world was the result of the actions of human beings. Greek historians also viewed history as cyclical, with events regularly recurring.
The German historian Leopold von Ranke ( 1795 1886 AD ) is known as ' The Father of Modern History ' . According to Ranke , the task of historian was to describe the past as it actually was [ ' wie es eingentlich gewesen ' ( German words ) what it ( the past ) actually was ( English translation ) ] . In Sanskrit also Itihas means iti + ha+ aas (aisa nischit tha) meaning as ' this was actually there.'
The German philosopher Hegel ( 1770-1831 AD ) once said ' History repeats itself ' , later on German economist and philosopher Karl Marx ( 1818-83 AD ) extended the line : " History repeats itself , first as tragedy , second as farce . "
According to British historian E. H. Carr ( 1892 1982 AD ) : " History is an unending dialogue between past and present . "
Bipartite Division : History is generally divided into two periods - Pre- Historic and Historic .
The period that have no written evidences is called Pre - Historic Period and the period that have written evidences is known as Historic Period . In other words , the period before the beginning of writing is called Pre - Historic Period and the period after the beginning of writing is known as Historic Period .
The time period of Pre- Historic Period is accepted as 30,00,000 BC to 600 BC and the time period of Historic Period as 600 BC to till date .
Tripartite Division : Tripartite division of History is more prevalent in practice . According to this , History is divided into three periods - Pre- Historic , Proto- Historic, and Historic .
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Name of the Period: Pre Historic Period
Time Period: 30,00,000 BC -2500 BC
Definition & Example: The period for which no written evidence is available . e.g. Lithic ( Stone ) Period.
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Name of the Period: Proto- Historic Period
Time Period: 2,500BC - 600 BC
Definition & Example: The period for which written evidence is available but either their script ( used in the documents ) has not been deciphered or their written documents have not been confirmed with archaeological evidences . e.g. Indus Civilization and Vedic Culture . In the case of Indus Civilization , we have not yet been able to decipher their script , and in the case of Vedic Culture , we have not suffice archaeological evidences to confirm written evidences for that period .
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Name of the Period: Historic Period
Time Period: 600 BC - till date
Definition & Example: The period for which written evidences are available . e.g. Mahajanapada to till date.
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Chronological Study of History
German historian Christoph Cellarius ( 1638-1707 AD ) was the first historian who gave us tripartite division of History . He divided history into three periods - Ancient , Medieval and Modern History . After him , this tripartite division became standard ( model ) for history - writting or reading.
For the convenience of studying Indian History, it is divided into three periods:
Ancient India the beginning - 647 AD i.e. from Lithic ( Stone ) Period to death of Harsha.
Medieval India 647-1757 i.e. from death of Harsha to the battle of Plassey
Modern India 1757 - till date i.e. from the battle of Plassey to till date. This can again be divided into two parts:
Modern Pre- Independence Period 1757 - 1947 i.e. from the battle of Plassey to 1947, when India got freedom.
Modern Post- Independence Period i.e. from 1947 - Till Date.
1) Ancient India : the beginning - 647 AD
Ancient India comprises of the following mainstays of Indian History and Culture
1.1) Pre - Historic Period
30,00,000 BC - 600 BC
1.2) Indus Civilization 2,500 BC - 1750 BC
1.3) Vedic Culture 1,500 BC - 600 BC
1.4) Mahajanapada Period 600 BC - 322 BC
1.5) Maurya Period 322 BC - 185 BC
1.6) Post - Maurya / Pre - Gupta Period 185 BC - 319 AD
1.7) Gupta Period 319 AD - 550 AD
1.8) Post - Gupta Period / Vardhana Dynasty 550 AD - 647 AD
Note : On the basis of tools , (1.1) Pre - Historic Period is divided into three sub - periods -
(1.1.1) Lithic ( Stone ) Period ,
(1.1.2) Coppe Period &
(1.1.3) Iron Period .
2) Medieval India : 647-1757
2.1) Early Medieval Period 647-1206
2.2) Sultanate Period 1206-1526
2.3) Mughal Period 1526-1757
3) Modern Pre- Independence Period : 1757 - 1947
We can classify the Modern Pre- Independence period from different perspectives. The following perspectives are given below:
3.1) British Colonization:
From British Colonization viewpoint, broadly following were the stages of British Colonialism;
3.1.1) First Phase: The Mercantile (1757-1813) Monopoly of trade & Direct appropriation of revenue
3.1.2) Second Phase: The Industrial Phase (1813-1858) Period of Lassez Fair i.e. Free Trade
3.1.3) Third Phase: The Financial Phase (1860-1947) Finance Imperialism ( Period of British capital investment in India )
3.2) British Policy towards native states of India:
From the perspective of British Policy towards Native States of India, we have following periods categorizing the Modern India.
3.2.1) Ring Fence Policy (1757- 1813)
3.2.2) Subordinate Isolation Policy (1813-1858)
3.2.3) Subordinate Union Policy (1858-1935)
3.2.4) Equal Federation Policy (1935-1947)
3.3) National Movement:
From the point of view of National Movement, we have following phases categorizing the Indian National Movement.
3.3.1) First Phase of Congress (1855-1905) Moderate Phase
3.3.2) Second Phase of Congress (1905-1917) Extremist Phase
3.3.3) Third Phase of Congress (1917-1947) Gandhian Era
4) Modern Post- Independence Period : 1947 - Till Date
This period is the story of nation building, socio- economic growth, and socio- political awakening. It can also be discussed with different perspectives and from different angles. Some may like or prefer to call this period as past and recent past instead of calling it as History, as it had not become too old to qualify to be called 'History' except some period near the year of 1947.
