ADDIS ABABA CITY GOVERNMENT EDUCATION BUREAU YEKA SUB-CITY DISTRICT

13 EDGET CHORA SECONDARY AND PREPARATORY SCHOOL. History Hand out, chapter
one for Grade 11Students, 2012 E.C, compiled by million taye

CHAPTER ONE

HISTORY AND THE HISTORIAN'S CRAFT

My Golden Words

Objectivity Chronicles Historiography Memoirs Story

Criticisms Oral traditions Oral Data Monuments Mythology
Presentation Pre-historic Periodization Inscriptions Legends
Enquiry Artifact Stone Age Barbarous Savagery

1.1. The Meaning and Use of History

 The origin of the word History is associated with the Greek word „Historia’ which
means „information‟ or „an enquiry designed to elicit truth‟.
 History is the analysis and interpretation of the human past enabling us to study
continuity and changes that are taking place over time.
 It is an act of both investigation and imagination that seeks to explain how people
have changed over time.
 Historians use all forms of evidence to examine, interpret, revisit, and reinterpret
the past.
 History is the basis of all subjects of study which fall under the category of
Humanities and Social Sciences. It is often said to be the “queen” or “mother” of
the social sciences.
 History is considered an indispensible subject in the complete education of man and
it has been defined differently by different scholars.
 According to modern concept, history does not only contain the history of kings and
queens, battles and generals, but also the communities and the societies are the
subject of study of history as well.
 History is a unique subject possessing the potentialities of both science and art. As
an enquiry after truth, history is a science and as a narrative account of the past,
it is an art or a piece of literature.
 History is a study of man. It is concerned with man in time and space. It explains
the present in the light of the past.
 Continuity and coherence are the necessary requisites of history.

We learn from history that we do not learn from history” G.W Friedrich Hegel Page 1
 ADDIS ABABA CITY GOVERNMENT EDUCATION BUREAU YEKA SUB-CITY DISTRICT
13 EDGET CHORA SECONDARY AND PREPARATORY SCHOOL. History Hand out, chapter
one for Grade 11Students, 2012 E.C, compiled by million taye
 The scope of history is vast; it is the story of man in relation to totality of his
behavior. It starts with the past; makes present its sheet-anchor and points to the
future.
 History is a branch of knowledge that deals with all that had been done by people who
lived in the past. It is the totality of the thought, sayings and deeds of people who
lived before us.
 History aims at helping students to understand the present existing social,
political, religious and economic conditions of the people.
 Without the knowledge of history we cannot have the background of our religion,
customs institutions, administration and so on.
 The teaching of history helps the students to explain the present, to analyze it and
to trace its course. Cause-and-effect relationship between the past and the
present is lively presented in the history.
 History thus helps us to understand the present day problems both at the national
and international level accurately and objectively.

1.2. Key Elements in the Study of History

 No one can write history without sources. In history, every statement must be
supported by evidence. This evidence is obtained from sources of history.
 Historians use two main types of sources in their research.
 They are called primary sources and secondary sources.
1. Primary sources
 Have direct relations to the events they describe.
 They come directly from the period under study.
 They are nearer in time and place to the event. Among the primary sources,
the most important are monuments, inscriptions, coins, letters, diaries,
memoirs, chronicles, documents of contracts, and agreements and also eye-
witness accounts.
 Primary sources are more reliable than secondary sources because they
have immediacy to the event and as such they are better sources of
history.
 These are first hand or original materials, created in the period. They are
generally just the information or artifact

We learn from history that we do not learn from history” G.W Friedrich Hegel Page 2
 ADDIS ABABA CITY GOVERNMENT EDUCATION BUREAU YEKA SUB-CITY DISTRICT
13 EDGET CHORA SECONDARY AND PREPARATORY SCHOOL. History Hand out, chapter
one for Grade 11Students, 2012 E.C, compiled by million taye
2. Secondary Sources
 Most history books are secondary sources? But secondary sources do not
have direct relation or nearness to the event they describe.
 Most of them are historical reconstructions
 These sources offer interpretation or commentary on primary sources.
They include second hand accounts or analysis.

 However, critical evaluation of both primary and secondary sources is very important
for establishing their authenticity and for clear and deep understanding of their
meaning and essence.
 Oral traditions could be taken as both primary and secondary sources.
 For instance, the eye-witness information is a primary source.
 But the information, who recount information they obtained from other sources are
secondary sources.

Presentation in history
 After clear understanding of historical evidences, the next step is the presentation of
the facts on paper.
 The quality of historical writing is highly affected by the manner of presentation.
Objectivity in history
 Objectivity depends not on getting the facts right only but also distinguishing between
the real or significant facts.
 We identify the real or significant facts on the basis of the subject of our study.
Objectivity does not mean only identifying the real or significant facts but also
presenting what all the facts say without any bias for or against.

1.3. The Study of Ethiopian History

 Ethiopian studies‟ was founded in Europe in the 17th century

 By a German historian named Job Ludolf (1624 - 1704).
 Ludolf wrote the first modern history of Ethiopia, which was published in 1684.
 After the middle of the 19th century, several Europeans took part in Ethiopian
studies.
 Ethiopian writers also appeared towards the end of the 19th century.

We learn from history that we do not learn from history” G.W Friedrich Hegel Page 3
 ADDIS ABABA CITY GOVERNMENT EDUCATION BUREAU YEKA SUB-CITY DISTRICT
13 EDGET CHORA SECONDARY AND PREPARATORY SCHOOL. History Hand out, chapter
one for Grade 11Students, 2012 E.C, compiled by million taye
 The establishment of the Institute of Ethiopian studies (IES) in the early 1960‟s at
the Haile Sellassie I University College changed the pattern of Ethiopian studies
which until then focused only on the northern part of the country.
 Ethiopian studies focused only on the north until the 1960‟s, because the northern
part has the following advantages over the south:
The northern part

a) The north had been in contact with the outside world since ancient times. As a result,
Arab, Greek, and Roman writers had left important information for the study of its
history.

b) The north has a written language that served to keep records and so, many chronicles
of the Christian kings are available.

c) Since the Christian kingdom had maintained strong contact with the Egyptian Coptic
Church, several sources on the kingdom are available in Egyptian archives.

d) Since the archaeology of northern Ethiopia is well studied it also provided an auxiliary
source for the study of the history of the region.

e) Many writers were attracted to the north

The southern part

a) The south, even the available physical remains are not yet studied. Few Europeans
ventured to penetrate the southern part of the country since the middle of the 19th
century.

b) The south has no written language and so has not kept records of its past.

c) Compared to the north, in the south there is lack of sources of history

d) Very few scholars were interested in the study of the southern part of the country.

We learn from history that we do not learn from history” G.W Friedrich Hegel Page 4
 ADDIS ABABA CITY GOVERNMENT EDUCATION BUREAU YEKA SUB-CITY DISTRICT
13 EDGET CHORA SECONDARY AND PREPARATORY SCHOOL. History Hand out, chapter
one for Grade 11Students, 2012 E.C, compiled by million taye

Problems in the study of Ethiopian history

 Most of the studies presented as Ethiopian history were not comprehensive.

 Lacked comprehensiveness.
 Studies focused only on political histories.
 Although we have studies in economic history, there are none in social and cultural
histories.
 Lack of objectivity in the sources themselves, like for instance, the chronicles of the
Christian kings. There is also lack of objectivity in many of the studies conducted so
far. Many scholars who conducted the studies were attached to one or the other ruling
dynasty.

1.4. Periodization in History

 Periodization is the process or study of categorizing the past into discrete, quantified
named blocks of time.
 Is an attempt to categorize universal history or divide into named blocks
 This is usually done in order to facilitate the study and analysis of history,
understanding current and causality that might have linked those events.
 Time is an important factor in the study of history. It serves for different purposes
 The starting point for this periodization is proposed to be 2 million years before
present (B.P).
 Human history is divided from this point to the present on the basis of the following
three important criteria.

1. The first criterion basis itself on the development of human behavior which passed
through these three stages:

 Savagery 2,000,000 - 8000 B.P

 Barbarous 8000 - 5000 B.P
 Civilization 5000 B.P to the present

We learn from history that we do not learn from history” G.W Friedrich Hegel Page 5
 ADDIS ABABA CITY GOVERNMENT EDUCATION BUREAU YEKA SUB-CITY DISTRICT
13 EDGET CHORA SECONDARY AND PREPARATORY SCHOOL. History Hand out, chapter
one for Grade 11Students, 2012 E.C, compiled by million taye

2. The second criterion is based on objects out of which early humans made
instruments of labor.

 Stone Age 2,000,000 - 5000 B.P

 Bronze Age 5000 - 4000 B.P
 Iron Age 4000 B.P to the present

3. The third criterion is based on aspects of human economic life in different ages.

 Hunting and gathering 8000 B.P

 Farming and animal husbandry 8000 - 1750 A.D
 Age of Industry 1750 A.D to the present

 History of humanity is generally divided into two major periods called pre-history and
history. The beginning of the technique of writing marked the boundary between pre-
history and history. The technique of writing appeared about 6000 B.P.

The pre-historic period

 It is the time before writing was introduced(the time period before history)
 The pre-historic period coincided with a period known as the Stone Age which lasted
from 2,000,000 B.P up to 5000 B.P. During this period, people used instruments of
labor which consisted of stone tools.
 There had been a slow progress in the technique of producing stone tools during the
period of the Stone Age.
 Based on this technical progress, the Stone Age is sub-divided into Old Stone Age,
Middle Stone Age and New Stone Age.

The period of history

 The period of history began about 6000 B.P with the beginning of writing technique.
 This period is further divided into three minor periods called ancient, medieval and
modern, mostly in. for example
i. European history
 The ancient period of European history started from the rise of civilization in
ancient Greece about 1,250 B.C and lasted up to the fifth century A.D.

We learn from history that we do not learn from history” G.W Friedrich Hegel Page 6
 ADDIS ABABA CITY GOVERNMENT EDUCATION BUREAU YEKA SUB-CITY DISTRICT
13 EDGET CHORA SECONDARY AND PREPARATORY SCHOOL. History Hand out, chapter
one for Grade 11Students, 2012 E.C, compiled by million taye
 The latter date was the time when the ancient Roman Empire came to an end.
 The medieval period lasted from the fifth century A.D up to the sixteenth
century
 The modern period dates from the sixteenth century A.D up to the present.

ii. African history

 Has developed a unique feature as a result of European colonization.
 The civilization developed by African peoples was disrupted as a result of their
contact with Europeans beginning from the fifteenth century A.D.
 African history is expressed in terms of pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial.

iii. Ethiopian history

 The ancient period of Ethiopian history falls between 1000 B.C, the time when the
process of state formation began, and 1270 A.D.
 The medieval period lasted from 1270 A.D up to 1855 A.D and
 The period since 1855 A.D is called modern period.

We learn from history that we do not learn from history” G.W Friedrich Hegel Page 7