Subject – History-1

Assignment file

Made By Mukul Singh

Class Ba.llb ( hons ) 7 semester
Roll no 18533
Topic History, Meaning ,Sources and
Importance
Submitted To Dr. Vikas ( Assistant professor )
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This research was supported by Dr.Vikas . I thank my classmates from

Geeta Institute of Law, who provided insight and expertise that greatly
assisted the research, although they may not agree with all of the
interpretations/conclusions of this paper.

I thank Dr.Vikas ,assistant professor for her assistance with my

Assignment and other teachers for comments that greatly improved
the manuscript.

I would also like to show my gratitude to the college seniors for sharing
their pearls of wisdom with me during the course of assignments, and I
thank my friends for their so-called insights. I am also immensely
grateful to my classmates for their comments on an earlier version of
the manuscript, although any errors are my own and should not tarnish
the reputations of these esteemed people.

Submitted By :- Mukul

Singh

BA.LLB ( 7 sem )
 Introduction

History is the study of life in society in the past, in all its aspect, in relation to present
developments and future hopes. It is the story of man in time, an inquiry into the past based
on evidence. Indeed, evidence is the raw material of history teaching and learning. It is an
Inquiry into what happened in the past, when it happened, and how it happened. It is an
inquiry into the inevitable changes in human affairs in the past and the ways these changes
affect, influence or determine the patterns of life in the society. History is, or should be an
attempt to re-think the past. Collingwood (1945) is particularly interested in this concept of
history.
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.
In this unit we will be dealing with meaning, nature and scope of history, aims and objectives
of teaching history at secondary level and values of teaching history.

Objectives

Objectives
After completing this unit, the student will be able to:
 Define History
 Explain the nature of History
 Describe the scope of History
  Explain the aims and objectives of teaching History at Secondary level
 Describe the values of teaching History

Concept of History
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. These include not just written documents, but
also oral communication and objects such as buildings, artifacts, photographs, and paintings.
Historians are trained in the methods of discovering and evaluating these sources and the
challenging task of making historical sense out of them. History is a means to understand the
past and present. The different interpretations of the past allow us to see the present differently
and therefore imagine—and work towards—different futures. It is often said to be the “queen”
or “mother” of the social sciences. It is the basis of all subjects of study which fall under the
category of Humanities and Social Sciences. It is also the basis of the study of philosophy,
politics, economics and even art and religion. No wonder, it is considered an indispensible
subject in the complete education of man.

Defining 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 has been defined differently by different scholars. Following definitions indicate the
Meaning and scope of History.

Burckhardt: “History is the record of what one age finds worthy of note in
another.” Henry Johnson: “History, in its broadest sense, is everything that ever
happened.”

Smith,V.S: “The value and interest of history depend largely on the degree in which the
present Is illuminated by the past.”
Rapson: “History is a connected account of the course of events or progress of ideas.”

NCERT: “History is the scientific study of past happenings in all their aspects, in the life of a
Social group, in the light of present happenings.”

Jawaharlal Nehru: “History is the story of Man’s struggle through the ages against Nature and
The elements; against wild beasts and the jungle and some of his own kind who have tried to
keep Him down and to exploit him for their own benefit.”
The above definitions explain History as a significant records of events of the past, a
meaningful Story of mankind depicting the details of what happened to man and why it
happened. Mainly it Deals with the human world.

Nature of History
1. A study of the present in the light of the past: The present has evolved out of the
past.Modern history enables us to understand how society has come to its present form
so that One may intelligently interpret the sequence of events. The causal relationships
between The selected happenings are unearthed that help in revealing the nature of
happenings and Framing of general laws.
2. History is the study of man: History deals with man’s struggle through the ages. History
Is not static. By selecting “innumerable biographies” and presenting their lives in the
Appropriate social context and the ideas in the human context, we understand the sweep
Of events. It traces the fascinating story of how man has developed through the ages,
how Man has studied to use and control his environment and how the present institutions
3. History is concerned with man in space: The interaction of man on environment and
vice Versa is a dynamic one. History describes about nations and human activities in the
Context of their physical and geographical environment. Out of this arise the varied
trendsIn the political, social, economic and cultural spheres of man’s activities and
Achievements.
 4. Objective record of happenings: Every precaution is taken to base the data on
original Sources and make them free from subjective interpretation. It helps in clear
understanding Of the past and enables us to take well informed decisions.
5. Multisided: All aspects of the life of a social group are closely interrelated and historical
Happenings cover all these aspects of life, not limited only to the political aspect that
had So long dominated history.
6. History is a dialogue between the events of the past and progressively emerging future
Ends. The historian’s interpretation of the past, his selection of the significant and the
Relevant events, evolves with the progressive emergence of new goals. The general
laws Regulating historical happenings may not be considered enough; attempts have to
be made To predict future happenings on the basis of the laws.
7. Not only narration but also analysis: The selected happenings are not merely narrated;
The causal relationships between them are properly unearthed. The tracing of these
Relationships lead to the development of general laws that are also compared and
Contrasted with similar happenings in other social groups to improve the reliability
and Validity of these laws
8. Continuity and coherence are the necessary requisites of history: History carries the
Burden of human progress as it is passed down from generation to generation, from
Society to society, justifying the essence of continuity.
9. Relevant: In the study of history only those events are included which are relevant to
the Understanding of the present life.
10. Comprehensiveness: According to modern concept, history is not confined to one period
country or nation. It also deals with all aspects of human life-political, social,
Economic.

The modern concept of history

Modern history has gone beyond the traditional status of an antiquarian and leisure time pursuit
to a very useful and indispensible part of a man’s education. It is more scientific and more
comprehensive. It has expanded in all directions both vertically and horizontally. It has become
broad-based and attractive. According to modern concept, history does not containmic.story-
aonly the history of kings and queens, battles and generals, but the history of the common Man-
his house and clothing, his fields and their cultivation, his continued efforts to protect His home
and hearth, and to obtain a just government, his aspirations, achievements, Disappointments,
defeats and failures. It is not only the individual but the communities and The societies are the
subject of study of history. Study of history deepens our understanding Of the potentialities and
limitations of the present. It has thus become a future-oriented study Related to contemporary
problems. For all these reasons, history has assumed the role of a Human scienc

History-a Science or an Art

Opinions are very much divided on the question whether history is a science or an art. History is
a science in the sense that it pursues its own techniques to establish and interpret Facts. Like
other natural sciences such as the Physics and Chemistry uses various methods ofEnquiry such
as observation, classification, experiment and formulation of hypothesis and Analysis of
evidence before interpreting and reconstructing the past. History also follows the
Scientific method of enquiry to find out the truth. Though historian uses scientific techniques,
Experiment is impossible since history deals with events that have already happened and cannot
Be repeated.

Arguments against History as a science

1. No forecasting: Rickman has rightly said, “History deals with sequence of events, each of
Them unique while Science is concerned with the routine appearance of things and aims
at Generalizations and the establishment of regularities, governed by laws.”A historian
Cannot arrive at general principles or laws which may enable him to predict with
certainty The occurrence of like events, under given conditions. A scientist on the other
hand, looks At knowledge from a universal angle and arrives at certain generalizations
that help him To control the present and predict the future.
2. Complex: The facts of history are very complicated and seldom repeat in the real sense of
The term.
3. Varied: The underlying facts of history have wide scope. They are so varied that they can
Seldom be uniform.
 4. No observation and experimentation: Historical data are not available for observation and
Experimentation.
No dependable data: Historical data are the products of human thoughts andExperimentatioAre
constantly changing. They therefore cannot provide dependable data for the formation Of
general principles and laws.

History is both a Science and an Art

History is a unique subject possessing the potentialities of both a science and an art. It does
The enquiry after truth, thus history is a science and is on scientific basis. It is also based on
The narrative account of the past; thus it is an art or a piece of literature. Physical and natural
Sciences are impersonal, impartial and capable of experimentation. Whereas absolute
Impartiality is not possible in history because the historian is a narrator and he looks at the
Past from a certain point of view. History cannot remain at the level of knowing only. The
Construction and reconstruction of the past are inevitable parts of history. Like the work of
Art, its wholeness, harmony and truth are inseparable from a concrete and vivid appreciation
Of its parts. History, in fact, is a social science and an art. In that lie its flexibility, its variety
And excitement.

Scope of History

The scope of History is vast; it is the story of man in relation to totality of his behavior. The
Scope of history means the breadth, comprehensiveness, variety and extent of learning
Experiences, provided by the study. History which was only limited to a local saga, has During
the course of century become universal history of mankind, depicting man’s Achievements in
every field of life-political, economic, social, cultural, scientific,
Technological, religious and artistic etc., and at various levels-local, regional, national, and
International. It starts with the past; makes present its sheet-anchor and points to the future.
Events like wars, revolutions, rise and fall of empires, fortunes and misfortunes of great
Empire builders as well as the masses in general are all the subject matter of history. History
Is a comprehensive subject and includes-History of Geography, History of Art, History of
Culture, History of Literature, History of Civilization, History of Religion, History of
Mathematics, History of Physics, History of Chemistry, History of Education, History of
Biology, History of Atom, History of Philosophy-in fact history of any and every social,
Physical and natural science we are interested in. History today has become an all-embracing,
Comprehensive subject with almost limitless exten

Values of teaching History

Value is that experience or fruit which one gets in the path of achieving aim whereas aim Is a
conscious and active purpose that we always keep before our mind. It always remains Before
us in the path of achievement. History is valuable as a study in more ways than
One. Some of the values are general that is they apply to the teaching of the subject in all
Circumstances. Other values are limited and specific. They apply to particular types of History,
hold for a particular level of schooling or are the necessary result of teaching if Carried out in a
particular way.
The values of teaching history may be stated as under:

Disciplinary value: History is quite fruitful for mental training. It trains the mental Faculties
such as critical thinking, memory and imagination. It quickens and deepens Understanding, gives
an insight into the working of social, political, economic, and Religious problems.
Informative value: History is a wonderful treasure-house of information and can offer
Guidance for the solution to all human problems pertaining to science and art, language And
literature, social and political life, philosophical speculation and economic Development. History
shows us the roots without uprooting the tree. A mere emotional Attachment to our past can do
us little good, unless it is accompanied with a sober, Matured and rational assessment of the
values involved. History is a path finder of man’s Future.
Cultural and social values: It is essential that one should understand the importance of His/her
own cultural and social values. We should also develop attachment towards our
Cultural heritage. History makes us able to understand our present culture. It expounds
the Culture of the present time by describing the past. It explains the origin of existing
state of Things, our customs, our usages, our institutions. It enables us to understand that
the Transformations in human history were brought about by change of habits and of
Innovation. One of the main motives of history teaching has been to convey to the pupils
The rich heritage of the mankind. It develops an understanding of the different forces
Which have shaped the destiny of man and paved the way for his development in
society. Political values: History is regarded to be the past politics. According to T.S.
Seeley, “The historian is a politician of the political group or organization, the state
being his Study. To lecture on political science is to lecture on history.” History stands as
a beacon Of hope when some nation is overcast with dark clouds. History is extremely
necessary For completing the political and social sciences which are still in the making.
History Supplements them by a study of the development of these phenomena in time.
Nationalistic value: History teaching renders an effective service in imbibing the young
Minds with a sense of patriotism. It is through history alone that an Indian child comes to
Know of the various deeds performed by such patriots as Shivaji, Rana Pratap, Guru
Gobind Singh, Rani Lakshmibai, Bhagat Singh, Gandhiji, Nehru, etc. By reading their
Great lives and deeds, the child can easily be inspired to emulate them. A proper
teaching Of history can prepare the way for sober nationalism.
Internationalistic value: History shows the dependence and interdependence of nations
Which is the root of internationalism. The domain of history is very extensive and wide. Through
a survey of world history, the young learners will come to realize that although
Different peoples had and still have different customs, habits, laws, and institutions; they Have
been striving towards the same end. The realization of essential unity of human race Is the
first step towards fostering universal understanding based on the virtues of
Tolerance, kindliness, love, sympathy, and goodwill.

Importance of History
History is important. In centuries past this statement would have seemed self-evident.
Ancient cultures devoted much time and effort to teaching their children family history. It
was thought
that the past helps a child understand who he is. Modern society, however, has turned its back on
the past. We live in a time of rapid change, a time of progress. We prefer to define ourselves in
terms of where we are going, not where we come from. Our ancestors hold no importance for us.
They lived in times so different from our own that they are incapable of shedding light on our
experience. Man is so much smarter now than he was even ten years ago that anything from the
past is outdated and irrelevant to us. Therefore the past, even the relatively recent past, is, in the
minds of most of us, enshrouded by mists and only very vaguely perceived. Our ignorance of the
past is not the result of a lack of information, but of indifference. We do not believe that history
matters.
But history does matter. It has been said that he who controls the past controls the future. Our
view of history shapes the way we view the present, and therefore it dictates what answers
we offer for existing problems. Let me offer a few examples to indicate how this might be
true.
One of my children comes running up to me, “Papa, Stefan hit me!” Another child comes close
on the heels of the first, “I did not. You hit me!” As a parent I have to determine what
happened. Usually I have to sort through conflicting testimony to get to the truth of the matter.
Part of my information is my knowledge of human beings in general; part of my information is
the knowledge I have assembled over the lifetimes of these particular children. All of this is
essentially history. It is knowledge about the past. I must have a good understanding of the past
in order to know how to deal wisely with these children in the present. Any punishment or
chastisement will depend on my reconstruction of what actually happened. The children realize
this, and thus they present very selective histories of the event in an attempt to dictate my
response. In these kinds of situations, children very clearly understand that history matters.

Conclusion
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. 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.
The aims and objectives of teaching history have undergone changes with the shift in the
thinking of the time and changes in the social and political practices.
Determination of aims and objectives is necessary. Instructional objectives need to be clearly
Defined. The pupils should acquire knowledge, should develop specific understandings,
attitudes, Interests and appreciations, relevant to history.
History is valuable as a study in more ways than one. The values of teaching history are-
Disciplinary, informative, educational, ethical, cultural, intellectual, political, nationalistic,