CHAPTER I

Meaning and Relevance of History; Distinction of Primary and Secondary Sources;

External and Internal Criticisms; Repositories and Different Kinds of Primary
Sources

MODULE 1: Learning History

A. Meaning and Relevance of History

History is a dynamic and multifaceted subject. It is reckoned as the mother of all subjects.
History has its types according to place, time and subject. Pre-historic, ancient, medieval
and modern are the types of history on the basis of ‘time’. Economic, military, social,
cultural, political etc. are the types of history according to ‘subject’. Local, regional,
national and international are the types of history on the basis of ‘place’. International
history emphases on the study of such events and happenings which made their impact on
the entire human community worldwide. Local history comprises of history which
includes significant happenings limited to local area and influencing local community. In
modern times, local history research is gaining special emphasis. History in conventional
terms is the recognition of past events and past life.

History is accepted as a social science as it focuses on the past of the society. There are
many popular definitions of history. There are contradictions in few definitions due to
direct relation of history with human life. It will be appropriate to attempt to firm the
meaning of history by reviewing various definitions of history. According to Herodotus,
“History means inquiry into the interesting and memorable past events’. Here history is
predestined to be ascertainment of interesting and distinct events occurred in the past. It is
the subject which reviews all the dimensions of human life on the basis of past events.

History is not confined to the study of past but, it is related to the past, present and future.
Every happening has specific context and it leads to specific effects. The present of today
is going to be the past of tomorrow. The origin of each contemporary problem lies in the
past. The present situation shapes up through the past and it also decides the future
direction. History escorts the decision making for the future. We can perceive the
decisions and their deeds of our ancestors, their influence from history. We can create a
bright future through understanding which things to follow and which blunders to avoid
of our forefathers. “History is the record of the life of the societies of man, of the changes
which those societies have gone through, of the ideas which have determined the action
of those societies and the material conditions which have helped or hindered their
development. It is not only about the records but it describes the details of the records.