What counts as history?

On the early part of 20th century, history became an important academic discipline and historian’s
duty was to write about the lives of important individuals, as well as events like wars and revolutions. Thus,
traditional historians back then lived with a mantra of “no document, no history,” which means that unless a
written document can prove a certain historical event, then it cannot be considered as a historical fact. Now
the question is, does the absence of written documents mean that there’s no history?
Just like any other disciplines, history progressed and opened up to the possibilities which were not
limited to written documents, since considering such limitations essentially invalidates the history of other
civilizations that do not keep written records (i.e., social classes who were not recorded in paper like the
peasant families or indigenous groups who were not given much thought about registration for government
records).
Thus, this loophole was recognized by historians who started using other kinds of historical sources
(i.e., oral traditions in forms of epics and songs, artifacts, architecture, and memory. History also became
more inclusive and started collaborating with other disciplines as its auxiliary disciplines like the ff.:

Linguistics -helpful
Biology and
in tracing historical
Archaeology - biochemistry – can
evolutions,
historians can use help with the study
connections and
artifacts to study of the past through
flow of cultural
ancient civilizations analyzing genetic
influence by
which lacked on and DNA patterns of
studying the
written documents. human societies.
language of
different groups.

TOPIC 2: COMMON QUESTIONS AND ISSUES IN HISTORY

Since history turned into a complex and dynamic discipline, inquiries also became inevitable. Here are some
common questions being raised regarding the study:
 These questions can be answered by historiography. History and historiography should not be confused
with each other.

HISTORY HISTORIOGRAPHY

Historiography’s object of
study is history itself (i.e.,
How was a certain
History’s object of study historical text written?
is the past, the events Who wrote it? What was
that happened in the the context of its
past, and the causes of publication? What were
such events. the sources used?).
Historiography is the
theory and methods of
historical scholarship.

Additionally, historiography according to Merriam Webster is that, it is the writing of history based on
the critical examination of sources, the selection of particulars from the authentic materials, and the synthesis
of particulars into a narrative that will stand the test of critical methods.

Thus, historiography will provide better understanding in history by understanding the facts and
historian’s contexts. Additionally, the methods employed by the historian and the theory and perspective,
which guided him, will also be analyzed. Historiography is important for someone who studies history because
it teaches the student to be critical in the lessons of history presented to him.
Another problem commonly confronted by history is the thought that it is always written by the victors
which suggests that the past is written from the bias of the powerful and dominant players (i.e., the history of
World War II in the Philippines always depicts the US as the hero and the Imperial Japanese Army were the
oppressors).
However, a more thorough investigation will lead a student studying history into a deeper degree of
understanding by the help of course of the historians’ interpretations.

History and the Historian

There are many scholars who help us to study the past who examine records and write stories and
describing it. They are called historians. Some of the common questions haunting our historians nowadays
were as follows:
 If history is written with agenda or is heavily influenced by the historian, is it possible to come up with
an absolute historical truth?
  Is history an objective discipline?
 If it is not, is it still worthwhile to study history?

An exact and accurate account is highly impossible to achieve due to the fact that we cannot go back
and access the past directly. We only have historical evidences and sources which we can make use to
unlock our history, and that is exactly the job of a historian. But, since “facts cannot speak for themselves,” a
historian should not only look and make use of these evidences, but must interpret them truthfully and
accurately.
However, a historian is also a usual person who is influenced by his own context, environment,
ideology, education, and influences, among others. In short, his interpretations might be affected by his
context and circumstances making it highly subjective. Thus, history is always subjective. If that so, can
history still be considered as an academic and scientific inquiry? Yes.

Historical Methodologies
Despite the fact that history cannot be absolutely objective, historians still make use of scientific
researches and methodologies which makes history an academic and scientific inquiry.

By using historical methodologies and reliable evidences, claims and arguments done by a certain
historian can be validated.
For example, if a historian wishes to study the ethnic history and culture of the Mangyans in Mindoro
by using written sources, he needs to validate then those evidences through interviews and linkages with the
Mangyan Community.
It is the other way around when he wishes to study their culture and history by using oral accounts.
Historian must also verify the claims of his informant by looking for written sources that will support their
statements.
 The children of the Iraya Mangyan community. Image taken by Ayala Foundation.

Therefore, while bias is inevitable, the historian can balance this out by relying to evidences that
back up his claim.

TOPIC 3: HISTORICAL SOURCES

Historical sources are considered as historian’s most important research tools. Generally, historical
sources are classified into primary and secondary sources, depending on the historical subject being studied.
Primary sources – produced at the same time as the event, period, or subject being studied.
 For example, if a historian wishes to study the Commonwealth Constitution Convention of 1935, he
can make use of the minutes of the meetings of the convention, newspaper clippings, Philippine
Commission reports of the U.S. Commissioners, records of the convention, draft of the Constitution,
photographs, and even the eyewitness accounts of the convention.

23 March 1935: Seated, left to

right: George H. Dern,
Secretary of War; President
Franklin D. Roosevelt, signing
the Constitution of the
Commonwealth of the
Philippines; Manuel L. Quezon,
President, Philippine Senate
  Another example of primary source, if one wishes to study about the psychological effects of World
War II to the Filipinos during the Japanese Occupation, he can make use of books or articles
published during or after the war.

Secondary sources – produced by an author who used primary sources to produce a material.
 For example, on the Philippine Revolution of 1896, one can read Teodoro Agoncillo’s Revolt of the
Masses: The Story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan originally published in 1956. In writing the book,
Agoncillo used primary sources like documents of the Katipunan, interview with the veterans, and
correspondence between and among Katipuneros.

The Revolt of the Masses: The story of

Bonifacio and the Katipunan by Teodoro A.
Agoncillo

TOPIC 4: INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CRITICISM

Historians, aside from collecting and utilizing both primary and secondary sources must also apply
both external and internal criticisms, particularly in primary sources which can age on centuries.
 External criticism – verifying the authenticity of an evidence by examining its physical characteristics
(i.e., quality of the paper, type of the ink, language and words used).
o For example, by examining the novels of Dr. Jose Rizal, they were both written in Spanish
which was prevalent during his time (external criticism). Furthermore, one must realize that
his novels and most of his poems were written also in Spanish for the reason that they were
really dedicated to the Spaniards (internal criticism). Thus, through his works, Dr. Jose Rizal
aimed that the Spaniards would realize the real situation of the Filipinos during their
colonization.

Noli Me Tangere (original 1887

cover) by Dr. Jose Rizal
  Internal criticism – examines the truthfulness and factuality of the evidence by looking at the content
of the source and the circumstance of its production (i.e., author of the source, context, knowledge
and intended purpose of it, and agenda behind).
o For example, Japanese reports and declarations during the war should not be taken as a
historical fact hastily since such reports can be manipulated to be used as war propaganda.

Without thorough criticisms of historical evidences, frauds and lies will be highly probable. In the
Philippines, here are some cases of historical deceptions:
 The hoax Code of Kalantiaw – a set of rules contained in an epic Maragtas and was allegedly written
by Datu Kalantiaw. It was sold into National Library and was regarded as an important precolonial
document until 1968, when American historian William Henry Scott debunked its authenticity due to
anachronism and lack of evidence.

 Ferdinand Marcos during the World War II – the latter was claiming that he was a soldier who led a
guerilla unit called Ang Maharlika and even had war medals to show. This was disproven by
historians who counterchecked Marcos’s claims with the US war records.

This is an image of the Laguna Copperplate Inscription, the earliest known written
document from the Philippines. The text is written in the extinct Old Malay language using
the Kawi script.

The task of the historian is to look at the available and most relevant sources for history and to
organize the past that is being created so that it can offer lessons for nations, societies, and civilization.
History has come a long way but still has a lot of remaining tasks to do, and as long as questions are
continuously asked, and as long as time unfolds, the study of history can never be complete.