Introduction
History is the fascinating and true story of human growth from barbarism to civilization.
It is a record of people places and events of the past arranged in chronological order. the story of our ancestors their lifestyles occupations customs and traditions religious beliefs social and political systems and cultural patterns.
Historians are people who study and tell us about the past. the gather information from many sources and help us to understand how people lived and worked from earliest times to the present day.
What is Prehistory, Archaeology and History?
Pre- history is the history of the period before writing was invented. there are no written clues or records of this period. our knowledge of prehistory is based solely on archaeology.
Archaeology is the study of material remains of the distant past. it is also referred as the digging up of the past since many of these ancient remains have been found buried under the earth.
Prehistory is studied and reconstructed with the help of Archaeological remains such as bones coins tools jewellery ruins of buildings and so on.
The period after the invention of writing is known as the history.
Writing developed about 5000 years ago. our knowledge of history is largely based on written records
The early writings was on rocks stone walls pillars clay tablets skins of goats and sheep known as parchments Palm leaves and the bark of birds trees
Paper was invented much later and used for writing.
Sources of History
Definition and Classification of Sources
The various sources of history are like the many pieces of a Jigsaw puzzle. A historian solves the puzzle of our remote past by painstakingly and intelligently putting together these pieces to form a clear and well defined picture.
These pieces of the puzzle or the clues which help the historian to put together a period of history are known as sources.
The sources can be broadly classified into two groups archaeological and literary.
What are the Archaeological sources and its various types
Great civilizations have blossomed and disintegrated and have been forgotten by humans for thousands of years.They were dug up centuries later by archaeologists. Archaeological sources are of three kinds
- monuments and objects
- coins and
- inscriptions and edits
- humans or animals skulls and fossils of animals humans are plants provide historians with valuable insights into the pastbjects
Monuments And Objects
Monuments are old buildings such as temples palaces and Forts which are valuable sources of information about the lives and times of people.
Objects
objects such as tools weapons pottery statues ornaments seals toys paintings coins etc help historians to reconstruct the past about which there are no written records.
Fossils
Humans or animals skulls and fossils of animals humans are plants provide historians with valuable insights into the past.
Coins
The study of coins is known as numismatics. Numerous gold silver copper and lead coins have been found they are an important source of information about the reign of Kings, the extent of their Empires, economic conditions, trade, art and religion of that era. The metal or alloy in used also indicates the level of scientific advancement during that age. Many aspects of the Kushan Empire have been reconstructed from the gold and copper coins issued later during that period
Inscriptions And Edits
Inscriptions are the engravings on solid objects such as metal and stone tablets rocks pillars cave walls etc these inscriptions provide us with valuable information about rulers the extent of the empires, important events and many other aspects of the political conditions of a particular period. They also tell us a great deal about the religious and cultural life of the people. sons are reliable and useful of information since they were written during the reign of great kings and are preserved in their original form. The study of epigraphs or old inscriptions is known as epigraphy
Edicts are royal commands issued by the rulers. The Ashokan edicts inscribed on rocks and pillars have helped modern in story historians to reconstruct important facts about the Mauryan period.
Literary sources
Handwritten records of the past in the form of books are known as manuscripts.
Records were written on a variety of surfaces dried sheep or goat skin dried Palm leaf of birds trees and much later on paper. India has a very rich collection of ancient manuscripts
Literary sources can be divided into two categories religious and secular.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Schema
Implementing a FAQ schema using the data below can help this page appear in “People Also Ask” boxes on Google.
Q: What is the difference between prehistory and history?
A: Prehistory refers to the period before writing was invented, relying solely on archaeological findings. History begins after the invention of writing (about 5000 years ago), which allows for written records.
Q: What are the two main sources of history?
A: The two main sources are Archaeological (physical remains like monuments, coins, and inscriptions) and Literary (written records like manuscripts, religious texts, and secular books).
Q: What is the study of coins called?
A: The study of coins is known as Numismatics.
Q: What are edicts in history?
A: Edicts are royal commands issued by rulers. A famous example is the Ashokan edicts, which were inscribed on rocks and pillars to convey the king’s messages.