WHERE, WHEN AND HOW

HISTORY

History is the story of the people who lived in the past. The events that
happened in the past ten thousand years ago; are part of our History.

Why we study history ?

History tell us about how people lived in the past, what they ate and wore,
what they discoverd and invented, what they painted and built, which
gods they worshipped, how they overcome their big and small problem,
and many more things. Why people fought or co-operated; composed
music or built forts.

Historians have divided the past into two periods :-

* Prehistory is that period of human development when human being did

not know how to read and write. So they did not leave behind any written
records for us to learn about them.

* History is the period for which written records are available. It is the
period after which writing was invented.

Archaeological sources :- As human did not know how to write in the

prehistoric period, so we depend totally on objects and materials they
have left behind to understand their life for eg.–pots, pans, toy, beads,
wore jewellery, monuments, inscriptions, coins etc.
Archaeology :- The science of exploring and excavating old ruins and
studying them iscalled archaelogy.

Monuments :- Archaeologists also study monuments that are buried but

are still standing. Any building that is of historical significance is
considered to be monument. For eg. Taj Mahal, Red fort etc.

Inscriptions :- Written records engraved on pillars, walls of temples,

cavex forts, palaces and on clay or copper tables are called inscriptions.
The Allahabad pillar inscription present at description of the conquest
of Samudragupta .

Literary or written records :- Humans learnt to write only about 5,000

years ago. They invented alphabets and put them together to form words
and sentences. In the beginning they wrote on stone walls, palm leaves
and the bark of trees.

Manuscripts :- When paper was invented they began to use paper for
writing. These are called manuscripts. Manuscripts are formed in many
languages and are preserved in libraries and museums.

Epics :- Ramayana and Mahabharata are epics which was written over a
long period of time.

Accounts of foreign travellers :- Many writers scholars and traders

travelled to India from ancient times and wrote about the lifestyles,
customs and traditions.

*Megasthenes lived in India for some time as a Greek ambassador at the

court of Chandragupta Maurya. He wrote a book known as Indica.

* Two Chinese travellers Fahien and Hiuen Tsang came to India to study
Buddhism and wrote about that period.

Do you Know

* The word history cames from the Greek word 'historia' which means
finding out.

* Prehistory is almost 9,50,900 years old.

Religious Literature :-

Hindu Literature
*Four Vedas – Rigvedas, Samvedas, Yajurveda and Artharveda,
Brahman, Aranyaka and Upanishad.

* Puranas are the most important religious works of Hindu.

*The holy books Vedas give us an idea of the political social and religious
life of the Indians of that age.

* The Harshacharita by Bane Bhatt, which is an account on the life of King

Harsha (AD 606–47)

* The Sangam literature gives an insight into the social, economic and
political life of the people of deltaic TamilNadu in the early Christian
centuries.

Buddhist Literature

*Buddhist religious literature is also an important source of knowledge for

ancient Indian history. The literature consists of :-

(i) Pitak (ii) Nikay (iii) Jatak.

Secular

* There are many literary master pieces which help in tracing the history of
Mauryan age.

* Kautilya 'Artha Shastra' has unique position as source material for

Mauryan History.

* The first historical writing by an Indian is attributed to Kalhana who wrote

the Rajatarangini in the twelfth century.

NOMENCLATURE

Bharatvarsh – Land of Bharat

Jambu-Dvipa – Buddhist Evidence from III century.

Hindustan – Persian (Iranian) origin – This word is of Indu-Iranian Hybrid

India – Greeks pronounced the Sindhu River as Indus. India is derived

from it.

Aryavarta – This name was given by Aryan.

Constitution – India or Bharat

Modern Period :-

* In Europe modern period have began in the 16th century, but in India,
the 16th century was a part of the medieval period when Mughal
emperors like Babur, Humayun and Akbar ruled over.

* Modern period began in India after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707 i.e. in
the beginning of 18th century.

* The death of Aurangzeb was followed by decentralisation of power and

emergence of a number of smaller states.

* Many European traders like Britain, France, Portugal and Netherland

came to India and established their trading posts.

What is meant by Modern Period ?

* The term 'modern period refers to the recent times. Main features of
modern period include industrialisation, urbanisation, swift transport and
communication, democratic political system, uniform laws, widerspread
literacy and large-scale migration of people in search of occupation.

Industrial Revolution :-

The production of goods in large number with the help of machines in

factories is known as Industrial revolution.

* Capitalism :- The economic system in which the means of production

and sitribution are privately owned and are operated for profit.

* Imperialism :- The tendency of extending control of one country over

another territory is referred as imperialism. (The Latin word 'imperium'
meaning power). The country which conquers another land another land
or territory is known as the imperial country and the country which has
been conquered is known as a colony.

Why is it called Industrial Revolution ?

* The beginning of industrial production marked a radical change from the

previous system. It not only led to large scale production of a good in the
factory-but also replaced manual labour. England had few advantages like
abundance of natural resources like coal and iron which made it the first
country to go through the phase of Industrial revolution. it later spread to
France, Germany and other European country.

Voyager of Discovery :-

* In the mid fifteenth century, the Turks took control of the overland trade
route from Europe to the East.

* European than discovered the sea routes to the east.

* The invention of the Mariner's compass; quadrant and astrolabe,

improvements in ship building and cartography (map making) and the use
of gun powder improved the prospects of long sea voyages.

* Spanish and Portuguese rulers explorers like Christopher Columbus ;

Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan discovered new sea routes to
the west and the east.

* In 1492, the Portuguese explorer Vasco da gama reached Calicut on the

Malabar Coast of India.

* The Portuguese established trading station in Goa, Daman and Diu in

India with the help of better weapans and navigational skills.

* Political Revolution :- A political Revolution took place in England after

Franch Revolution (1789) and American Revolution (1776). In late 17th
century the monarch became answerable to the Parliament and the
representative body of the people.

Modern period in India

* In India, the modern period began in the mid eighteenth century.

* Industrial Revolution began in England and around the same time the
English East India Company began to colonise India.
* The later Mughals, the Marathas and the English East India Company
emerged as the chief contendens for political supremacy in India.

* The Mughal Empire finally collapsed after a great revolt against the
Company in 1857. The Company was dissolved in 1858 and the British
took direct control over India.

* In India there was a freedom struggle against British colonial rule, which
ultimately led to India's independence in 1947. Thereafter, India became a
democratic republic.

New Regional Identities in the 18th Century

* After Aurangzeb's death 1707, the Mughal Empire declined. New

regional powers emerged.

* Shivaji establised the Maratha state in modern Maharashtra. The

Maratha became strong rivals of the Mughals in the Deccan.

* The Peshwas expanded Maratha influence into North India with the help
of some powerful Maratha chief.

* The independent state of Hyderabad, Bengal and Awadh established by

Mughal governors.

* Persian and Afghan invasions under Nadir Shah (1739) and Ahmad
Shah Abdali (1748–1761).

* By the end of the 18th century, the Sikhs established the independent
state of Punjab under the leadership of Ranjit Singh. The Sikhs controlled
Punjab, kashmir and Himachal Pradesh

SOURCES OF THE HISTORY OF MODERN INDIA

Sources of the History of Modern India

We have enough sources at our disposal as far as modern period of the

history of India is concerned. The chief among them are

1. Printed Books :– Due to the invention of printing press during this

period a lot of books both in Indian and foreign languages were printed
which through light on various aspects of the Indian life. These also tell us
about the progress such as medicine, engineering, technology, art,
material, history mathematics, music, dance drama and so on.
2. Government Documents :– During this period, different powers played
their parts in different parts of the country. The rulers and the powers
which exhisted during this period exchanged documents with each other.
These govt. documents have been well preserved and are now easily
available. From their study we can easily know how different powers dealt
with each other and how ultimately the British over-powered them one by
one.

3. News papers, Magazines, Pemphelets etc :– We also get a lot of

information about the modern period from a large number of newspapers,
magazines, pamphelets etc. Which were printed in different parts of India
in different languages. Some of them are still in publication and they have
kept a record of their old editions in their libraries.

4. Historical buildings :– We can still see many historical bulidings in our

country which have many stories and episodes linked with them. Some
such buildings are India gate, central secretariat, the Rashtrapati bhavan,
the Parliament house, the Birla house, where Mahatma Gandhi was
assassinated in 1948. These bulidings throw a good deel of light on
different aspects of the architectual achievments of India.

Other works of Art :– Various statues, paintings of their period also tell
us about the physical features and achievments of the national leaders
and great historical personalities.

Miscelleneous sources :– Beside these sources there are other sources

also like films which throw a good deal of light on the contemporary
people and their way of life. The impression which they leave on us
remains quite permanent because we see the different events happeining
before our very eyes.

Do You Know

Bengal Gazette was India's first Newspaper published in 1780 from

Kolkata.

History is the story of the people who lived in the past. The events that
happened in the past ten thousand years ago; are part of our History.

Why we study history?

History tell us about how people lived in the past, what they ate and wore,
what they discovered and invented, what they painted and built, which
gods they worshipped, how they overcome their big and small problem,
and many more things. Why people fought or co-operated; composed
music or built forts

Prehistory is that period of human development when human being did

not know how to read and write. So they did not leave behind any written
records for us to learn about them.

History is the period for which written records are available. It is the
period after which writing was invented.

Archaeological sources :- As human did not know how to write in the

prehistoric period, so we depend totally on objects and materials they
have left behind to understand their life for e.g.–pots, pans, toy, beads,
wore jewellery, monuments, inscriptions, coins etc.

Archaeology: - The science of exploring and excavating old ruins and

studying them is called archaeology.

Monuments: - Archaeologists also study monuments that are buried but

are still standing. Any building that is of historical significance is
considered to be monument. For e.g. Taj Mahal, Red fort etc.

Inscriptions: - Written records engraved on pillars, walls of temples,

cavex forts, palaces and on clay or copper tables are called inscriptions.
The Allahabad pillar inscription present at description of the conquest of
Samudragupta.

Literary or written records: - Humans learnt to write only about 5,000

years ago. They invented alphabets and put them together to form words
and sentences. In the beginning they wrote on stone walls, palm leaves
and the bark of trees.

Manuscripts: - When paper was invented they began to use paper for
writing. These are called manuscripts. Manuscripts are formed in many
languages and are preserved in libraries and museums.
Epics: - Ramayana and Mahabharata are epics which was written over a
long period of time.

Accounts of foreign travelers: - Many writers’ scholars and traders

travelled to India from ancient times and wrote about the lifestyles,
customs and traditions.

Megatheres lived in India for some time as a Greek ambassador at the

court of Chandragupta Maurya. He wrote a book known as Indica. Two
Chinese travelers Fahien and Hien Tsang came to India to study
Buddhism and wrote about that period.

Religious Literature:-

Hindu Literature

Four Vedas – Rigveda’s, Sam Vedas, Yajurveda and Artharveda,

Brahman, Karnataka and Upanishad.

Puranas are the most important religious works of Hindu. The holy books
Vedas give us an idea of the political social and religious life of the Indians
of that age. The Harsha Charita by Bane Bhatt, which is an account on
the life of King Harsha (AD 606–47)

The Sangam literature gives an insight into the social, economic and
political life of the people of deltaic Tamil Nadu in the early Christian
centuries.

Buddhist Literature

Buddhist religious literature is also an important source of knowledge for

ancient Indian history. The literature consists of:-

(i) Pitka (ii)

Nikay (iii) Jatak.

Secular

There are many literary master pieces which help in tracing the history of
Mauryan age.
Kausalya 'Aretha Shastra' has unique position as source material for
Mauryan History.

The first historical writing by an Indian is attributed to Kalpana who wrote

the Rajatarangini in the twelfth century.

Modern Period:-

In Europe modern period have begun in the 16th century, but in India, the
16th century was a part of the medieval period when Mughal emperors
like Babur, Humayun and Akbar ruled over. Modern period began in India
after the death of Aurangzeb 1707 i.e. in the beginning of 18th century.
The death of Aurangzeb was followed by decentralization of power and
emergence of a umber of smaller states. Many European traders like
Britain, France, Portugal and Netherland came to India and established
their trading posts.

What is meant by Modern Period?

The term 'modern period refers to the recent times. Main features of
modern period include industrialisation, urbanisation, swift transport and
communication, democratic political system, uniform laws, widespread
literacy and large-scale migration of people in search of occupation.

Industrial Revolution :-

The production of goods in large number with the help of machines in

factories is known as Industrial revolution.

Capitalism :- The economic system in which the means of production and

distribution are privately owned and are operated for profit.

Imperialism :- The tendency of extending control of one country over

another territory is referred as imperialism. (The Latin word 'imperium'
meaning power). The country which conquers another land another land
or territory is known as the imperial country and the country which has
been conquered is known as a colony.

Why is it called Industrial Revolution ?

The beginning of industrial production marked a radical change from the
previous system. It not only led to large scale production of a good in the
factory-but also replaced manual labor. England had few advantages like
abundance of natural resources like coal and iron which made it the first
country to go through the phase of Industrial revolution. It later spread to
France, Germany and other European country.

Voyager of Discovery:-

In the mid fifteenth century, the Turks took control of the overland trade
route from Europe to the East. European than discovered the sea routes
to the east. The invention of the Mariner's compass; quadrant and
astrolabe, improvements in ship building and cartography (map making)
and the use of gun powder improved the prospects of long sea voyages.
Spanish and Portuguese rulers explorers like Christopher Columbus;
Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan discovered new sea routes to
the west and the east. In 1492, the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama
reached Calicut on the Malabar Coast of India. The Portuguese
established trading station in Goa, Daman and Diu in India with the help
of better weapons and navigational skills.

Political Revolution: - A political Revolution took place in England after

French Revolution (1789) and American Revolution (1776). In late
17th century the monarch became answerable to the Parliament and the
representative body of the people.

Modern period in India

In India, the modern period began in the mid eighteenth century. Industrial
Revolution began in England and around the same time the English East
India Company began to colonies India. The later Mughals, the Marathas
and the English East Company emerged as the chief contenders for
political supremacy in India. The Mughal Empire finally collapsed after a
great revolt against the Company in 1857. The Company was dissolved in
1858 and the British took direct control over India. In India there was a
freedom struggle against British colonial rule, which ultimately led to
India's independence in 1947. Thereafter, India became a democratic
republic.
New Regional Identities in the 18th Century

After Aurangzeb's death 1707, the Mughal Empire declined. New regional
powers emerged. Shivaji established the Maratha tate in modern
Maharashtra. The Maratha became strong rivals of the Mughals in the
Deccan. The Pesewas expanded Maratha influence into North India with
the help of some powerful Maratha chief. The independent state of
Hyderabad, Bengal and Awadh established by Mughal governors. Persian
and Afghan invasions under Nadir Shah (1739) and Ahmad Shah Abdali
1748–1761). By the end of the 18th century, the Sikhs established the
independent state of Punjab under the leadership of Ranjit Singh. The
Sikhs controlled Punjab, Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh

Sources of the History of Modern India

Sources of the History of Modern India

We have enough sources at our disposal as far as modern period of the

history of India is concerned. The chief among them are

Printed Books: – Due to the invention of printing press during this period
a lot of books both in Indian and foreign languages were printed which
through light on various aspects of the Indian life. These also tell us about
the progress such as medicine, engineering, technology, art, material,
history mathematics, music, dance drama and so on.

Government Documents: – During this period, different powers played

their parts in different parts of the country. The rulers and the powers
which existed during this period exchanged documents with each other.
These govt. documents have been well preserved and are now easily
available. From their study we can easily know how different powers dealt
with each other and how ultimately the British over-powered them one by
one.

Newspapers, Magazines, Pamphlets etc.: – We also get a lot of

information about the modern period from a large number of newspapers,
magazines, pamphlets etc. Which were printed in different parts of India in
different languages. Some of them are still in publication and they have
kept a record of their old editions in their libraries.
Historical buildings: – We can still see many historical buildings in our
country which have many stories and episodes linked with them. Some
such buildings are India gate, central secretariat, the Rashtrapati bhavan,
the Parliament house, the Birla house, where Mahatma Gandhi was
assassinated in 1948. These buildings throw a good deal of light on
different aspects of the architectural achievements of India.

Other works of Art: – Various statues, paintings of their period also tell
us about the physical features and achievements of the national leaders
and great historical personalities.

Miscellaneous sources: – Beside these sources there are other sources

also like films which throw a good deal of light on the contemporary
people and their way of life. The impression which they leave on us
remains quite permanent because we see the different events happening
before our very eyes.

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Where When and How Notes.

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