2.
Sources of History
Things to do
Make a list of things in your house which belong to your grandparents’
time.
Collect information about an old structure in your locality.
History can also be learnt through customs and traditions, folk arts, folk literature as
well as historical documents. All these are known as ‘sources of history’. These are of
three types : material sources, written sources and oral sources.
Things to do
Structures such as forts, rock-cut caves, stupa, etc. are known as material sources
of history. Try to guess what other structures can be called material sources.
Material Sources
Man uses a variety of things in his day-to-day life.
They are known as artefacts. Artefacts used by
humans in the past provide us valuable information
about life in the ancient times. We can decide the
period of ancient artefacts like earthern pots by
studying the shape, colour and designs on ancient
potsherds. The ornaments and other artefacts throw
light on social interaction. We get information about
Coins
the diet of the people from the remains of
foodgrains, seeds and bones of animals found in excavations. Also, we find the
remains of houses and buildings built in different historical periods. We also find
ancient coins and seals. All these give us information about human activities in the
past. All such artefacts, articles, monuments or their ruins are called the ‘material
sources’ of history.
For your information
Foodgrains do not last long. They get easily infested and turn into powder.
In ancient times, people used to roast foodgrain before grinding them. If a few
grains got charred while roasting, they were thrown away. Such charred grains
can remain intact for a very long period. During excavations, such charred grains
can be recovered. When these are inspected in a laboratory, we come to know
what grain it is.
For your information
Written sources of history include inscriptions carved on temple walls, walls of rock-
cut caves and rocks; inscriptions on copper-plates, pots, bricks and on writing
sheets made from palm leaves and birch bark, etc.
A copper-plate Inscription on a rock
Written sources
The Stone Age people have recorded many events and expressed their emotions in
paintings on rocks. It was only after thousands of years that man learnt the art of
writing.
In the beginning, humans used symbols and signs to record their thoughts and
ideas. However, it took thousands of years for a script to develop from these.
In the beginning, man wrote on potsherds, unbaked bricks using pointed objects. He
also used birch (bhurja) tree bark to write on. As his experience and knowledge
increased, he began to write in different ways. He began to record the events that
took place around him. Accounts of the proceedings of royal courts were also written
systematically. Many rulers had their orders, judicial decisions, donations etc. inscribed
on stone or copper-plates. Over a period of time, many forms of literature developed.
They included books on religious and social subjects, plays, poetry, travelogues and
scientific works. All this literature helps us to understand the history of the various
historical periods. These sources are known as the ‘written sources of history’.
For your information
Bhurjapatra means writing sheets made from the bark of a birch tree. Bhurja is the
Sanskrit name of the birch tree. Birch trees are found in Kashmir.
Things to do
Visit a museum in your locality. Write an essay describing the artefacts
displayed there.
Collect the traditional verses such as ‘owis’.
Collect folk songs. Present one of them in the cultural programme of your
school.
Oral sources
Owis, folk songs, folk tales and similar literature is passed on from generation to
generation by word of mouth. This literature is not in the written form. Its authors are
unknown. This type of literature preserved by oral tradition forms the ‘oral sources’ of
history.
Things to do
An owi
प ांडुरां ग पपत । रूक्मिण ि झी बय ।
आष ढ व रीयेल । पड
ुां ललक आल न्य य ।।
Lines from a folk song
‘िह नगरी उजनी (Ujjain)
लई पण्
ु यव न द नी
तेथे न ांदत होत र ज
सख
ु ी होती प्रज
ततन्ही लोकी ग ज व ज
अस उजनीच इक्र ि र ज ’ (Vikramaditya)
Sources of ancient Indian history
The ancient period of Indian history extends from the Stone Age to the eighth century
CE. We learn about the Stone Age period of Indian history through archaeological
excavations. Since scripts had not developed at that time, no written sources are
available. However, information about the ancient period from 1500 BCE onwards can
be derived from Vedic literature.
The Vedas and the post-Vedic literature form an important source of ancient Indian
history. It includes the Brahmanas, the Upanishads, the epics Ramayana and
Mahabharata, the Jain and Buddhist literature, plays, poems, stone and pillar
inscriptions, travelogues of foreign travellers etc. We also learn about ancient Indian
history through material sources like archaeological remains, ancient monuments and
coins found in excavations.
Precautions to be taken while writing history
It is necessary to take precautions while using these sources to write history. A written
document cannot be said to be authentic just because it is old - it needs to be
examined critically as to who wrote it, why and when it was written. The conclusions
drawn on the basis of various genuine documents have to be crosschecked and
corroborated with one another. Such a critical analysis is very important in the writing
of history.
Things to do
You have found an old coin.
- Keep it to yourself.
- Give it to your parents.
- Give it to a museum.
