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SOURCES OF HISTORY NTB Handout - Std. 5

Class 5 , Sources of History

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66 views4 pages

SOURCES OF HISTORY NTB Handout - Std. 5

Class 5 , Sources of History

Uploaded by

aryadeepti22
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ARYA VIDYA MANDIR GROUP OF SCHOOLS

STD V
SOURCES OF HISTORY

“The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the
future.” - Theodore Roosevelt

Just as an investigator studies the clues available at the scene of a crime to draw
conclusions, historians gather information from the different types of clues or evidence
left by humans in the past to reconstruct it. These clues are called sources of history.
These sources can be divided into two types: archaeological and literary.

A.] ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOURCES:


The study of buildings and objects made in the past is called archeology. These
structures are rich sources of information about our common past.

1. MONUMENTS: Any building of historical significance is called a monument. It may


include temples, forts, palaces, stupas and monasteries. Monuments generally
reveal information about the art, architecture, religion, the social and economic
condition of the people in the period of their construction. For example, the
excavation of Harappa and Mohenjodaro gave us an entirely new insight into the
details of the Indus Valley Civilization.

DO YOU KNOW?
Göbekli Tepe, an archaeological site of a temple in Southeastern Turkey is the
oldest structure on earth that we have found to date. It is even older than the
Egyptian pyramids and even Stonehenge.

2. INSCRIPTIONS: Inscriptions are generally engraved on stones and metals. Thus,


they serve as the most original and reliable source of information as it is not
possible to alter the contents once engraved on the stone or metal. The study of
an inscription also enables us to determine the method of writing prevalent in the
period it was engraved. The nature of its script helps us to determine the age of
the inscription. For example,the inscriptions of Ashoka, which were mainly
administrative and religious as they speak of his victories in the battles and his
conversion to Buddhism.
3. COINS: They give us information about the various rulers that would have ruled in
any particular territory, their names and chronology, their period of reign, the
extent of their empires and their particular field of interest. They also provide
information about the prevalent languages, religion, trade and commerce and the
state of prosperity of a nation. For example, the excavation of gold and silver
coins from a territory indicates its commercial prosperity.

EDICTS SEALS

4. ARTEFACTS: Artefacts refer to the works like paintings, sculptures, pottery, or art
from the past like: textiles, ornaments, tools, weapons and more. They provide
information about the social and religious customs, food habits, clothing and
means of entertainment of the people in the past. For example, the terracotta toys
found from archaeological sites in North India tell us about the Mohenjo - Daro
and Harappan civilization.

5. FOSSILS AND BONES: Fossils and bones were the main source of evidence
which helped archaeologists and scientists to trace the evolution of human
beings. Fossils are the remains of the earliest plants and animals that were
buried under the earth and had hardened with the passage of time. For example:
Fossils of an ancient giant shark, a megalodon, have been found in the
landlocked U.S. state of Utah. This tells scientists that millions of years ago, the
middle of North America was probably entirely underwater.

BUILD YOUR VOCABULARY:


NUMISMATICS: The study of coins.
PALAEONTOLOGY: The study
of fossils.

6. CAVE PAINTINGS: The most common paintings found in caves depict human
and animal figures. The colours were made from rocks and minerals available
during that time period. These paintings help us to know the different types of
animals domesticated or hunted by the early humans. For example: paintings by
early man have been found on the cave walls in places such as Bhimbetka in India
and El Castillo in Spain.
CAVE PAINTINGS STONE TOOLS

7. TOOLS AND UTENSILS: Archaeologists have discovered many tools and utensils
that belong to the prehistoric period. Stone, wood, bones and animal horns were used
for making them. The discovered stone tools suggest that they were used to cut meat
and bone, chop fruit and roots and remove animal skins and bark of trees. Some tools
may have been attached to handles of bone or wood, Some of the stone tools
unearthed to make spears and arrows for hunting.

B.] LITERARY SOURCES:


Literary sources are texts written on different materials. These texts were written on tree
barks, pal leaves, animal skin and wooden tablets.

1. RELIGIOUS LITERATURE: Literature that centres around religion is called


religious literature. It is in the form of an epic or a play. Most of the ancient Indian
literature is religious in nature. For example: The four Vedas viz: Rig Veda, Sama
Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda, the two great Epics the Ramayana and the
Mahabharata. The Bible and the Quran tell us about the religious teachings and
lives of people in those times.

2. SECULAR LITERATURE: Secular literature has no religious or spiritual basis and


is available in the form of stories, poems, plays and biographies of kings. It mainly
deals with politics, science, administration and economy. For example:
Arthashastra by Kautilya and Ashtadhyayi by Panini.

3. ACCOUNTS OF FOREIGN TRAVELLERS: Many travellers from other countries


visited the courts of kings and wrote about their observations. For example: The
Greek ambassador Megasthenes came to the court of Chandragupta Maurya. He
wrote a book on India called the Indika which gives information about the
Mauryan empire. Al-Biruni travelled widely in the Punjab and parts of northern
India and wrote Kitab-ul-Hind in Arabic.

Megasthenes Indica Accounts by Fa Hien


Apart from these sources of history, there are stories, sons, folk tales and poems for
which there were no written records. These are called oral sources of history, which
existed long before language and art evolved.

BUILD YOUR VOCABULARY:


EPIC: A long poem narrating the adventures
EPIGRAPHY: The study of ancient
of legendary or heroic figures.
inscriptions.

PRESERVING OUR RESOURCES: Historical sources help us understand our long


journey through the passage of time. Archeologists and historians use these sources to
study our past. We need to understand the value of these sources and make efforts to
ensure that they are maintained and not damaged. Museums, historical sites and
galleries are places where these sources remain preserved. When we visit these places
of historical importance, it is our duty, not to damage them by writing on monuments and
littering in these places.

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