Class 8 ch How,When and Where …

How important are dates:

“History is certainly about changes that occur over time”.

1. History is synonymous with dates.
2. We compare the past with present.
3. We continue to associate history with a string of dates.
4. We study dates to find out the sequence of events and significance of events.

Which Dates:

1. Selection of date depends on the story of past.
2. Focusing on a particular set of events is important.
3. By studing the dates reasons and consequences of events are understood in better way.

How do we Periodise:

1. James Mill divided the Indian history into three periods: Hindu, Muslim and British.
2. According to  Mill, Only British rules, culture and laws could make indians civilised.
3. There are significant sources to study the periods of events and by studing different historical evidences a string of time periods can be formed.

What is colonial:

1. When the subjugation of one country by another country leads to change in social, culture, economic and political sphere,it leads to colonisation.
2. British rule brought about changes in values and tastes, customs and practices.

How do we know Administration:

1. One important source is the official records of the British administration.
2. The British felt all important documents and letters needed to be preserved.
3. Specialized institutions like archieves and museums were established to preserve important records.
4. Administrative source only  represents half of the picture as they all were written and maintained by British officials.
5. Several other sources studied together give a better picture of administration.

Sources of Information:

1. official records, letters, memos, surveys, newspapers, magazines, autobiographies, reports, experiences of travellers, novels and poems are some important sources of information of British rule and atrocities.
2. The practice of surveying became commone under colonial administration.’
3. Surveys like botanical zoological, archaeological, anthropological and forest survesys were in the list of British administration.
4. Sources kept and written by both Indians and British studied together represents several aspects of British rule and their efforts to modernise or subjugate Indian population.

What do Official Records not Tell:

1. The official records do not tell about the needs of people of India.
2. Many official records hide the truth and only show one aspect of the event.
3. The official records does not represent the fall outs of British administration and also do not represent the reactions and situation of indians of every sphere of society.