Class 8 Social Science Notes Chapter 1 (How; When and Where) – Our Pasts - III (Part-1) Book
Alright class, let's begin our study of Chapter 1: 'How, When and Where' from your 'Our Pasts - III' textbook. This chapter lays the foundation for understanding how historians study the past, particularly the period of British rule in India. Pay close attention, as these concepts are crucial not just for your class exams but also for various government exams you might aspire for later.
Detailed Notes: Chapter 1 - How, When and Where
1. The Importance of Dates in History
- Traditional View: History was often seen as just a string of dates – remembering when kings were crowned, battles were fought, or major events happened. Historians were fascinated with dates.
- Why Dates Mattered: This focus arose because early history writing often centred around rulers and their policies, battles, and succession.
- Beyond Dates: However, history is much more than just dates. It's about understanding changes over time. It explores how societies, economies, cultures, and everyday life transformed. We often compare the 'past' with the 'present' and talk about 'before' and 'after'.
- Processes vs. Events: For many historical developments (like the spread of tea drinking, the rise of nationalism, or the establishment of railways), it's impossible to fix one single date. These things happen over a stretch of time. We can only refer to a span or an approximate period when these changes occurred.
- Why the Emphasis on Dates Persists: The association of history with dates is strong because the history written, especially during the British era, often focused on the lives and events surrounding powerful figures like the Governors-General.
2. Which Dates Are Important?
- Context Matters: The dates we choose to highlight depend entirely on the story of the past we are trying to tell.
- Changing Focus: If our focus shifts – for example, from the lives of rulers to the lives of ordinary people, or from political events to social changes – then the set of important dates will also change.
- Example: British Histories of India: Histories written by British historians about India often revolved around the Governors-General (like Hastings, Wellesley, Bentinck, Dalhousie, Curzon, Irwin). The timeline was structured around their tenures and actions.
- Limitations of this Framework: This approach ignored the experiences, activities, and perspectives of Indians – the vast majority of the population, including different groups and classes. It presented a very limited and biased view.
- Need for New Frameworks: To write a more inclusive history (e.g., focusing on Indian society, economy, or culture), historians need different frameworks and different sets of significant dates.
3. How Do We Periodise History?
- Periodisation: This means dividing history into distinct periods or 'chapters' (like Ancient, Medieval, Modern). Historians do this to capture the defining characteristics of a particular era.
- James Mill's Periodisation (1817):
- James Mill, a Scottish economist and political philosopher, published "A History of British India".
- He divided Indian history into three periods: Hindu, Muslim, and British.
- Mill's Reasoning: He believed Asian societies were inherently less civilised than European ones. He saw pre-British India as backward, ruled by despots, and plagued by religious intolerance, caste discrimination, and superstition. He argued that British rule was necessary to 'civilise' India.
- Problems with Mill's Periodisation:
- Oversimplification: It wrongly suggests that only the religion of the rulers defined an entire historical period, ignoring the fact that diverse faiths always co-existed in India.
- Ignores Diversity: It fails to capture the rich social, economic, and cultural developments happening beyond the ruling class.
- Bias: It reflects a prejudiced view of Indian history and society, justifying British colonialism.
- Alternative Periodisation: Ancient, Medieval, Modern:
- This is a more common way historians divide Indian history.
- Borrowed from the West: This framework originated in Europe. The 'Modern' period in the West was associated with progress, science, reason, democracy, liberty, and equality. The 'Medieval' period was seen as lacking these features.
- Problem in Indian Context: Applying this directly to India is problematic. The period under British rule (often called 'Modern' India) did not bring equality, freedom, or liberty for most Indians. Economic progress was largely geared towards benefiting Britain, not India.
- The Concept of 'Colonial':
- Because the defining feature of the so-called 'Modern' period in India was British domination and exploitation, many historians prefer to call this period the 'Colonial' period.
- Colonialism: Refers to the process where one country subjugates another, leading to fundamental political, economic, social, and cultural changes. The ruling country (coloniser) controls the colony's resources and imposes its systems, often altering the colony's values, tastes, and practices.
4. Sources: How Do Historians Know About the Past?
- A. Official Records of the British Administration:
- Culture of Writing: The British believed strongly in written documentation. Every instruction, plan, policy, decision, agreement, and investigation was meticulously recorded.
- Purpose: These records facilitated study, debate, and efficient administration. They created a permanent record.
- Preservation: The British established record rooms attached to all administrative offices (collectorates, secretariats, law courts). They also set up specialised institutions like archives (e.g., the National Archives of India, New Delhi, set up in the 1920s) and museums to preserve important documents.
- Examples: Letters, memos, notes (notings), reports, directives.
- Limitations: These records primarily reflect the official perspective. They tell us what officials thought, their interests, and what they wanted to preserve. They often omit the voices and experiences of ordinary Indians, their motivations, and the impact of policies on their lives.
- B. Surveys:
- Importance: The British conducted detailed surveys because they believed a country needed to be thoroughly known to be administered effectively.
- Types:
- Revenue Surveys: To determine land ownership, topography, soil quality, flora, fauna, local histories, cropping patterns for fixing revenue.
- Other Surveys: Botanical (plants), Zoological (animals), Archaeological (ancient sites), Anthropological (cultures), Forest surveys.
- Census: Conducted every 10 years from the late 19th century, providing detailed demographic data (population, caste, religion, occupation).
- C. Other Sources (Beyond Official Records):
- Personal & Public Writings: Diaries, accounts of pilgrims and travellers, autobiographies of important figures, popular booklets sold in bazaars, newspapers, magazines.
- Creative Expressions: Novels, poems written by reformers, nationalists, and writers reflecting the times.
- Limitations: These sources provide valuable insights but are often produced by the literate sections of society. Accessing the experiences of peasants, tribals, workers, and the poor (who were largely illiterate) is much harder. Their history often needs to be pieced together indirectly from sources like folk tales, songs, oral traditions, or sometimes carefully interpreted from police records or inquiry reports (which still carry an official bias).
Conclusion: Studying history involves understanding not just what happened, but how we know about it, which perspectives are represented, and how different frameworks (like periodisation) shape our understanding. The colonial period in India left behind a vast archive of official records, but historians must look beyond these to construct a more complete and nuanced picture of the past.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
-
Who was the Scottish economist and political philosopher who divided Indian history into Hindu, Muslim, and British periods in his book "A History of British India"?
a) Lord Curzon
b) James Rennell
c) Warren Hastings
d) James Mill -
The British preserved important documents and records in specialised institutions called:
a) Libraries and Museums
b) Archives and Museums
c) Record Rooms and Libraries
d) Parliament Houses and Courts -
Why do many historians refer to the British period in Indian history as the 'Colonial' period rather than the 'Modern' period?
a) Because modern technologies were not used in India.
b) Because Indians lacked equality, freedom, and liberty, and the period was marked by subjugation.
c) Because James Mill used the term 'Colonial'.
d) Because India was primarily an agricultural society. -
What was the primary purpose of revenue surveys conducted by the British?
a) To study plant species.
b) To count the population.
c) To know the topography, soil quality, cropping patterns, etc., for effective administration and revenue collection.
d) To discover archaeological sites. -
Official records of the British administration are a major source of history, but what is their main limitation?
a) They are difficult to read due to old handwriting.
b) They focus too much on economic details.
c) They mostly reflect the perspective of the officials and often omit the voices of ordinary Indians.
d) They were mostly destroyed over time. -
The practice of dividing history into distinct periods with shared characteristics is known as:
a) Chronology
b) Surveying
c) Periodisation
d) Archiving -
Which of the following sources would be LEAST likely to directly represent the perspective of an illiterate peasant in colonial India?
a) Folk songs and oral traditions
b) An official report written by a British administrator
c) Police records of a peasant protest (interpreted carefully)
d) Accounts passed down through family generations -
Census operations, started by the British in the late 19th century, aimed to collect detailed information primarily about:
a) Flora and Fauna
b) Land Revenue
c) Population demographics (numbers, castes, religions, occupations)
d) Historical monuments -
James Mill believed that British rule was necessary for India primarily to:
a) Exploit its resources
b) Learn about Indian culture
c) 'Civilise' the Indian population
d) Establish trade routes -
Why is it often difficult to fix precise dates for processes like the spread of new ideas or cultural practices?
a) Because records were not kept accurately.
b) Because these changes happen gradually over a stretch of time, not on a single day.
c) Because historians disagree on the dates.
d) Because people at the time did not think these changes were important.
Answer Key:
- d
- b
- b
- c
- c
- c
- b
- c
- c
- b
I hope these notes and questions help you prepare effectively. Remember to read the chapter thoroughly alongside these notes! Let me know if you have any questions.