Sources of History Sriparna Tamhane for Teachers of India

What are “sources” of History? Our ancestors have left behind many things. They serve as evidence to know the past. Can you think of a few things that can tell us about the past?

Old Coins Many old coins made of gold, silver, copper and other metals have been found in our country. Can you guess what old coins tell us? What would you do if you found some old coins?

Look at the coin carefully Name four things that this coin tells us.

What does it tell us? Whose image do you see on the coin? Why is this image shown on the coin? In which year was it coined? To which country does the coin belong? Which metal is this coin made of?

Old books (Manuscripts) Old diaries, letters, newspapers, reports, government files, biographies and old books tell us about the past. Many travelers have also left their accounts. Can you name some old books that tell you about the past?

Manuscripts were written thousands of years ago. They were called “manuscripts” because they were written by hand. (The Latin word “manu” means hand). Do you think manuscripts were written on paper? If not, what do you think they were written on? These books were about religious beliefs and practices, lives of kings, medicine and science. There were epics, poems and plays. In which languages were these manuscripts written ?

Artifacts (Things buried underground) Many things belonging to the past, like metal tools, pottery, articles of daily use etc. have been found buried under the ground. These artifacts tell us about the past. Can you think of some things that artifacts tell us?

Can you identify the objects in these pictures? What are they made of? What were they used for ? OLD ARTIFACTS

Inscriptions (stone carvings) Inscriptions are writings carved on stone or copper plates. Have you ever seen anything inscribed (carved) on stone? Why would people want to write on stone or metal? What would they want to write? Who wanted them written?

Sometimes orders from kings were inscribed so that people could read and obey them. They were also records of past events. For example, what happened in a battle. Inscriptions

Monuments (Old buildings) Old forts, tanks, temples, mosques, churches, palaces, etc. are all historical monuments. What questions come to mind when you see a historical monument? Is there a historical monument in your neighborhood?

T ypes of Historical sources: Primary Secondary

Primary Source A primary source is something that originates from the past. Eg. A coin or a monument.

A book written about the Mughals in the Mughal era is a primary source. Primary Source

A book about the Mughals written in 1990 would be a Secondary source. Secondary Source

Who? Where? What? When? How? Why? Questions to ask of a source

Who? Who made it? Who used it? Who is in the picture?

Where? Where is it now? Where was it earlier? Where was it made?

What is it? What is it used for? What does it show? What?

When was the book written? Which era does it talk about? When?

How was it found? How was it made? How was it used? How?

Why was it made? Why did it survive? Why ?

Who studies the past? Those who study the past are called Archaeologists. They study remains of old buildings, painting, sculpture, utensils, coins and bones which are excavated. Archaeologists are like detectives who use these sources as clues to find out about the past. Collect some old objects them and find as much information as you can. How much can you guess? How much can you be sure of?

Visit a museum to see some real historical sources !