### Introduction to History
#### Warm Up
**Rahul:** Hey! Have you ever thought about our family’s
history? The stories from long ago that our grandmothers told us?
**Geeta:** Yeah, it would be cool to know where we came from
and what our ancestors did.
**Rahul:** We can start by asking our grandparents and
parents about our family’s past. They might have interesting stories to share.
| Learning | Objectives |
|----------|------------|
| What is History? | Artefacts |
| Relevance of History | Early Human |
| Sources of History | Palaeolithic Age |
| Inscriptions | Mesolithic Age |
| Monuments | Neolithic Age |
| Coins | |
#### What is History
History is all about the past. It is the story of what
happened very long ago. It is like a big puzzle that we try to put together by
looking at old things like documents, artefacts and stories. History helps us
understand how people lived, what they did and why things are the way they are
today. It is like a time machine that lets us learn from the past and make sense
of the world we live in, in a chronological manner. History is about learning
how people lived in the past and how their societies developed. It helps us
understand how cities, governments and economies came to be. By studying
history, we can see how people from different civilisations interacted and what
ideas and inventions they shared.
The **Narmer Plate**, also known as the Narmer Palette or
the Great Hierakonpolis Palette, is an ancient Egyptian artefact dating back to
the Early Dynastic Period, around 3100 – 2900 BCE.
- **Chronological:** Arranged in the order of occurrence in
time.
- **Civilisations:** Advanced societies.
- **Inventions:** New and useful creations that improve
people’s life.
### In-text Questions
**Fill in the Blanks.**
1. History is all about the ______.
2. History helps us in learning how ______ lived in the
past.
### Relevance of History
We study history because it helps us in the following ways:
- **Knowing the Present:** History helps us understand what
is happening now by looking at what happened before. It shows us how things
came to be and why they are the way they are today.
- **Learning from the Past:** History teaches us important
lessons from the past. We can learn from the mistakes and successes of people who
came before us. It is a link between the past and present.
- **Understanding Ourselves:** History helps us understand
who we are and where we come from. It tells us about our culture, traditions
and the experiences of our ancestors.
- **Thinking and Problem Solving:** Studying history makes
us better thinkers. We learn to analyse information, ask questions and think
critically about different perspectives.
**Perspectives:** Different viewpoints or ways of looking at
things.
- **Remembering and Preserving:** History helps us remember
important events and stories. It keeps our memories alive and ensures that we
don’t forget the incidents of the past.
- **Planning for the Future:** History gives us insights
into what might happen in the future. By understanding patterns from the past,
we can make better choices and plans.
### Rack Your Brain
The word 'history' comes from the Greek word 'historia',
which means 'enquiry' or 'knowledge acquired through investigation'.
### Sources of History
To learn about history, we use two main types of sources:
- Literary Sources
- Archaeological Sources
### Do You Know?
In History, we use 'BC' and 'AD'. 'BC' represents 'Before
Christ', and 'AD', 'Anno Domini', denotes time after Christ’s passing. 'BC'
counts in reverse, 'AD' counts ahead. 'C.' signifies 'Circa', Additionally, we
use CE (Common Era) in place of AD and BCE (Before Common Era) instead of BC.
### Literary Sources
Literary sources are written records from the past like old
papers. They can be things like books, letters, diaries and official papers.
They tell us what people thought, what they did and what happened a long time
ago.
In India, many old books teach us about its history and
culture. The Vedas are special Hindu scriptures that teach us about spiritual
things. The Mahabharata and the Ramayana are exciting stories about heroes,
gods and tough choices.
Kalidasa wrote plays like Abhigyan Shakuntalam and Meghaduta
that have beautiful poetry. The Bhagavad Gita is a holy book with deep thoughts
about life and philosophy. The Jatakas are an important part of Buddhist art
and literature while the Angas are related to Jain literature. Chanakya’s
Arthashastra is a book about politics, economics, military strategy and the
function of the state. These books help us learn about India’s ancient wisdom,
traditions and what people believed a long time ago.
Here are some more examples of literary sources:
- **History Books:** Books written by experts that tell us
about important events and people from different times.
- **Diaries and Journals:** Personal books where people
wrote about their daily lives and experiences, giving us a glimpse into their
world. The recorded documents of travellers like Megasthenes, Faxian and
Xuanzang are such sources.
- **Letters:** Correspondence between individuals, providing
insights into personal relationships, emotions and historical context.
- **Government Documents:** Official papers and records
created by the government, such as laws and reports offering information about
important decisions and policies.
- **Religious Texts:** Sacred books followed by different
religions, containing teachings, stories and beliefs that are significant to
their followers.
- **Stories and Legends:** Folktales and myths passed down
through generations, reflecting cultural values and offering glimpses into the
beliefs and traditions of the past.
### Archaeological Sources
Archaeological sources are things that archaeologists find
by digging up the ground and studying them. Archaeologists use these objects to
learn about how people lived in the past and uncover the secrets of history.
**Radiocarbon Dating** is a scientific method that helps archaeologists
determine the age of organic materials, like bones or wood, by measuring the
amount of a radioactive carbon isotope called carbon-14.
These things can be tools, pottery, buildings and even
bones. By looking at these objects, we can learn how people lived a long time
ago, what they used in their daily lives and how their societies changed over
time.
India has a lot of archaeological sources that tell us about
its ancient history. For example, the ruins of the Harappan Civilisation, like
Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, show us cities that were well-planned and we can also
find things like seals and pottery from that time.
- **Archaeological sources:** Physical objects or artefacts
that provide information about past civilisations.
These archaeological sources help us explore India's past
and appreciate its different cultures and traditions that have existed for a
long time.
The Nataraja
King Ashoka on his Chariot
Rack Your Brain
The word 'archaeology' comes from the Greek language, where
'archaios' means 'ancient' and 'logos' means 'study' or 'knowledge. When
combined, it translates to 'the study of the ancient.
Here are some examples of archaeological
sources:
Artefacts: Objects from the past that give us clues about
how people lived.
Ruins and Buildings: Remains of
ancient structures that help us understand architecture and
daily life.
Burial Sites: Places where people were buried, providing
insight into customs and beliefs.
Cave Paintings: Ancient art on cave walls,
showing early human creativity and cultural expression.
Fossils: Preserved remains of ancient plants, animals and
human ancestors, revealing past life forms.
Excavated Sites: Dug-up areas where archaeologists uncover
hidden artefacts and learn about ancient civilisations.
The Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-daro
Do You Know?
Numismatics is the study or collection of coins, paper currency
and other forms of money.
Ajanta Cave Painting
Artefacts: It hold historical and cultural value. They can
be INSCRIPTIONS
Inscriptions are like ancient messages carved or written on
things like stones, metal or wood. They tell us about important events, people
and beliefs from a long time ago, Ancient inscriptions can be found in various
forms, including engraved texts, symbols or pictorial representations. For
example, the Rosetta Stone helped us understand Egyptian Hieroglyphs and the
Ashoka Pillars in India shared messages of peace. The Mayans had their special
writings on monuments and the Romans and Greeks left inscriptions on buildings
and statues. These inscriptions help us learn about the past and discover
fascinating stories from ancient times.
The Edicts of King Ashoka
MONUMENTS
Monuments are structures or objects made to remember
important people, events or ideas from the past. They can be big statues,
buildings or even natural landmarks. They serve as lasting reminders of
significant historical, cultural, or artistic importance. For example, the
Statue of Liberty represents freedom, the Taj Mahal is a beautiful memorial in
India and the Great Wall of China was built to protect the country. These
monuments are like special symbols that remind us of important stories and
ideas from past civilisations.
COINS
Coins are small, flat and round pieces of metal that are
used as a form of currency.
They have been used for thousands of years as a way to buy
and sell things. Coins usually have special designs or symbols on them that
represent the country or ruler who issued them.
Coins are made from different materials like copper, silver
or gold.
They come in different sizes and have different values.
Each coin has a specific value assigned to it, which tells
us how much it can buy.
Coins can teach us about history because they have symbols
about a specific time or people.
The designs on coins tell us about the culture, beliefs and
leaders of that time.
Coins can also give us information about trade, money systems
and important events.
Coins are still used in many countries as money.
They are convenient for buying things.
People can collect coins as a hobby.
Coins can have historical and artistic value.
In-text Question
Answer the following:
1. Name at least 3 types of Literary and Archaeological
sources with one example each.
a)
b)
c)
ARTEFACTS
Artefacts are objects made or used by people in the past
that provide us with information about their lives, cultures and civilisations.
The Vedic Coins
Types of Artefacts
Tools and weapons
Pottery
Jewellery and clothing
Artwork
What do We learn from Artefacts?
Daily activities and lifestyles
Beliefs and traditions
Technological advancement
Discovery and Preservation
Archaeological excavations
Museum collection
Importance of Studying Artefacts
Understanding the past
Discovering diverse cultures and civilisations
Artefacts as a tangible connection to history
Insights gained from examining artefacts.
EARLY HUMAN
The first human-like creatures, known as hominins, also
known as the hominids, appeared on Earth around 5.6 million years ago. These
early hominins belonged to the evolutionary branch, which includes modern
humans, Homo sapiens and our extinct ancestors.
Hominins went through various stages of evolution, adapting
to their changing environments and developing new traits. Study the following
features:
14
Early humans are our old ancestors whi lived a long time
ago.
They lived before there were written records, so we cannot
read about them in books.
We can learn about early humans by studying the things they
left behind, like bones, stones and cave paintings.
These things show us how they hunted for food, made tools
and communicated with one another.
Studying early humans helps us know where we come from and
how we became who we are now.
It is like finding the story about our past and learning
about the incredible journey our ancestors had.
The Prehistoric Age is divided into three periods:
Palaeolithic Age
Mesolithic Age
Neolithic Age
Stone Tools
Do You Know?
Early humans might have invented the wheel after seeing
round things in nature like the sun, moon, stars and fruits.
Excavations: Digging or uncovering sites to discover
artefacts and remains.
Tangible: Things that you can touch and feel.
Hominins: Group of ancient human-like creatures that lived a
long time ago.
Evolution: Gradual change and development over successive
generations.
Do You Know?
Lithos, a Greek word, means stone or rock.
1. Palaeolithic comes from Palaeos (old) lithos
(stone/rock).
2. Mesolithic is Meso (middle) lithos.
3. Neolithic is Neo (new) lithos.
A Neanderthal Round Hut
PALAEOLITHIC AGE (OLD STONE AGE)
The Palaeolithic Age, 500,000 ВСЕ
10,000 BCE, also called the Old Stone Age occurred a long
time ago. Let us learn the following features of the Old Stone Age:
The palaeolithic age lasted for thousands of years.
Early humans lived as explorers and nomads during this time,
constantly moving to find food.
They were hunter-gatherers, hunting animals and gathering
berries and plants for sustenance.
Tools made of rocks and bones were used to aid their hunting
activities.
Cave drawings were created as a form of expression and
storytelling.
The Palaeolithic Age provides insights into the lives of our
ancestors and our evolution as hunter-gatherers.
The most important discovery during this age was the fire.
Palaeolithic sites have been discovered in various regions
of India, such as the Belan Valley in Uttar Pradesh and Bhimbetka near Bhopal.
Similar sites have also been identified in the Soan Valley of Pakistan.
Hunter-gatherers: Early human that relied on hunting,
fishing and gathering for sustenance.
Sustenance: Means of supporting life or providing
nourishment.
Bhimbetka Cave Painting.
Bhopal, India
MESOLITHIC AGE (MIDDLE STONE AGE)
The Mesolithic Age, 10,000-8,000 BCE, is also known as the
Middle Stone Age.
It was a long time ago between two other ages called the
Palaeolithic and Neolithic Ages.
During this time, the weather got warmer after the Ice Age
and that caused some big changes.
The people of the Middle Stone Age were still
hunter-gatherers, but they learned how to live in new places and improved their
tools and techniques.
They started using smaller and better stone
tools, like microliths, for hunting and gathering.
They also learned how to fish and build better homes.
Even though they still moved around a lot, they sometimes
stayed in one place for longer.
Ice Age: Geological period characterised by the presence of
extensive ice sheets.
The Middle Stone Age was a time when people were getting
used to different environments and getting ready for the farming they would do
in the future.
These tools were discovered in different parts of India,
like Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
During the later part of this time, people learned farming
and started living in one
Microliths
Mesolithic Age Tools
NEOLITHIC AGE (NEW STONE AGE)
The Neolithic Age, which is also referred to as the New
Stone Age, came after the Mesolithic Age and lasted roughly from 8,000 BCE to
4,000 BCE. Neolithic Age marked some significant changes in thuman society and
lifestyle.
The transition from a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a
settled lifestyle.
People started settling in one place instead of constantly
moving.
In the Neolithic Age, humans discovered the ability to
control fire, which provided
warmth, protection and the ability to co food.
Neolithic people discovered the proce of seed germination,
allowing them cultivate and grow plants for food, rathe than relying solely on
gathering. This called Agricultural Revolution.
Neolithic communities began domesti cating animals, such as
sheep, goats and cattle, for a stable supply of food, labour and materials like
wool and leather.
The wheel was invented during the Neolithic Age. It enabled
the transportation and movement of heavy objects.
It revolutionised trade, agriculture and societal
development.
Construction of permanent dwellings and cultivation of crops
like wheat and barley.
Development of advanced tools and techniques for farming and
crafting pottery.
The transition from primarily hunting and gathering society
to an agricultural society
Crucial role in setting the stage for the development of
complex civilisations.
Significant Neolithic sites include Chirand in Bihar,
Gufkral and Burzahom in Jamme & Kashmir, Mehrgarh in Pakistan and Maski and
Hallur in Karnataka.
A Cart with Mesopotamian Disk Wheels, 2500 BCE
Dwellings: Places where people live or
A Potter at Work on his Potter Wheel (2500 BCE)
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