Modern Concept of History

Prof. Mehboob Desai1

In the beginning of twenty-first century, concept and objectives of a number of

subjects have changed. Transformation has also come in the concept of very
important subject like history. History does not mean description of events only,
but it means analysis of events and fundamental factors of its creation, and
interesting, sociological study of personalities. It is true, however, that our history
has not yet become free from limited concepts of kings and emperors, their
battles, victories, achievements or dynasties. Such a limited history is dull and
lifeless like a telephone directory.

History is not only story of kingdom, but it is a story of mankind.

Such a broad understanding has become essential today as far as the study and
education of history are concerned. But we have either not followed such
necessity or we have not made such efforts as may lead to the understanding of
new generation. We have made no change in the history taught right from
primary school text-books till graduate and post-graduate levels. As a result
history taught in schools and colleges has become quantum of lifeless, dull and
series of years only.

Syllabi of primary-secondary schools have made history even a small portion of

social science, and have made its field extremely limited, whereas the fact is in
vocational examinations such as GPSC and UPSC examinations, even now
1
Professor and Head, post-graduate Department of History, Bhavnagar University,
Bhavnagar.
graduates of different Faculties choose history as a scoring subject and enjoy
high ranks in government departments. Figures are available of IAS officers
spread over India, majority of who have passed with history as their subject.

In spite of this, we have always been neglecting history as a subject, useful

vocationally and more than that in social construction. As a result, a live
interesting and useful subject goes on losing importance from society. Of course,
it has many reasons. At primary (school) level, we have failed in carrying real
concept of history till new generation. The form of history taught as a part of
social science from fifth till the Twelfth standard is nothing but only information
centered. In the name of year wise series of wars and acquaintance of
civilization, we have been putting in our syllabii heavy names and statistics only
and take them as the quality of textbooks and pride. Further even such
information not at all touches modern or ancient researches. We have been
putting the same piles of old, stereotyped information in the text-books in the
name of history. The revolt of 1857 was the first India’s struggle of independence.
This has been written years before by our national history writer Shri V.D.
Saverker and he has proved it with support. Yet we call the event of 1857
Mutiny only on the basis of history written by British Historians, and teach the
same at graduate and post-graduate levels. Causes and effects of 1857 Mutiny
have become noteworthy points even today like chewed fibrous coagulum.

Saints, mendicants, farmers and patriots had actively tried to spread the first
struggle of independence of 1857 with the symbols of “Lotus” and “Roti”
(‘chapatti’). If we can make even a singular event of such sincere efforts a
chapter of the text-book of history, we can probably relieve our students and
society from tedious concept of history. But till to date it has not struck our mind
either to do or allowing it to be done.
The tragic end of Bahadurshah ‘Zafar’ who led the struggle of 1857 is not of the
least amount compared with the martyrdom courted by the martyrs. In Rangoon,
the nationality of Bahadurshah ‘Zafar’ who led the struggle of 1857, enchained
in the lock-up of British rulers, had sprouted in the form of verse:

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Similar such poet ‘Mirza Ghalib’ used to take a number of visits to British offices
to get pension in his last days, and at that time he had suffered boundless insults
of British Officers. Expressing his pain about it, he had said:

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HZF CD[\ AT,FVM SL I[ V\NFHvV[vU]OTU] SIF C{cc

In the freedom struggle of India characters of Bhagat Singh and

Chandrasekhar Azad are wonderful examples of heroism. But we do not know
the source of the story of inspiration of that heroism. The words of Vasantidevi,
the wife of patriot Chitaranjan Das and inspirer of Chandrasekhar Azad and
Bhagat Singh to assassinate Mr. Scott after Lala Lajaptrai’s death, have not
become a part of our history.

‘Is youth-manliness of this country really alive? As a woman of this country

I ask this question publicly to the young generation of India.’

These words of Vasantidevi created history. Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar

Azad made a plot to assassinate Mr. Scott. Chandrasekhar Azad had made a
plan to help the same Bhagat Singh escape from the prison. But Bhagat Singh,
known as a saboteur and violent revolutionary did not accept the plan of
escaping from prison and courted martyrdom.

In the text-book of standard 9th, hue and try raised against Hitler’s destructive
policy is well- known. But behind the creation of character like Hitler, there was a
history teacher of a primary school. Whose reference has been made by Hitler in
his auto-biography “Mein Kampf”. Analysis of factors lying in the process of
creation of such cruel character of history derives moral from history and nurses
knowledge with education. But we are not interested in conveying such
instructive and interesting history to the new generation. We carry on with only
the figures of Hitler’s destructive power, considering it as history.

Oscar Wilde has said,

‘Any one can create history. But to write inspiring and interesting history is
left to the luck of very few persons because it is a difficult task.’

To-day re-writing of our history and its teaching method require inevitable change
from the very root. Marxists, Communists and British rulers have written history
from their respective points of views, and we have with us that history. But as
against it, lack is still being experienced of history written from the national point
of view, and that is why, our whole post-independent generation has been
deprived of our national history.

Great Historian G.H.Reinyer has said,

‘The deeper our Human Understanding, the better our history.’

Our history will be rich to the extent to which our human understanding is strong.
In order to cultivate our human understanding, it is necessary to catch the throbs
of common society experienced in past civilization, culture and achievements,
and then only the character and nationalism of future generation will be shaped.
Of course, such history should be put forward before future generation not as
heavy bundles of information, but in interactive, yet interesting style. We shall be
able to take a little pride of shaping the best citizens and society having pure
character if we understand this fact as early as possible.

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