Importance Of History

Understanding One’s Existence

Everyone wonders why their environments and situations are like what they are right now. All this
can be explained by the study of history which can tell you the story of your species, race, country,
state, forefathers and your culture. When you put all these together, you will understand why things
are the way they are and clear your doubts.

For A Better Future

When we study about wars and other atrocities committed in the past, we also analyze their causes,
their courses and their path. This helps us in preventing future wars and mistakes of similar kind. It
also helps us in determine the future effects of our actions by comparing our situations with
situations in history.
Learn From Our Ancestors
People like Einstein, Newton, Martin Luther King Jr., and Gandhi have contributed important
thoughts and teachings to their respective fields. They had toiled extensively to garner these ideas
for the future generations. All their great work will be wasted if we do not understand their ideals and
appreciate the work done by them. We can also learn those ideals and implement them in our own
life, thus paving the way for a successful and fruitful life. We may not be able to copy them or
completely imbibe their ideas in our life, but when we study them, we prevent these ideas from being
lost. We can always pass these on to our next generation.

To Understand Working Of The Society

To really understand the working of human society and formation of the intricate bonds of
relationships and dependence, we need to learn the actual development of human society. This
cannot be possible without learning the history of human society and cultures. When we learn how
settlements grew into villages and then towns and finally cities, we also learn the sources of
important believes and roots of some social evils.

To Govern Efficiently
To plan an efficient government we need the understanding of governing procedures that have been
followed throughout history. We will also get an understanding of the policies, which were successful
and also the ones that were not. This kind of analysis will increase our understanding of people and
the ways to deal with them.

Inventions & Discoveries

Imagine what would have happened with the invention of bulb was lost in the pages of history! There
are many important inventions, formulas, medicines and discoveries which belonged to our
ancestors and were lost in time. In the course of historical research and reviews, these were
discovered and then used. Ancient books and inscriptions have always been enchantingly detailed
and possess far superior sense of understanding of life and sciences than the present times.

To Have Solid Foundation

No matter what is the subject we are talking, studying or discussing about, it will always have a
historical background to it. History provides the backbone on which most of today’s theories and
subjects are supported. Be it general science, languages or social sciences, all subjects are based
on their history and studies by the pioneers throughout the ages.

1.1 History : Meaning and Importance

The word ’history’ is derived from the Greek noun ’historia’ meaning ’inquiry or
research.’ Aristotle regarded it as a "systematic account of a set of natural
phenomena, whether or not chronological ordering was a factor in the account." The
term "history" has now come to be applied to accounts of events that are narrated in a
chronological order, and deal with the past of mankind.

Learning by inquiry about the past of mankind was later developed into a discipline
by the Greek historians Thucydides and Heredeotus (who is popularly known as
’Father of History’). E. H. Carn defined history as an "unending dialogue between
the present and the past." Jawaharlal Nehru observed that man’s growth from
barbarism to civilization is supposed to be the theme of history." Will Durant called
history "a narrative of what civilized men have thought or done in the past time."

World history is primarily concerned with the evolution of mankind. It traces the
whole story of man as well as of his progress in civilization a culture from the dim
past up to the present day. It indicates his failures and his successes, describes his
laws and his wars, and reveals his religions and his arts. It gives an account of the
significant developments that took place in the past with reference to the countries and
the men and women who played a noteworthy part. Thomas Carlyle, a famous
historian of the French revolution regards world history as the "biography of great
men."

The importance of history is in its capacity to help one to draw conclusions from the
past events. It may be said that history is to the human race, what memory is to each
man. It sheds the light of the past upon the present, thus helping one to understand
oneself, by making one acquainted with other peoples. Also, as one studies the rise
and fall of empires and civilizations, the lessons of the past help one to avoid the
pitfalls of the present.

History makes one’s life richer by giving meaning to the books one reads, the cities
one visits or the music one hears. It also broadens one’s outlook by presenting to one
an admixture of races, a mingling of cultures and a spectacular drama of the making
of the modern world out of diverse forces.

Another importance of history is that it enables one to grasp one’s relationship with
one’s past. For example if one wonders why the U.S. flag has 48 stars or why Great
Britain follows monarchy, one has to turn to history for an answer.

History is of immense value to social scientists engaged in research. Thus

thepolitical scientist doing research on the parliamentary form of government, has to
draw his materials from the treasure trove of history.

It preserves the traditional and cultural values of a nation, and serves as a beacon
light, guiding society in confronting various crises. History is indeed, as Allen Nerins
puts it, "a bridge connecting the past with the present and pointing the road to the
future."