E-CONTENT

Dr. Neelesh Singh

Objective:

The primary objective of this article is to understand, What is history?

As we simply know history is the study of past, particularly important events

and personalities which laid some impacts or influences on societies, regions or
state at that time.

As per Merriam- Webster- dictionary History is “chronological record of

significant event

(Such as those affecting a nation or institution) often including an explanation of

these causes.”

Cambridge dictionary explain history as “The study or record of past event

considered together, specially event of a particular period, country or subject.”

The term history has evolved from an ancient Greek verb historia originally
meant inquiry,

The act of seeking knowledge, in other words the knowledge that results
from inquiry according to John Jacob Anderson “history is a narration of the events,
which have happen among mankind, including account of the rise and fall of
nations, as well as of other great changes which have affected the political and
social condition of the human race.”

As per as study of law concern the second part of Anderson’s is important as

it talk about the great changes which affected the political and social condition.

Perfectly describe by Edward Hallett Carr “History is a dialogue between the

present and the past.”
 Sometimes ordinary people consider history and story as a same, though the
narrative element as always being there but there is a dividing line between the
two-history is a based on fact and story can be affection. History is about moments
that really happen upto now.

TYPES OF HISTORY:-

History can be divided into six major heads:

1. POLITICAL HISTORY: The history of government, political leaders,

electoral activities, the making of policy and interaction of branches of
government.

2. DIPLOMATIC HISTORY: The study of the relations between nations,

diplomats and ideas of diplomacy.

3. SOCIAL HISTORY: The study of ways and customs of family education

children demography (population change) and voluntary institutions (Churches
etc.).

4. CULTURAL HISTORY: The study of language its uses of the arts and
literature, sport and entertainment in constructing cultural categories.

5. ECONOMIC HISTORY: The study of how entire system of production and

consumption (or of any of its parts) works of markets industry credit and
working people at the all levels of the system.

6. INTELLECTUAL HISTORY: The study of ideology, analyzing how ideas

affect human actions and how the material word affects human ideas.

THE BEGINNING OF THE TRADITION

Herodotus regarded as father of history, Just like Hippocreates to medical

science, this Greek legand spent his whole life in travelling and collecting various
accounts of Greco Persian Wars as well as listen to myths and legends, recorded
oral stories and made notes of the places he visited in his life, he travelled a lot and
covered North Africa, Europe & Asia. What we know about the famous Battle of
Marathon is from Harodotous accounts.

After the death of Harodotous, greek scholars edited his works into 9 books.
His work contains the rise and fall of the Persian empire as well as the Geography,
about people and Customs of various places, where he travelled, therefore it could
be termed as the beginning of writing History Tradition after Herodotus, historical
analysis, become an indispensable part of intellectual and political life. Scholars
have been following in Herodotous’ footsteps for 2500 years.

Indian tradition of ‘ITIHAASA’

Itihaasa is a Sanskrit word, popularly and traditional used for the world
history. In Hindu traditions, an Itihaasa is a Religious story that tells about what
happened in the past.

The original meaning of Itihaasa is wider. Itihaasa - a compound Sanskriti

word is normally split as Ititha+aasa it is also translated as ‘so-it-happened’.

The etymology attested to by great sage Panini indicates Itiha-to mean ‘Thus
indeed, in this tradition’. one of earliest written references of the word Ithihaasa
can traced in Chankayas Arthasastra, where he defines Ithihaasa in the context of
the syllabus prescribed for training of the prince, with the following words
^^iqjk.kfefroqzÙk ekn;kf;dksnkgj.ka /keZ”kkL=a psrhfrgkl%**

(Purana) itivrtta (history), Akhyayika (tales), udhaharna (illustrative stories)

Dharmasastra (the canon righteous conduct) as Asthralastra (the science of Govt.)
are known by History). Thus the Sanskrit word Ithaasa more expendable in
comparison to English word history. Celebrated scholar Kalhana (12th cent) who
is regarded as father of History in Indian tradition of History Writing. He wrote
famous book Rajtarangini. Wordly meaning of Raj-tarangini is the River of Kings,
in this book he wrote about ‘the Kings of Kashmir’ in Sanskrit.

The Chandogya Upnisida speaks about ithaasa as the 5th Veda, placing it
next to the four vedas. It clearly indicates the importance of reading and writing of
the history. Though the tradition and the way of writing history were different in
Europe and in India.
 History is very important subject to which we try to say our present and
future with the examples of past.

Law is role of life. Which deals with the well being of humanity, there
progress and stability in the society. To achieve its goal flexibility is one of the
prerequisite of ever growing nature of law. It is always history which shows the
way. History and Law are both integral part of our civilizational growth.