MEANING AND RELEVANCE OF HISTORY

As a discipline, Merriam-Webster has defined history as “a

chronological record of significant events (such as those affecting a
nation or institution) often including an explanation of their causes.”
This definition merely pertains to the events that are significant to an
organization sequentially arranged to tell a coherent story of the past.
MEANING AND RELEVANCE OF HISTORY

On the hand, historiography refers to how, what, and why

history is written. It is about the methods and practices in
producing history, the development of history as a discipline,
or the philosophy or significance of historical writing.
MEANING AND RELEVANCE OF HISTORY

HISTORIOGRAPHY:
Encyclopedia Britannica shortly defines it as the writing of history, especially the
writing of history based on the critical examination of sources, the selection of
particular details from the authentic materials in those sources, and the synthesis of
those details into a narrative that stands the test of critical examination. The term
historiography also refers to the theory and history of historical writing.
MEANING AND RELEVANCE OF HISTORY

In short, history is the study of past events and

historiography is the study of history.
 Prehistory and History

In this study, it is important to distinguish what is prehistory, history, and historiography.

Prehistory refers to that period where information of the past were recorded in materials other
than written documents or in written ones which may not be understood by historian. These
includes artifacts, drawings, paintings, sculptures and any other forms. History covers
information derived from largely written records of past experiences.
Prehistory and History

The prehistory of the Philippines is said to cover the events until 21 April 900 (equivalent on the
Proleptic Gregorian Calendar), the date indicated on the Laguna Copperplate Inscription (LCI) – the
earliest written document known in the Philippines today.

The LCI is considered to be the first legal document recorded in the Philippines. It is said to contain the
release of the children of Namwaran, the bearers, from their obligation. Below is the original translation
by Antoon Postma in 1991of the Old Malay inscription in year 822 of the Saka Era, the month of
Waisaka, and the fourth day of the waning moon, which corresponds to Monday, April 21, 900 AD:
Laguna Copperplate Inscription
 Laguna Copperplate Inscription

1. Hail! In the Saka-year 822; the month of March-April; according to the astronomer: the 4th day of the dark half of the moon; on
2. Monday. At that time, Lady Angkatan together with her relative, Bukah by name,
3. the child of His Honor Namwran, was given, as a special favor, a document of full acquittal, by the Chief and Commander of Tundun,
4. the former Leader of Pailah, Jayadewah. To the effect that His Honor Namwran, through the Honorable Scribe
5. was totally cleared of a debt to the amount of 1 kati and 8 suwarna (weight of gold), in the presence of His Honor the Leader of Puliran,
6. Kasumuran; His Honor the Leader of Pailah, namely: Ganasakti; (and) His Honor the Leader
7. of Binwangan, namely: Bisruta. And (His Honor Namwran) with his whole family, on orders by the Chief of Dewata,
8. representing the Chief of Mdang, because of his loyalty as a subject (slave?) of the Chief, therefore all the descendants
9. of His Honor Namwran have been cleared of the whole debt that His Honor owed the Chief of Dewata. This (document) is (issued) in case
10. there is someone, whosoever, some time in the future, who will state that the debt is not yet acquitted of His Honor...
Laguna Copperplate Inscription

The LCI was very instrumental in identifying the demarcation line between
the Philippine’s prehistory and history. The later chapters of this Book will
present a number of significant written documents which will aid us in
understanding the society years ago.
 Why Study History?

1. History helps us understand people and societies. In the first place, history offers a storehouse of information about how
people and societies behave. Understanding the operations of people and societies is difficult, though a number of disciplines
make the attempt. An exclusive reliance on current data would needlessly handicap our efforts. How can we evaluate war if the
nation is at peace—unless we use historical materials? How can we understand genius, the influence of technological
innovation, or the role that beliefs play in shaping family life, if we don't use what we know about experiences in the past?
Some social scientists attempt to formulate laws or theories about human behavior. But even these recourses depend on
historical information, except for in limited, often artificial cases in which experiments can be devised to determine how people
act. Major aspects of a society's operation, like mass elections, missionary activities, or military alliances, cannot be set up as
precise experiments. Consequently, history must serve, however imperfectly, as our laboratory, and data from the past must
serve as our most vital evidence in the unavoidable quest to figure out why our complex species behaves as it does in societal
settings. This, fundamentally, is why we cannot stay away from history: it offers the only extensive evidential base for the
contemplation and analysis of how societies function, and people need to have some sense of how societies function simply to
run their own lives.
 Why Study History?

2. History helps us understand change and how the society we live in came to be. The second reason history is
inescapable as a subject of serious study follows closely on the first. The past causes the present, and so the future.
Any time we try to know why something happened, we have to look for factors that took shape earlier. Sometimes
fairly recent history will suffice to explain a major development, but often we need to look further back to identify
the causes of change. Only through studying history can we grasp how things change; only through history can we
begin to comprehend the factors that cause change; and only through history can we understand what elements of
an institution or a society persist despite change.
 Why Study History?

3. History contributes to moral understanding. History also provides a terrain for moral contemplation.
Studying the stories of individuals and situations in the past allows a student of history to test his or her own
moral sense, to hone it against some of the real complexities individuals have faced in difficult settings. People
who have weathered adversity not just in some work of fiction, but in real, historical circumstances can
provide inspiration. "History teaching by example" is one phrase that describes this use of a study of the
past—a study not only of certifiable heroes, the great men and women of history who successfully worked
through moral dilemmas, but also of more ordinary people who provide lessons in courage, diligence, or
constructive protest.
 Why Study History?

4. History provides identity. History also helps provide identity, and this is unquestionably one of the reasons all modern
nations encourage its teaching in some form. Historical data include evidence about how families, groups, institutions and
whole countries were formed and about how they have evolved while retaining cohesion. For many [Filipinos], studying the
history of one's own family is the most obvious use of history, for it provides facts about genealogy and (at a slightly more
complex level) a basis for understanding how the family has interacted with larger historical change. Family identity is
established and confirmed. Many institutions, businesses, communities, and social units, such as ethnic groups in the
[Philippines], use history for similar identity purposes. Merely defining the group in the present pales against the possibility of
forming an identity based on a rich past. And of course nations use identity history as well—and sometimes abuse it. Histories
that tell the national story, emphasizing distinctive features of the national experience, are meant to drive home an
understanding of national values and a commitment to national loyalty.
 Why Study History?

5. Studying History Is Essential for Good Citizenship. A study of history is essential for good citizenship. This is the most
common justification for the place of history in school curricula. Sometimes advocates of citizenship history hope merely to
promote national identity and loyalty through a history spiced by vivid stories and lessons in individual success and morality.
But the importance of history for citizenship goes beyond this narrow goal and can even challenge it at some points.

History that lays the foundation for genuine citizenship returns, in one sense, to the essential uses of the study of the past.
History provides data about the emergence of national institutions, problems, and values—it's the only significant storehouse of
such data available. It offers evidence also about how nations have interacted with other societies, providing international and
comparative perspectives essential for responsible citizenship. Further, studying history helps us understand how recent,
current, and prospective changes that affect the lives of citizens are emerging or may emerge and what causes are involved.
More important, studying history encourages habits of mind that are vital for responsible public behavior, whether as a national
or community leader, an informed voter, a petitioner, or a simple observer.
skills that a student may develop in studying history

1. The ability to assess evidence. The study of history builds experience in dealing with and assessing various
kinds of evidence—the sorts of evidence historians use in shaping the most accurate pictures of the past that
they can. Learning how to interpret the statements of past political leaders—one kind of evidence—helps form
the capacity to distinguish between the objective and the self-serving among statements made by present-day
political leaders. Learning how to combine different kinds of evidence—public statements, private records,
numerical data, visual materials—develops the ability to make coherent arguments based on a variety of data.
This skill can also be applied to information encountered in everyday life.
 skills that a student may develop in studying history

2. The ability to assess conflicting interpretations. Learning history means gaining some skill in sorting through
diverse, often conflicting interpretations. Understanding how societies work—the central goal of historical
study—is inherently imprecise, and the same certainly holds true for understanding what is going on in the
present day. Learning how to identify and evaluate conflicting interpretations is an essential citizenship skill for
which history, as an often-contested laboratory of human experience, provides training. This is one area in which
the full benefits of historical study sometimes clash with the narrower uses of the past to construct identity.
Experience in examining past situations provides a constructively critical sense that can be applied to partisan
claims about the glories of national or group identity. The study of history in no sense undermines loyalty or
commitment, but it does teach the need for assessing arguments, and it provides opportunities to engage in
debate and achieve perspective.
skills that a student may develop in studying history

3. Experience in assessing past examples of change. Experience in assessing past examples of change is vital to
understanding change in society today—it's an essential skill in what we are regularly told is our "ever-changing
world." Analysis of change means developing some capacity for determining the magnitude and significance of
change, for some changes are more fundamental than others. Comparing particular changes to relevant examples
from the past helps students of history develop this capacity. The ability to identify the continuities that always
accompany even the most dramatic changes also comes from studying history, as does the skill to determine
probable causes of change. Learning history helps one figure out, for example, if one main factor—such as a
technological innovation or some deliberate new policy—accounts for a change or whether, as is more commonly
the case, a number of factors combine to generate the actual change that occurs.
 Remember:

Clearly, the reasons and skills that one may develop in studying
history is not only beneficial for students in schools but to
everyone to be equipped with the right knowledge and reasons for
our every actions and decisions to become good and responsible
citizens.
Distinction of Primary and Secondary Sources

In the study of history, historians give interpretations of the past by

investigating historical sources. No interpretations, however, shall be
accepted unless it is supported by evidence from the examined sources.
Historical sources may refer to everything, written or not, that may tell
something about the past. These sources are generally classified into primary
and secondary sources.
Distinction of Primary and Secondary Sources

Primary sources are original records of a certain event by people who have actually
experienced or witnessed it. These may include original works such as letters, legislations,
newspaper articles, diaries, interviews, government documents, reports, photographs,
literature and other creative outputs.

Secondary sources, on the other hand, are records based on primary sources. They explain a
certain event of the past through evaluation and interpretation of the records created during a
historical period. These may include researches, textbooks, journals, commentaries,
biographies, and criticism or reviews of literary and creative works.
Distinction of Primary and Secondary Sources

Primary and secondary sources are both important in studying

history. However, it is preferred that students use primary sources in
their analysis and synthesis of the past events.
Reasons for the Importance of using Primary Sources

Direct contact with the original records and artifacts invites students to explore the content with active and
deeper analysis, and to respond thoughtfully;
Critical thinking is developed as students probe the context, purpose, meaning, bias, and perspectives in their
analysis of the past;
In the interaction with the various sources from the past, a learn-led inquiry is being fostered;
There is a realization that history is a reflection of various perspectives of those who interpret the past events;
and
It brings back to story to history allowing students to share the author’s perspectives.
Continuation…
External and internal criticism

Being able to identify primary sources from secondary sources is the first step of historical method. Historical method refers to the
process of probing primary sources that will be used in writing history. This includes source criticism which studies the external
and internal validity of sources.

According the Gilbert J. Garraghan and Jean Delanglez in 1946, source criticism asks the following questions:

1. When was the source, written or unwritten, produced?

2. Where was it produced?
3. By whom was it produced?
4. From what pre-existing material was it produced?
5. In what original form was it produced?
6. What is the evidential value of its contents?
 External and internal criticism

The first five questions are considered to be part of external criticism. Historians determine the authenticity of
sources by examining the date, locale, creator, analysis and integrity of the historical sources. These information
must be consistent with each other. It means, for example, that the materials used in a source must match the time
and place when it was produced.

The last question is treated as internal criticism as it help the historians determine the credibility of the source. It
studies the content of the source to know its truthfulness. For a source to be valid, its content must be reasonable
and historically precise. One should now rely on a data which is not supported by evidence.
 External and internal criticism

Neuman in 2013 has explained the difference between external and internal criticism in the illustration below:
 External and internal criticism

One of the disputed documents which may illustrate the application of external and internal criticism is the
Code of Kalantiaw. The Code was introduced as written by Datu Kalantiaw of Negros in 1433. However, in a
study presented by William Henry Scott, it was found out to be a hoax – a forgery written by Jose E. Marco
in 1913.

Today, history books no longer include the said Code. But Atty. Cecilio Duka, in 2018, has interestingly
provided the 18 articles of the Code in his book, Struggle for Freedom, to be critically examined by the
students and conclude its truthfulness. For similar reasons and to feed our curiosity here are the said laws:
 External and internal criticism

Article I - Ye shall not kill, neither shall ye steal nor shall ye hurt the aged, lest ye incur the danger of death. All those who this
order shall infringe shall be tied to a stone and drowned in a river or in boiling water.
Article II - Ye shall punctually meet your debt with your headman. He who fulfills not, for the first time shall be lashed a
hundredfold, and If the obligation is great, his hand shall be dipped threefold in boiling water. On conviction, he shall be flogged
to death.
Article III - Obey ye: no one shall have wives that are too young, nor shall they be more than what he can take care of, nor spend
much luxury. He who fulfils not, obeys not, shall be condemned to swim three hours and, for the second time, shall be scourged
with spines to death.
Article IV - Observe and obey ye: Let not the peace of the graves be disturbed; due respect must be accorded them on passing by
caves and trees where they are. He who observes not shall die by bites of ants or shall be flogged with spines till death.
Article V - Obey ye: Exchange in food must be carried out faithfully. He who complies not shall be lashed for an hour. He who
repeats the act shall, for a day be exposed to the ants.
Article VI - Ye shall revere respectable places, trees of known value, and other sites. He shall pay a month's work, in gold or
money, whoever fails to do this; and if twice committed, he shall be declared a slave.
 External and internal criticism

Article VII - They shall die who kill trees of venerable aspect; who at night shoot with arrows the aged men and the women; he who enters the house of
the headman without permission; he who kills a fish or shark or striped crocodile.
Article VIII - They shall be slaves for a given time who steal away the women of the headmen; he who possesses dogs that bite the headmen; he who
burns another man's sown field.
Article IX - They shall be slaves for a given time, who sing in their night errands, kill manual birds, tear documents belonging to the headmen; who are
evil-minded liars; who play with the dead.
Article X - It shall be the obligation of every mother to show her daughter secretly the things that are lacivious, and prepare them for womanhood; men
shall not be cruel to their wives, nor should they punish them when they catch them in the act of adultery. He who disobeys shall be torn to pieces and
thrown to the caymans.
Article XI - They shall be burned, who by force or cunning have mocked at and eluded punishment, or who have killed two young boys, or shall try to
steal the women of the old men (agurangs).
Article XII - They shall be drowned, all slaves who assault their superiors or their lords and masters; all those who abuse their luxury; those who kill
their anitos by breaking them or throwing them away.
Article XIII - They shall be exposed to the ants for half a day, who kill a black cat during the new moon or steal things belonging to the headmen.
Article XIV - They shall be slaves for life, who having beautiful daughters shall deny them to the sons of the headman, or shall hide them in bad faith.
 External and internal criticism

Article XV - Concerning their beliefs and superstitions: they shall be scourged, who eat bad meat of respected insects or herbs that are
supposed to be good; who hurt or kill the young manual bird and the white monkey.

Article XVI - Their fingers shall be cut off, who break wooden or clay idols in their olangangs and places of oblation; he who breaks
Tagalan's daggers for hog killing, or breaks drinking vases.

Article XVII - They shall be killed, who profane places where sacred objects of their diwatas or headmen are buried. He who gives way to
the call of nature at such places shall be burned.

Article XVIII - Those who do not cause these rules to be observed, if they are headmen, shall be stoned and crushed to death, and if they
are old men, shall be placed in rivers to be eaten by sharks and crocodiles.
 External and internal criticism

The Code is just one of the many sources that were included in our former study of Philippine history and there may be other sources that is up
until now are accepted by not fully examined. As students of history, the challenge is for us to externally and internally criticize sources before
accepting them as evidence to the history of our past.
In addition to the questions of Garraghan and Delanglez, historians also have presented the following principles of source criticism for
determining reliability (Olden-Jørgensen, 1998 and Thurén, 1997):
Human sources may be relics such as a fingerprint; or narratives such as a statement or a letter. Relics are more credible sources than
narratives.
Any given source may be forged or corrupted. Strong indications of the originality of the source increase its reliability.
The closer a source is to the event which it purports to describe, the more one can trust it to give an accurate historical description of what
actually happened.
A primary source is more reliable than a secondary source which is more reliable than a tertiary source, and so on.
If a number of independent sources contain the same message, the credibility of the message is strongly increased.
The tendency of a source is its motivation for providing some kind of bias. Tendencies should be minimized or supplemented with opposite
motivations.
If it can be demonstrated that the witness or source has no direct interest in creating bias then the credibility of the message is increased.
 External and internal criticism

What if there are two or more sources to prove a certain historical event? Bernheim (1889) and Langlois & Seignobos (1898)
have presented the following procedures to examine contradictory sources:

1. If the sources all agree about an event, historians can consider the event proved;
2. However, majority does not rule; even if most sources relate events in one way, that version will not prevail unless it
passes the test of critical textual analysis;
3. The source whose account can be confirmed by reference to outside authorities in some of its parts can be trusted in its
entirety if it is impossible similarly to confirm the entire text;
4. When two sources disagree on a particular point, the historian will prefer the source with most "authority"—that is the
source created by the expert or by the eyewitness;
5. Eyewitnesses are, in general, to be preferred especially in circumstances where the ordinary observer could have accurately
reported what transpired and, more specifically, when they deal with facts known by most contemporaries;
External and internal criticism

6. If two independently created sources agree on a matter, the reliability of each is measurably enhanced;
7. When two sources disagree and there is no other means of evaluation, then historians take the source which
seems to accord best with common sense.
 External and internal criticism
Primary sources are mostly accounts of eyewitnesses. As proposed above, they are generally preferred. In history, however, one should not immediately accept
statements of an eyewitness without evaluation. RJ Shafer had suggested that we ask the following questions:

Is the real meaning of the statement different from its literal meaning? Are words used in senses not employed today? Is the statement meant to be ironic (i.e.,
mean other than it says)?
How well could the author observe the thing he reports? Were his senses equal to the observation? Was his physical location suitable to sight, hearing, touch?
Did he have the proper social ability to observe: did he understand the language, have other expertise required (e.g., law, military); was he not being intimidated by his
wife or the secret police?
How did the author report and what was his ability to do so?
o Regarding his ability to report, was he biased? Did he have proper time for reporting? Proper place for reporting? Adequate recording instruments?
o When did he report in relation to his observation? Soon? Much later? Fifty years is much later as most eyewitnesses are dead and those who remain may have
forgotten relevant material.
o What was the author's intention in reporting? For whom did he report? Would that audience be likely to require or suggest distortion to the author?
o Are there additional clues to intended veracity? Was he indifferent on the subject reported, thus probably not intending distortion? Did he make statements
damaging to himself, thus probably not seeking to distort? Did he give incidental or casual information, almost certainly not intended to mislead?
Do his statements seem inherently improbable: e.g., contrary to human nature, or in conflict with what we know?
Remember that some types of information are easier to observe and report on than others.
Are there inner contradictions in the document?
 External and internal criticism

In some cases when there is no primary source available to confirm the happening of one event or history, indirect
eyewitnesses or secondary sources may be inquired. In these cases, Gottschalk has suggested to ask the following:

1. On whose primary testimony does the secondary witness base his statements?
2. Did the secondary witness accurately report the primary testimony as a whole?
3. If not, in what details did he accurately report the primary testimony?

Having reasonable answers from these questions will give the historian a source which may be considered original and
reliable.
 External and internal criticism

Historians may also look into oral traditions as a source of history. These traditions, however, may only be accepted if they satisfy the following
conditions:
I. Broad conditions:
1. The tradition should be supported by an unbroken series of witnesses, reaching from the immediate and first reporter of the fact to the living
mediate witness from whom we take it up, or to the one who was the first to commit it to writing.
2. There should be several parallel and independent series of witnesses testifying to the fact in question.
II. Particular conditions:
1. The tradition must report a public event of importance, such as would necessarily be known directly to a great number of persons.
2. The tradition must have been generally believed, at least for a definite period of time.
3. During that definite period it must have gone without protest, even from persons interested in denying it.
4. The tradition must be one of relatively limited duration (Elsewhere, Garraghan suggests a maximum limit of 150 years, at least in cultures that
excel in oral remembrance)
5. The critical spirit must have been sufficiently developed while the tradition lasted, and the necessary means of critical investigation must have
been at hand.
6. Critical-minded persons who would surely have challenged the tradition – had they considered it false – must have made no such challenge.
External and internal criticism

Other traditions may also be proven by presentation of comparable evidence such as archeological records or
remains.

The guidelines presented above may help in the examination of sources which may be accepted in writing
history. These should be coupled by further assessments using proper historical reasoning.
End of lesson
 Kinds and Repositories of Primary Sources

Ascertaining the reliability of primary sources is vital in studying history. As students, it is equally important for
one to identify the classification of the primary sources. Different kinds of sources are in different locations. This
lesson presents the several kinds of primary sources and where to find them.

Primary sources maybe published or unpublished documents. Published documents are those that are intended
for public distribution or use. Newspapers, magazines, books, reports, government documents, laws, court
decisions, literary works, posters, maps, and advertisements are some of the examples. The fact that these
documents are published does not mean that they are reliable, accurate, or truthful. The readers must understand
not just the substance of the document but also the background of the author as these may be written based on the
author’s perspective.
 Kinds and Repositories of Primary Sources

Documents such as diaries, journals, letters, wills, and other personal papers which are not published may be
used as primary sources. Unpublished documents, unlike published ones, may be difficult to locate as they are
kept in private and hence, may not be easily accessed by the public. These documents are also confidential and
with restricted from public use like personal letters which are in the possession of the recipients.

Primary sources may also be unwritten. These may include oral traditions, oral histories, artworks, and artifacts.
Traditions and histories or stories transferred through generations may tell us something about the past. Accepted
as primary sources of this kind are those that are coming from people who have actually witnessed or experience
the past events. Personal or firsthand knowledge is necessary in considering these sources are primary. Although
some oral traditions from some cultures which are not written until now may be used in writing history provided
that their reliability is properly evaluated.
 Kinds and Repositories of Primary Sources

Other unwritten sources include artworks and artifacts. These are visual documents that tell us several views of
the past from the perspectives of creators. Drawings, paintings, sculptures, photographs, and artifacts are some
of the visual documents that may have captured historic moments and provide evidence to changes that
happened over time.

Knowing the type of a primary source will help in identifying its repository. Written documents may be found in
libraries or archives. Unwritten documents may be stored in museums and galleries.

Primary sources of Philippine history are placed in several repositories around the country. Some of these places
are the National Archives, National Library, the National Museums, and other local government repositories.
 Kinds and Repositories of Primary Sources

The National Archives of the Philippines

Organized today under Republic Act No. 9470 passed on May 21, 2007, the National Archives of the Philippines (NAP) was
established to store, preserve, conserve, and make available to the public the records, papers, periodicals, books or other items,
articles or materials, whether in the form of electronic, audio-visual or print, which by their nature and characteristics have enduring
value, that have been selected for permanent preservation.

The NAP is holding about 60,000,000 archival documents with Spanish Collection comprising an estimated 13,000,000 manuscripts
from the 16th to 19th Century with 400 titles on various aspects of Philippine history under Spanish rule: royal decrees of Spanish
monarchs, reports of Spanish governors-general, documents on Filipino uprisings, records of different provinces and pueblos, royal
titles on lands and landed estates, pastoral letters of the clergy, papers on churches and convents, maps and architectural plans of
buildings and houses, civil records like birth, marriages and death; American and Japanese occupation records including Philippine
National Guard records, civil service rosters, war trials; and recent records composed of notarial documents, registers, civil service
records, and 1,000 cubic meter of inactive records of national/local governments, those of abolished, transferred or merged offices
included.
 Kinds and Repositories of Primary Sources

The National Library of the Philippines

The National Library of the Philippines (NLP) is the repository of the printed and recorded cultural heritage of the country
and other intellectual, literary and information sources. It was established by a royal decree on 12 August 1887 and named
as the Museo-Biblioteca de Filipinas. Its mission is to acquire, organize, conserve, and preserve Filipiniana materials and
provide equitable access to library resources through a system of public libraries throughout the country.

The NLP has one of the largest collections of materials in various forms in the country covering around 1.6 million books,
manuscripts, newspapers, theses and dissertations, government publications, maps, and photographs. Some of the valuable
pieces it holds are Rizal’s novels, including the unfinished novels, and the Philippine Declaration of Independence which
are all kept in a special vault.
 Kinds and Repositories of Primary Sources

The National Museum of the Philippines

As an educational, scientific, and cultural institution, the National Museum (NM) operates the National
Museum of Fine Arts, National Museum of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, National
Planetarium and other branch museums around the country. Its collection covers fine arts, archeology,
ethnography, and natural history.
End of Chapter 1