HISTORY: LESSON 1

WHAT WHERE HOW AND WHEN

Dateline

 about 8,000 years ago: women and men first begin to grow crops
 4,700 years ago: some of the earliest cities flourish on the banks of rivers
 about 2,500 years ago: cities come up on the banks of the Ganga and its tributaries, and
along seacoasts
 about 2,000 years ago: Jesus Christ is born

What Is History
 The story of humankind’s past is called history. History tells us about various
developments which have taken place in the human society in different periods.
Importance of History:
 History helps us in knowing about the past kings, kingdoms and the society.
 History tells us about the way people lived, the food they ate and the clothes they wore,
occupations of people, great achievements of our ancestors and mistakes made them.
 History also tells us about the games children played during a particular time.
 We learn from history to make a better future.

Where Did People Live

During prehistoric times; people lived at following places in the Indian subcontinent.
a. Banks of the river Narmada
b. Sulaiman and Kirthar Hills of the Northwest
c. Garo hills in the northeast and the Vindhyas in central India
d. River Indus and its tributaries
e. River Ganga and its tributary Son
 River Narmada: For several thousand years; people lived near the banks of the Narmada.
They were hunters-gatherers. It means; they were nomadic, i.e. did not lead a settled life.
 Sulaiman and Kirthar Hills: People lived in the Sulaiman and Kirthar Hills about 8000
years ago. They were among the first people to begin farming. They used to grow crops;
like wheat and barley. They also begun to domesticate animals; like sheep, goat and
cattle. People lived a settled life. Villages came into origin around this time.
 Garo Hills and the Vindhyas: People living in Garo hills were among the first to grow
rice. Rice was also grown towards the north of the Vindhyas.
 Indus and its tributaries: The earliest cities developed near the banks of Indus and its
tributaries; around 4700 years ago.
 Ganga and Son: It was about 2500 years ago when cities also developed on the banks of
the Ganga. Some cities also developed along the tributaries of the Ganges. Some cities
also developed along the sea coast.

The Name of Our Country:

 India is known by many names; like Aryavarta, Jambudweep, Bharatvarsh, Bharat,
Hindustan, India, etc. Out of them, India, Hindustan and Bharat are more frequently used.
 India: The people from Iran and Greece came to the north west of India. Thus, they
became familiar with the river Indus. They called it Indos or Hindos. The land to the east
of this river came to be known as India.
 Bharat: People who lived in the northwest were known as Bharata. They are mentioned in
the Rigveda. The name Bharat came because of the term ‘Bharata’.

Sources Of History
Some of the sources which tell us about history are as follows:
 Manuscripts: A handwritten book is called manuscript. Before the discovery of printing;
books were handwritten. The early manuscripts were written on palm leaves and on bark
of birch trees. The ancient manuscript give a lot of information about religious beliefs
and practices, life of kings, medicines, science, poems, plays, epics, etc.
 Inscriptions: The text written on stone slabs is called inscription. An inscription on stone
could survive longer than a manuscript. Most of the inscriptions contain some order or
 announcement by a king. Such announcements were written in inscriptions so that a large
number of people could read them. Some inscriptions contain good deeds by people;
especially by kings and merchants. The inscriptions and manuscripts from ancient period
were usually written in Sanskrit or Prakrit or Tamil.
 Coins: A coin gives information about the king of that period because coins usually
contained the image of the king. Coins also tell us about the level of skill among artisans
during that period. Coins were first developed in ancient Greece during 600 BC.
 Archaeological Sites: Sites from where historical remains are obtained are called
archaeological sites. Buildings and monuments also come under archaeological sites.
Archaeological sites also include old buildings and monuments. Artifacts and other items
excavated from different archaeological sites give rich information about a period.
 Archaeologists: People who specialize in studying the archaeological remains are known
as archaeologists.

Meaning of Dates
Dates are very important while studying history because dates help us in arranging the events in
some sequence. While discussing history, two distinct terms (BC and AD) are used for dates.
The term BC stands for before Christ. On the other hand, AD stands for ‘Anno Domini’ which
means ‘In the year of the Lord’. Sometimes, CE is used instead of AD and it means Common
Era. Similarly, BCE is used instead of BC and it means before the Common Era.

Different Pasts
 Different people, such as kings and farmers, live very different lives. So, their pasts must
also have been very different. For example, they must have celebrated birthdays in very
different ways, or lived in very different types of homes and families.
 Kings spent a lot of money to record their lives and wars. But the lives of ordinary
people, such as farmers, hunters, herders, gatherers, and craftspeople, are not recorded.
 Historians and archaeologists study as many different pasts as they can.