Essay on History Changes but Not Geography

It is history that draws and redraws borders and demarcation lines and changes geography over time. But geography gives the identity of a place with all its physical characteristics which remain the same for years to come, while history decides the politics of the place which changes over time as the generations as well as civilisations change.

There are two apparent ways in which the history changes: One is with the passage of time and the other by the writer. History is supposed to be written by the conquerors So, what is a fact today, tomorrow it will be an assumption.

For instance, the existence of India with its natural borders has been clearly visible more than since 10,000 years before. On the north, it is bordered by the lofty Himalayas, while south is by seas and oceans on two sides. In this natural existence, India witnessed the development of the Indus valley civilisation from about 2500BC in its west, subsequently the movement of the Rig Vedas from about 1500–500BC towards east and Indo-Gangetic plains. With the passage of time, history travelled further and brought changes in the shape of India with the emergence of the Mauryas around 300BC; the Guptas in about 400 AD; the Mughals and ultimately the mighty British in around seventeenth century onwards who drew and redrew the borders of India. The last power left India in its present shape. However, the geography of India has been the same time immemorial. Whoever comes, enjoys the same climate of India and it will remain intact till its doom’s day.

But history can never stop. It changes not only rulers of the country, its borders, but the style and manners of the lives of its people and even influences the religion of the land. For instance, the phallus worship of the Indus valley civilisation turned into nature worship of during the Rig Vedic period. India witnessed the absorption of bhakti cult as well as Sufism and also the idolatrous worship of Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, Shakti and so on. With the development of religion, the customs and practices changed the social life of people. For the lack of logical and reasoning-based education, castes system dominated the society; women were subjugated through the practice of sati, but modern India witnesses the higher importance on gender equality and wide participation as well. Economic life also underwent some changes. Modern industries and services have replaced the pastoralists and agriculturists with a new process of economy, the gross domestic product (GDP). In the dimensions of architecture and culture history also witnessed significant changes. India witnessed a considerable change in this dimension. Several techniques were evolved as they developed over time. The monolithic rock cut architecture continued till sixth century AD in India. Its instances are in Ellora, Ajanta and Mahabalipuram. There is a remarkable change in the temple building styles in Puri, Bhubaneswar and Khajuraho. Paintings have also changed from the base of religion to the base of secularism during the Mughal period again towards religion in the form of Pahari miniatures.

However, the writer too changes the history with the script of their time. History is subject to controversy while geography is static in its fact. For instance, the colonial rulers with orientalist views gave the history of India today. The view represents that the Aryans migrated from somewhere in Europe. But the contention on the context of the original inhabitants of India is still a burning topic.

History is also re-written. For instance, the Islam between fifth and sixth century AD was at the beginning a peaceful and progressive religion and was considered one of the most approachable philosophies during that period behind the prosperity of Arab world. The magnification of their trade relations with Rome, India and Africa was quite remarkable. With the passage of time, Islam has been witnessing the rise of extremism with fatal components such as Al Quaeda, ISIS, Taliban, etc. Surprisingly, the word, ‘jihad’ has got diverse interpretations to different sects of Muslim religion and has brought a striking change in the philosophy of the Islam.

While geography provides a land with neighbours, history considers them as allies, partners or enemies. In this regard, the Israel-Palestine conflict is worth mentionable. The subjugation of Jews is a historical incident. The Jews experienced multiple attempts of ethnic cleansing, but the worst one was certainly during the Second World War under the inhuman hands of the Nazi Germany led by Adolf Hitler. The Jews at last got their homeland, Israel that emerged on the erstwhile Palestinian territory. The city of Jerusalem is holy to both the Jews and the Muslims. Now, this Jerusalem has been the context of chronic bitter conflict between Palestine and Israel, just as Kashmir has been to India and Pakistan.

However, in some radical widespread colossal natural powers like the movements of plates, tsunami, earthquake, water-submerge, etc. may help change geography too. In this case, it reshapes a land as well as its climate and natural vegetation. The recent, onslaught of the mighty tsunami, especially in the Andaman islands, a part of India with its primitive tribal groups, has witnessed a change in the lives of its people under the measures of rehabilitation. In such cases, geography too influences and brings changes to the history of a land. Over time the tribals may lose their traditional culture and be involved into the mainstream of modern life.

In the time table of History, the land remains intact but the politics, culture, economics, people may have radical change. Europe too has witnessed many changes under the hands from the Greeks, Iranians and the romans. With the passage of time, it has been feudal, and then the pioneer of the industrial revolution. The geographical characteristics bordered with the Urals and the Alps have been intact but the dynasties have evolved it into different shapes and ultimately into the present European Union. By the hand of history, the land witnesses the change of its frontiers, such as disintegration, assimilation, and integration again. Till now the countries of European Union fought two World Wars and they are now in collaboration with one another for their common good to live in peace and progress. History is to them, as it were, a great teacher.

Change is the law of nature as well as history. So, history is written each and every day as it passes. It is repeated and sometimes rewritten if there is a significant change in conditions and situations. History is, in fact, a story changing constantly for the same land with its people, nature and vegetation just like a sentinel.