CBSE Class 6 Social Science Timeline and Sources of History Notes Set 01

Why we study history

The word history comes from the Greek word historia, which means learning by inquiry. History is the study of what happened in the past: how people lived, what they ate and wore, what work they did and how they governed themselves. People who study and write about the past are called historians, and the Greek writer Herodotus is often called the Father of History. Knowing the past helps us understand the present and avoid repeating old mistakes.

History and prehistory

Historians divide the human past into two broad periods.

1. Prehistory is the long period before writing was invented. There are no written records for it, so we learn about it only from objects and remains such as stone tools, bones, cave paintings and the ruins of early settlements.

2. History is the period for which written records are available. Early writing was done on many materials, including clay tablets, the bark of the birch tree (bhojpatra), palm leaves, copper plates and rock surfaces.

Measuring time: BCE and CE

To place events in order, historians use a timeline. The year of the birth of Jesus Christ is taken as the reference point. Years before it are counted backwards and are written as BCE (Before Common Era). Years after it are written as CE (Common Era). The older labels BC and AD mean the same as BCE and CE. Remember that in BCE, a larger number means an earlier date, so 2500 BCE is earlier than 500 BCE.

Sources of history

Whatever helps us learn about the past is called a source. Sources are of two main kinds.

1. Archaeological sources (non-written)

These are physical remains found by digging at old sites, a process called excavation. They include:

1. Artefacts: objects made by humans in the past, such as tools, pottery, ornaments, metal objects and sculptures.

2. Monuments: old buildings and their ruins, such as temples, stupas, tombs, caves and palaces. The excavations at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro showed that planned cities existed in the Indus region about 4,500 to 5,000 years ago.

3. Coins: made of gold, silver, copper and other metals. They show which rulers were in power, what metals were used and how trade was carried on.

4. Inscriptions: writing engraved on rocks, pillars, copper plates, cave walls and temple walls. The study of inscriptions is called epigraphy.

2. Literary sources (written)

These are the writings left by people of the past. In the time before paper, people wrote on bhojpatra, palm leaves and copper plates. Handwritten books are called manuscripts. Literary sources are of two types:

1. Religious literature deals with religion and belief. The Vedas, the Brahmanas and the Upanishads are examples.

2. Secular literature is not about religion. It includes biographies, historical accounts and the writings of poets and foreign travellers. The Arthashastra by Kautilya and the Indika by Megasthenes are well-known examples.

Key points to remember

1. Prehistory has no written records; history has.

2. Archaeological sources are physical evidence; literary sources are written evidence.

3. Coins, inscriptions, artefacts and monuments are all archaeological sources.

4. BCE years run backwards, CE years run forwards.

Worked examples

Example 1. A farmer digs up a clay pot with painted designs near an ancient village. Which type of source is this? Solution: A pot is an object made by humans, so it is an artefact. Artefacts are archaeological (non-written) sources.

Example 2. Which event is earlier: the founding of a city in 2000 BCE or one in 1500 BCE? Solution: BCE dates are counted backwards from the reference year, so a larger number means a more distant past. Hence the city founded in 2000 BCE is earlier, by 500 years.

Example 3. How many years lie between 300 BCE and 200 CE? Solution: The two dates are on opposite sides of the reference year, so we add the numbers: 300 + 200 = 500 years. (There is no year zero in this system, so the count is usually taken as about 500 years.)

Quick Check Questions