INTRODUCTION HOW, WHEN AND WHERE Dates in History | NMMS 2025 Best Notes

 

Since long history has been associated with dates. It was because historians and people were mostly concerned with political history emphasising over a king’s birth, his coronation, his political and social policies and the wars which were fought during his reign. Dates were therefore necessary to describe the duration and important policies carried out during his reign.

Although dates and the chronology of events are important, it is significant to understand that history as a subject goes beyond political history. It has many dimensions such as the changes in society which took place over a period of time, scientific and technological developments, environmental and forest degradation, loss of tribal autonomy and expansion of agriculture. These events happened over a long period of time, and thus, a single date cannot be attributed to the changes which spanned over a long stretch of time.

Thus, though dates are still important, historians have begun to write about subjects apart from the kings. For example, how people earned their living, the development of towns and cities, and the formation of kingdoms.

 

Whichare Important Dates?

Dates become important when we focus on a particular set of events. When events change, new dates become important. For example, for the British historians, the rule of each Governor General was significant. So, the history of British India revolved around the Governor Generals and their achievements. They hardly gave importance to the events which occurred outside this purview. Thus, the importance of the set of dates changes according to the events which are highlighted by the people.

The dates we select and compose our story of the past are not important. They become vital because we focus on a particular set of events as significant. The chronology of different personalities’ lives marked the different chapters of the history of British India. It is to give each chapter some coherence. It is to tell a story in a way that makes some sense and can be followed.

 

Periodisation of History by James Mill

 

·         In 1817, James Mill, a Scottish economist and a political philosopher, published A History of British India in three volumes. He divided Indian history into three periods—Hindu, Muslim and British.

·         This periodisation of Indian history was widely accepted by British historians and administrators. However, his division of Indian history sparked wide-ranging debates.

·         It has been argued by many historians that it is not correct to periodise Indian

history on the basis of religion of the rulers. For example, when the Hindu kings ruled in ancient India, many religions existed peacefully. The same is also true for mediaeval India.

·         It was not correct to periodise mediaeval India as Muslim History because people belonging to different faiths existed during this time.

·         Such periodisation which was based on the religion of the rulers suggests that the lives, practices and culture of the other people do not matter.

·         Mill believed that Asian societies were at a lower level of civilisation. Before the British rule, India was ruled by Hindu and Muslim kings whose reigns were dominated by religious intolerance and superstitions. According to him, only the British could civilise India and she could progress only under the rule of the British.

·         Indian historians usually classify Indian history into ancient, mediaeval and modern periods.

·         This division of history is also not free from limitations. This kind of periodisation is borrowed from the West where the modern period signifies growth, development, rational spirit, liberty and equality. The mediaeval

·         period was largely free of these traces of the modern period. Further, there was no development of the country during the modern period.

·         Thus, many historians refer to the period of British rule as the ‘colonial’ period.

 

 

 

 

Sources of History

Main sources of colonial history are

What is colonial?

By reading this chapter you will understand how the British came to conquer the country and establish their rule, subjugating local nawabs and rajas. How they established control over the economy and society, collected revenue to meet all their expenses, bought the goods they wanted at low prices, produced crops they needed for export, and you will understand the changes that came about as a consequence. You will get to learn about the changes British rule brought about in values and tastes, customs and practices. When the subjugation of one country by another leads to these kinds of political, economic, social and cultural changes, it is referred to as colonisation.

1.     When the subjugation of one country by another country leads to change in social, culture, economic and political sphere,it leads to colonisation.

2.     British rule brought about changes in values and tastes, customs and practices.

Administrative Records

·         Official records of the British administration are an important source of history during this period. The British documented every plan, policy, agreement and investigation. They also preserved documents and letters.

·         During the colonial rule, all administrative offices such as the Collectorate, the tahsildar’s office, the commissioner’s office, the provincial secretariats and the law courts had their own record rooms where all official proceedings and letters of conversations moving from one department to the other were recorded.

·         These documents were skillfully copied in the early years by calligraphists. With the spread of printing by the mid-nineteenth century, each document came to be printed by the government department.

·         The national Archives of India was established in the 1920s at Delhi. Government records, documents and letters were accumulated.

 

Surveys

·         The British carried out various surveys of the countries which they ruled. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, various surveys were carried out related to the size of the territories in addition to revenue surveys. Besides, the flora, fauna, local histories and cropping patterns were surveyed.

·         The British also began to conduct the population census of India which was held after every ten years. It also included information on castes and religions.

·         The British preserved the official documents so that important data and recordings could be studied, debated and used as a point of reference in the future.

·         Many other surveys such as zoological surveys, archaeological surveys and forest surveys were also conducted.

 

Limitations of the Official Records

·         Because these surveys and records were conducted by the British, they reflect colonial thoughts and ideologies.

·         These records only tell us about what the British officials thought about the people, their culture and languages. Thus, these records do not tell us about the general notions of the people, their beliefs and ideologies.

 

Other Sources of the Period

·         Apart from official records, there are many other sources which are available in plenty such as people’s diaries, accounts of pilgrims, pamphlets, popular booklets, newspapers, speeches of leaders, and writings of the poets and novelists. These sources tell us about the general feelings of the people of the country.

·         However, a vast majority of people in India were not literate. Tribals, mine workers, factory workers and sweepers could not record their histories. We largely come to know about them through oral histories, traditions and cultural practices.