Professional Documents
Culture Documents
value to research
Every modern historian should – know how history has been
written Rich market of history – with variety of shops –
Historiography – forms its own merchandise
In practical sense would teach him much more than the
theoretical study of historical writing Caters to those – wish to make history-writing their
profession
• Historiography is nothing but the history of history
It entered – field very late
• It is – history of historical thought
Before 19th century – hardly an attempt to record the history
• An independent branch of history in its own right of historical writing
• It is neither solely political, nor social, nor cultural, Just as – all branches of natural sciences – Greeks were –
nor moral nor literary history pioneers to lay a firm foundation
• But in a way a combination of all these into one History too – they were – originators – made historical
It comes under the history of ideas writing a conscious art
Job – not – examination of – particular object – but study of The Greeks – Romans – Christians – Jews and – Arabs – very
ideas which prompted a historian strong sense of history
Approach is to know – psychology of the historian – form an Indian thought – conscious of the controversial nature
estimate of his work Excepting – legends, myths and traditions in – Puranas – we
• To know his technique of writing and have hardly a great historical writing comparable to the
historical literature of either – West or Middle East
• To pass judgment on his performance as - historian
Naturally Historiography occupies – unique place different
from theoretical or regular history
ANCIENT HISTORIOGRAHY Ballads – first instrument for the rise of historical literature
GREEK HISTORIOGRAHY Thus – logographers mark – transition from myth to history
• Historiography – Product of Greek mind – made it – Whereas – Greece the growth – witnessed of the change from
powerful branch myth to ballad – ballad to history
• It did not begin until – 5th or 6th century before Christ In India – remained myth and ballad alone without pushing
the ballad to the next logical stage of history
• Not habit – preserving any records of their pasts
HERODOTUS
The Greek mind – nothing beyond the Trojan War
Celebrated – father of History
Early writers – so close to – epic age
He who – the link between the logographers on the one hand
The charm of poetry – they were called logographers – those
and the historians on the other
who combined words to make a speech
Hailed from Ionia – place of great writers and thinkers
Job – mainly to produce versified word-puzzle or word-
riddle Greek historiography – never predominantly Attica
(province of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle)
After Herodotus – writers took to simple prose in order to
sketch legends and traditions Herodotus – chose – Persian Wars – subject of his history
Earliest Greet Historiographers – in a way the poets whose He – very fond of narrating stories
songs do contain a sketch of the conditions of contemporary
Croesus – first prince of Asia who attacked the Greeks
society
Herodotus – gives his genealogy, recounts his greatness and
Homer belonged to this category of poets – his poems
fall and rise and fall of – Median empire
exhibits lot of historical material
His narrative becomes more interesting – one central idea
Hesiod – another great poet – attempt to furnish – respectable
leads on to another, one aspect to another, until the conflict
ancestry to Greek Gods
he narrates between the Greeks and the Persians becomes a • Thirdly – his graze for style stood in – way of
comprehensive history both of Greece and of Persia checking the accuracy of his data
He traces the events after the death of Cyrus – when Persian • Not given to judging men and events
power passed - to Cambysses who conquered Asia and Egypt objectively (accurate)
o Last two books of Herodotus – composed first in 456 to 445 Despite these
B.C
• Possessed – great virtues as intelligent curiosity
o Noteworthy feature – writing – travel from place to place –
• Sincere purist of an object and clear understanding of
like Arab historians – obtain first-hand information
– problem – he could easily be pronounced – not only
o Unity of his writing the first – also a great historian of the world
o First - noticeable in his history – consistence and • Holds high place in – respects
continuity – his entire work
• A story-teller – never be surpassed
o Second – vigorous spirit he displays and powerful
• So close to the epic age – preserved the simplicity
style – adopts – his narrative most interesting
• Has the imagination, sensitivity and the spontaneity
Few weakness – unavoidable
• No history has ever had a nobler exponent than
• His ignorance of the language of the other people
Herodotus – says Thucydides
• Excusable – learning – Persian or Egyptian
• Herodotus work – in nine books – each named after one of
language – not easy
the nine muses or Greek Goddesses – reside over the
• Secondly – inherent weakness to believe what he branches of knowledge
heard
• There is coordination- rhythm and easy flow in his writing –
• Serious weakness – as a history writer – should it sustains interest throughout the narrative
know what grave errors – likely to commit
INDIAN HISTORIOGRAPHY If history is the reflection of what goes on in the realm of
reality – we have to revise our old notion (idea) that
ANCIENT PERIOD
Indians were poles apart from historical consciousness
Indian – one of the oldest civilization of the world
Certainly debate between those – think – ancient Indians
Older than Chinese and Greek were lacking of historical sense and those who think that they
did not have the historical sense - in favor of for the higher
India faced many – ups and down – it resulted to bigger gaps purpose
in the study of Ancient historiography
Undoubtedly there is limitless stuff of history concealed in
Not an easy task to study ancient Indian history the form of legends, myths, traditions, anecdotes, epics,
All records reveal – Indians touched every aspect of life in puranas and variety of – literary records which – not history
their writings in themselves but historical material of which history is
composed
If Chronology is the eye of history – ancient Indian
history will have always to be blind Ancient Indians did not build – historical mansions – cut the
quarries, brought the material, carved and softened it and
If history is a scientific record of unique events – Indians conceived of a plot without proceeding further to finish the
were ignorant of it project
If history is an inquiry into the past with the logical They deliberately avoid doing research
purpose of explaining its causes and consequences –
ancient Indians had no historical sense Lack of contact with the outside world – particularly in the
realm of ideas – political contacts were numerous – may be
If history is philosophy in motion – Indians could never a factor
be excelled
Roman historiography did not emerge until Rome conquered
If history is the record of the growth of human mind –
Greece
Indians do surely have a history – shape pattern may not
conform to the text book definition of history Arab historiography followed the Iranian traditions
Kalhana wore history – he was from Kashmir – exposed to • Has dealt at length on the merits of benevolent
Chinese and Islamic historical traditions despotism which comes closer to the idea of Plato..
• A chronicle of the king of Kashmir • Kalhana – touched on – drawbacks of feudalism
which leads to rivalries, conflict and instability in –
• Only region in India where – tradition of historical
political structure
writing in – real sense of – term was maintained
• Indirectly – suggests reforms in – form of government
• Owing to – fact that Kashmir was in contact with
other peoples possessing a stronger sense of history – • AL Basham stats… Kalhana’s attitude to history was
such as – Chinese and the people of Islamic world – general trend of – entire period
• Kalhana – son of Campaka – Rajatarangini consists • Kalhana – primarily as a poet and only secondarily
of – 8000 highly polished verses in eight books – as historian
composed in 1148 AD
Kautilya’s Arthasastra – fully discovered only in the 20th
• Kalhana had – historical sense – says – historian century – thanks to Shamasastri - became – motivating
should ‘make vivid before one’s eyes pictures of a factor for its search
bygone age’
R.C. Majumdar opined – after all we need not be so much
• Had a good conception of – proper sources for disappointed by the absence of historical literature – it is
writing history there in plenty if only we have the eyes to see it
• Had a critical mind which did not accept as true It may not be in the way presented to us by Herodotus or
whatever was mentioned in – sources Thucydides
• He utilized all – data of – chronicles that were K.A. Neelakanta Sastri’s statement – ‘literature is, in other
available to him including – inscriptions and – countries, the base of history, in India it is often a snare’.
prasastis of – earlier kings, as also – coins of – past Appears very strange indeed
• Has written making full use of – traditional chronicles
If history is an X-ray machine that gives us an idea of the • Moral values – degraded due to – polyandry
inner working of the human mind, that existing literature
PURANAS
serves exactly that purpose
Provide immense material for ancient Indian
RAMAYANA
historiographers
Heroic poems or legends
These – some kind of historical novels
Ramayana high lights – ancient monarchical form of
18 in number – gave knowledge about ancient dynasties
government
These – probably composed in the 8th century B.C
Society existed caste system and Brahmins – high place in
society Vishnu, Vayu, Bhagawat, Matsya and Brahma Puranas –
significant from – historical point of view
Father – head of the family
Provide source material for the Nandas, the Mauryas and the
People – expected to live pure, simple and spiritual life
Kushans
Polygamy prevailed in Royal families
Also provides history of royal families, evolution of State
MAHABHARATHA and all events from – days of Buddha till the end of the rule
of Guptas
• Longest epic of the world
Puranas tell us – powerful dynasties in – South – Kanvas,
• Tells – during Mahabharata age monarchy – still the form of
Sungas and Andhras
government
Matsya Purana give – main events about the Andhras
• Throws light on – Later Vedic Period
Important contribution – give us genealogical (ancestral)
• Polygamy still existed among royal
lists of the rulers – which not found in any sources
• Position of women – became lower
• Educated imparted by the gurus
BUDDHIST LITERATURE
Made valuable contribution to Indian historiography Contributed to – development of Indian historiography
A religious literature – possess rich material – history writing Wrote – ‘Harsha Charita’ – first quarter of 7th century A.D
Include “Tripitakas” – throw light – important event of life Harsha Charita – biography of his patron Pushyabhuti
of Buddhist Harsha
The Vinayapitaka – describes – foundation of the Buddhist It is not merely a work of history – a literary work
community
Bana does not provide – complete life of Harsha – he made
Proceeding apparently in chronological order to record attempt to mix historical and fictitious (untrue) stories and –
subsequent evens pointed out how Harsha go it the fortune
Sittu Pitika and Abhidarmma Pitika – throws light on Socio- BILHANA
economic, politicval and religious condition of India during
Belong to a Kashmiri Brahmin family
the 6th century B.C
Chalukya king of Kalyani Somesvara Patronised Bilhana
Mahavishashya – by Asva Ghosha another Buddhist
literature – deals with important aspect of Indian history Produced the play ‘Karnasundari’ – written about marriage
of Karnadeva I of Anihlvad with Mayamalladeva
Gives – information about Chandra Gupta Maurya, Ashoka
and Kanishka Most important work Vikramagadeva Charita
JAIN HISTORIOGRAPHY Says historical facts about Vikramaditya VI – as a generous
person
Parisistha Parvana by Hem Chandra and Vijakshyaprijnapti
– point out – many historical happenings of great importance
Padma Charita by Vimala – Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa –
throw lights on Vikramaditya and conquest of – Sakas and
Scythians
BANABHATTA