What is History..? The Smart Introduction

• History is gateway to all subjects.

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As I said in my welcome post, I came up with my first real post about history. I'm hoping to make you understand about What is History? Soo I bring you this post..

The word "History" is derived from the Greek term "Istoria". In Greek "Istoria" means what we come to know as a result of an experiment. The English meaning of the word "History" too is similar to that meaning. History is a subject which shows clearly how the human society developed "This happened like this" is one of the oldest definitions of history. However, this definition does not clearly answer the question 'What is history?' The task of history is to observe the political, economic and cultural  environment of human beings who lived in past, how their present conditions developed on those experiences and how they should plan their future based on them.

History explains how time and space influenced man. According to Collingwood we study history to get a clear understanding about particular state of affairs. According to Bradely, History is the only story of humanity which acts differently at different situations. T.S. Eliot says that if a person could study the life of a society of another period he studies his own life.

History is mother of all other sciences. Trevylian says history is not an isolated subject, but a mixture of all other subjects. According to H.G. wells, human history is the history of human ideologies. "History teaches who the man is and what the man has done" says Collingwood. History is the gate way to all other subjects.

History is the record that provides a critical analysis of the past of a nation through various sources and other means of information. History is a phenomenon that changes rapidly. Professor Jeofry describes about history as a subject that presents rapid changes. History shows that there is no value for anything if it does not change.

Teaching only modern history makes one learn what is closer to him, but not what is far away from him. However, once you learn about past you will get a clear understanding about the past as well as the present. History is a study that concerns about the past with perspective of the present. It is a subject that should be recorded and evaluated. The past the historians studies is not a dead concept but a living one. Hence historians must have a creative vision when referring to the past.

In the book, "What is History?" E.H. Carr states that the task of the historian is not to present how something actually happened  but to evaluate what had happened. Thus, History is an everlasting conversation between the past and the present. 

With the hope of meeting you with a new post saying happy day for you!.