Lesson 1 - Meaning and Relevance of History

History

The study of past events and their causes.

Historia

Knowledge acquired through inquiry or investigation. This is the Greek origin of the word "history."

History (Latin Definition)

The account of the past of a person or a group of people through written documents and historical evidence.

Historiography

The study of history itself, focusing on how history is written.

Traditional Historians

These historians believe historical events need written documents to be proven as facts.

Other Historical Sources

These include artifacts, architecture, songs, epics, and spoken stories. Historians use these when written documents are missing.

Primary Sources

These are sources produced when a past event happened, often by the people involved. Examples are documents, artifacts, and letters.

Secondary Sources

These are materials created by someone who studied a primary source. Textbooks are an example.

External Criticism

This process checks historical evidence by looking at its physical traits and its fit with the time it was made. It examines language, ink, and paper.

Internal Criticism

This involves checking the content of a historical material for its truthfulness. It looks at the author's analysis, its context, and its purpose.