Chapter 4: Timeline and Sources of History

1. What is History?

History is the study of the human past.

It helps us understand how the present is connected to the past.

Famous historian E.H. Carr called it a “dialogue between the present and the past.”

2. Measuring Time in History

We use timelines to understand when events happened.

Gregorian Calendar is used all over the world today. It counts years using:

CE (Common Era) = After Jesus Christ’s birth (e.g., 1947 CE)

BCE (Before Common Era) = Before Jesus Christ’s birth (e.g., 560 BCE)

To calculate time between BCE and CE:

Add both years and subtract 1.

Example: 560 BCE to 2024 CE = 560 + 2024 - 1 = 2583 years ago

Terms to Remember:

Century = 100 years (e.g., 21st century is 2001 to 2100)

Millennium = 1000 years (e.g., 3rd millennium CE is 2001 to 3000)

 3. How Do We Learn About the Past?

Different experts study the past in different ways:

Geologists – Study Earth’s surface like soil and mountains.

Palaeontologists – Study fossils of plants, animals, and humans.

Anthropologists – Study human life and cultures.

Archaeologists – Dig up old tools, pots, bones, etc. to learn about people’s lives long ago.

4. Sources of History

Sources are things that give us information about the past.

Types of Sources:

1. Archaeological Sources

Excavations (digs)

Coins, tools, weapons, pottery, toys

Buildings and burials

2. Literary Sources

Books, poems, plays, religious texts (like the Vedas)

Scientific texts, travel stories, and records

3. Oral Sources

Stories, songs, folklore passed from one generation to another

4. Artistic Sources

Paintings, sculptures, carvings

Historians use many sources together to understand the past. Sometimes sources agree, and sometimes they don’t.

5. How Did Early Humans Live?

Modern humans (Homo sapiens) appeared about 300,000 years ago.

They lived in groups for safety and shared food.

Early people were hunters and gatherers.

They lived in caves or shelters, made stone tools, and used fire.

They also made rock paintings, ornaments, and used simple language.

6. First Farmers and Settlements

After the Ice Age, the climate improved.

People began:

Farming crops

Taming animals like cows and goats

Settling near rivers for water and fertile land

Communities formed and shared land and tools.

Over time, villages grew into towns.

New inventions:

Pottery for storage

Metal tools (first copper, then iron)

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1. Project – Write the history of your family or village

(Sample points for a family history)

  • Sources used: Photographs, elders’ memories, old documents, ration cards, land records.

  • Details: Names of grandparents and great-grandparents, their occupations, birthplaces, and major events in their lives.
    (Since this is a project, students would write their own version.)

2. Can we compare historians to detectives? Give reasons.

Yes, historians can be compared to detectives because:

  • Both collect clues (historians use sources of history; detectives use evidence).

  • They cross-check information from different sources to find the truth.

  • They solve mysteries about events — historians solve mysteries of the past, detectives solve mysteries of crimes.

  • Both require careful observation, reasoning, and analysis.

3. Exercises with dates

(a) Chronological order (earliest to latest):
1900 BCE → 323 BCE → 100 BCE → 100 CE → 323 CE → 1090 CE → 2024 CE

(b) Chandragupta’s birth – 320 CE

  • Century: 4th century CE

  • Years after Buddha’s birth (Buddha ~ 560 BCE):
    560+320−1=879560 + 320 - 1 = 879

(c) Rani of Jhansi – 1828 CE

  • Century: 19th century CE

  • Years before India’s Independence (1947 CE):
    1947−1828=1191947 - 1828 = 119

(d) 12,000 years ago →
If we take the present year as 2024 CE:
2024+12,000−1=14,0232024 + 12,000 - 1 = 14,023
So, it would be about 10,000 BCE.

4. Visit to a museum

(Sample points for a report)

  • Preparation: Researched that the museum has ancient tools, coins, sculptures, manuscripts.

  • Interesting aspects: Saw real Harappan pottery, old coins from the Mauryan period, weapons from medieval India.

  • Unexpected finding: A rare palm-leaf manuscript in Sanskrit.

  • Fun part: Interactive digital displays about ancient cities.

5. Invite an archaeologist or historian

(Expected output)

  • Prepare questions beforehand (e.g., What are the oldest monuments in our region? How do we protect heritage sites?).

  • Note down key points from the talk.

  • Share in class why local history is important for identity and culture.