August 18, 2007

Why should we study history? What is its use? These are the questions that people generally ask about history. First of all there are a number of lessons that one can learn from history. For example, we know about the process of change. Nothing is permanent in this world. There is constant change in everything.

Every new generation wants to change the world according to its needs. We find that in the process, customs, habits, tradition and cultural practices also change. Therefore, we must be ready to accept change in every aspect of life because it is a sign of progress.

Conflict between old and new

When a change is in process, it creates a conflict between the old and new traditions and values. Old customs resist change and try to continue their practices. History shows that societies which conserve old traditions only and refuse to accept new ones, remain far behind others. For example, in our society feudalism is very entrenched and strong; feudal values do not allow a democratic culture to flourish.

In another example, women are not treated on the basis of equality and there are such customs as honour killing or karo kari which keep the status of women very low. It deprives our society of the energy and talent that women have and which they can contribute to the progress of society. If we continue to follow old, feudal traditions, we cannot compete with other nations. Doing so over a period of time can make a nation backward.

Progress and backwardness

History makes us conscious of progress and backwardness of nations. We can learn from history as to why some nations were well advanced in the past but then they declined and lost their glory. History tells us the causes of their decline and why they became backward.

History and identity

By studying history, we know our identity. It is an important factor in the life of a society because its consciousness keeps individuals united. With collective energy and a common goal society works for progress and advancement. If a society is on the road to progress, national identity gives pride to people.

Historical heritage

History provides us with knowledge about our historical heritage. It preserves the record of our literature, paintings, sculpture, music, architecture, dance, ideology and philosophy. Historical heritage inspires us to make our present as glorious as our past.

Understanding history

History is a continuous process. It is like a chain. However, to understand this process, historians divide it into different periods. The basis of this division is a turning point of history when some important change took place which influenced society’s social, political and economic setup. Generally, history is divided into ancient, medieval, and modern periods.

As our knowledge of history increases, we also divide ancient history into different parts. The earliest period of human civilisation when there was no writing system is known as the ‘pre-historic period’. It includes the old stone age, the middle stone age and the new stone age. Our source of knowledge of these periods is archaeology and geology.

In the bronze age, when writing system was introduced, our sources about history expanded. From this point onwards the historical period starts. For example, we have plenty of information about the Mesopotamian, Egyptian and Chinese civilisations. But our information about the Indus Valley civilisation is not complete because its script has yet to be deciphered. Once that happens, we’ll come to know in detail a lot of things about this great civilisation.