1. Understanding the Past: What, Where, How And When?

History is the study of the human past, exploring events, societies, and changes over time. Understanding what happened, where it occurred, how it unfolded, and when it took place are fundamental questions historians address. This involves examining timelines, geographical contexts, and the causes and consequences of events. The past is not a static narrative but a dynamic field of inquiry that helps us comprehend our present and shape our future.

2. General Sources and Methods

Historians rely on a variety of sources and methods to reconstruct the past. Primary sources, such as documents, artifacts, and eyewitness accounts created during the period being studied, offer direct evidence. Secondary sources, like history books and scholarly articles, interpret and analyze primary sources. Historical methods involve critical evaluation of sources for authenticity, bias, and reliability, allowing historians to build a credible narrative of past events.

3. Ancient Indian Sources

Understanding ancient India relies on diverse primary sources. Literary sources include religious texts like the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Buddhist and Jain literature, and secular works like the Arthashastra. Archaeological sources are equally vital, comprising ruins of ancient cities, inscriptions on rocks and pillars, coins, pottery, and tools. These sources provide insights into the political, social, economic, and religious life of ancient civilizations in the Indian subcontinent.

4. Medieval Indian Sources

The study of medieval India (roughly 8th to 18th centuries) benefits from a rich array of sources. Literary sources include chronicles (like the Rajatarangini), court histories (e.g., biographies of rulers), travelogues by foreign visitors (like Ibn Battuta and Faizi), and administrative records. Archaeological evidence, such as forts, mosques, tombs, and surviving manuscripts, also provides invaluable information about the political dynamics, cultural exchanges, and societal structures of this era.

5. Colonial and Modern Indian Sources

Sources from the colonial and modern periods (from the 18th century onwards) become more abundant and varied. Colonial sources include administrative records, census reports, official correspondence, and writings of the British East India Company and later the Crown. Modern Indian sources encompass newspapers, journals, autobiographies, biographies, private papers of leaders, national archives, and oral histories. These materials shed light on India's transition, nationalist movements, and the development of modern India.