How Do We Periodise? l How, When And Where l Class 8 History

Periodisation enables us to comprehend the order of distinct occurrences as well as their outcomes. It captures the key characteristics of a specific era and enables us to distinguish it from other eras. To fully understand the traits and traits of a certain period in history, it is crucial to dive deeply into history.

Periodisation

How and Which Dates are important?

History undoubtedly involves changes that take place over time. Discovering how things were in the past and how they have changed is the goal. In some cases, assigning exact dates to processes that take place across time is wrong. The concept of dates interested historians. Understanding how things were in the past and how they have changed is central to the study of history. 

When we emphasize a specific set of occurrences as essential, dates become crucial. The history of British India can be divided into chapters according to the chronology of the lives of various individuals. It entails telling a tale in a way that makes sense and can be understood.

How can we Periodise?

James Mill believed that all Asian societies were less civilized than those in Europe. He recounted how despots of the Hindu and Muslim faith controlled India prior to the arrival of the British. Social life was dominated by superstitious customs, caste taboos, and religious intolerance. 

According to Mill, British hegemony could civilize India. In fact, Mill advocated the British conquest of every Indian territory in order to promote the welfare and enlightenment of the Indian populace. India could not have advanced without British assistance. Hindu, Muslim, and British eras can all be distinguished in Indian history.

This periodization has a unique issue:

•  It is incorrect to label any historical era as “Hindu” or “Muslim” because other religions coexisted there at the same time.
•  It is likewise inappropriate to define an era based on the religion of the ruling class. By doing so, you are implying that other people’s lives and ways of life don’t truly matter.
•  It is important to note that not even ancient Indian kings practised the same religion.

The “Colonial” Period

Colonization is the process of establishing dominance over a nation by another nation that results in social, economic, political, and cultural change. To put it another way, colonization is described as the exploitation of one nation by another, which results in alterations to its social, economic, cultural, and political systems.

In an effort to depart from British categorization, historians typically split Indian history into “ancient,” “medieval,” and “modern” periods. The term “modern” is a borrowing from the West, where modern was defined as the development of all qualities of modernity, including science, reason, liberty, democracy, and equality, whereas “medieval” was characterized as not having any of these features. This split is challenged because there was no equality, freedom, or liberty under British authority; as a result, many historians refer to that time as the “colonial” period.

Even this division has issues.

•  It is a periodization that was adopted from the West, where the development of all modernity’s forces—science, reason, democracy, liberty, and equality—was regarded as a hallmark of the modern era. A society that lacked these modern-day characteristics is referred described as medieval.
• This characterization of the modern era is challenging to accept because, while under British authority, there was no equality, freedom, or liberty for anyone. It also wasn’t a time of economic advancement and expansion. So, this time period is often referred to as “colonial” by historians.

Sources for Periodisation

• In administration, memos, notes, and reports are common because British people appreciate writing. Also, they carefully preserved important documents and letters. All administrative institutions maintain significant documents. Several copies of these documents were printed as the proceedings of each government agency by the middle of the nineteenth century as printing became more widespread.
• The act of surveying spread in popularity during the colonial era. In-depth surveys were being conducted to map the entire nation by the early nineteenth century. To learn about the geography, soil quality, vegetation, animals, local histories, and cropping patterns in the communities, revenue surveys were carried out.

FAQs on Periodisation of Dates

Question 1: What does “periodizing” mean?

Answer:

Periodizing is the process of dividing historical occurrences into multiple time periods.

Question 2: What does the term “colonization” mean?

Answer:

Colonization is the process of establishing dominance over a nation by another nation that results in social, economic, political, and cultural change.

Question 3: How did surveys come to be valued by the colonial government?

Answer:

Under colonial rule, surveying was another profession that spread. The British believed that before a nation could be effectively managed, it needed to be well known. In-depth surveys were being conducted to map the entire nation by the early nineteenth century. Revenue surveys were done in the villages. They created comprehensive records of the population in each region of India, including details on castes, religions, and occupations. There were numerous more surveys, including botanical, zoological, archaeological, anthropological, and forest surveys.