NCERT Book Class 8 Social Science (History) Chapter 1 How, When and Where

1 Introduction:
How, When and Where

How Important are Dates?
There was a time when historians were
fascinated with dates. There were heated
debates about the dates on which rulers
were crowned or battles were fought. In
the common-sense notion, history was
synonymous with dates. You may have
heard people say, “I find history boring
because it is all about memorising
dates.” Is such a conception true?
History is certainly about changes
that occur over time. It is about
finding out how things were in the
past and how things have changed.
As soon as we compare the past with
the present, we refer to time, we talk of
“before” and “after”.
Living in the world we do not always
ask historical questions about what
we see around us. We take things for
granted, as if what we see has always
been in the world we inhabit. But most of
us have our moments of wonder, when we are
curious, and we ask questions that actually are historical. Fig. 1 – Brahmans offering the
Watching someone sip a cup of tea at a roadside tea stall, Shastras to Britannia, frontispiece
you may wonder – when did people begin to drink tea or to the first map produced by
James Rennel, 1782
coffee? Looking out of the window of a train you may ask
Rennel was asked by Robert Clive
yourself – when were railways built and how did people
to produce maps of Hindustan.
travel long distances before the age of railways? Reading An enthusiastic supporter
the newspaper in the morning you may be curious to know of British conquest of India,
how people got to hear about things before newspapers Rennel saw preparation of maps
began to be printed. as essential to the process of
domination. The picture here
tries to suggest that Indians
 Activity willingly gave over their ancient
texts to Britannia – the symbol of
Look carefully at Fig.1 and write a paragraph explaining British power – as if asking her
how this image projects an imperial perception. to become the protector of Indian
culture.

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