Page 5 - SST Class 08

ory Where, When and How
Hist
q An overview of the three periods
q Changing nomenclatures
q Sources of information
Introduction
History is the study of past events and the changes
that have taken place over time. The way of living of
our ancestors was very different from ours. In
history, we study the changes which occur over a
long period of time in different aspects of life, such
as social, cultural and economic life; military and
administrative aspects, scientific, technological and
industrial progress etc. Since it is a continuous flow
of events from time immemorial to the present, it is
difficult to divide it into any fixed time divisions.
However, for the ease of study, we can divide this
period into three periods—ancient period, medieval
period and modern period. You have studied the
ancient period and the medieval period in the
previous classes. In this class, we shall study the
modern period.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE THREE PERIODS
The three periods of history mark a change in the
flow of events. This is the reason that these three
periods are not considered to have started or
ended at the same time all over the world. For
example, the historians consider that the modern
period started in Europe in the fifteenth century;
while in India, the modern period started in the
eighteenth century. This variation in time is due to
the fact that different regions progressed at
different paces. The parts of the world which
progressed faster witnessed industrialisation and
modernisation earlier than other parts; while those
parts which lagged behind in progress had to
experience industrialisation and modernisation at
a much later date.
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q An overview of the modern period
q An outline of the time frame
Why we call the present age as modern period is
due to the fact that this period is nearer to us in
time and we have many evidences which
authenticate events of this period. Moreover, this
period has immense influence on our life.
Info Bits
Info Bits
We find under British rule that Indians did not have
equality, freedom and liberty nor we have economic
growth and progress. Therefore, many Indian
historians categorised this period as ‘colonial’.
Just Think!
For what purpose are dates important in history?
AN OVERVIEW OF THE MODERN PERIOD
In India, the modern period is deemed to have
begun after the death of Aurangzeb, the Mughal
emperor in 1707. As the later Mughals were not
strong enough, different parts of India came under
the rule of different rulers. The new powers in the
form of the Marathas, the Sikhs, the Rohilas, the
Pathans and the Rajputs started
to become important. This was,
of course, the time when the
Europeans entered the scene,
and they started to accumulate
trade and political power in
their hands; and thus began a Aurangzeb
new era of the modern period.
The modern period is identified with many
changes in India. It saw the dawn of new progress
Where, When and How
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