Discuss the importance of other kinds of history than political history.
Normally when we speak of history, people take it to mean political history because all along it has been the impression created in the academic circles. So when a student says he studies history, more often than not, he means only the political history which deals with the rise and fall of a nation, the various dynasties that came on the scene, battles won or lost, treaties signed, territories gained or lost and so on and so forth.
However, it is worthwhile to remember there are histories which are as important as political history. Thus there are social history, constitutional history, history of literature, and history of philosophy. Man’s knowledge and achievements have grown so fast in the last few centuries, literally speaking, there is no faculty which cannot boast of a respectable history of its own.
After all, history treats with the beginning, stages of growth, agents of progress, or otherwise, the personalities on the scene, the action, and reaction both within and without, and so on in a particular area. Man has to know a lot today because of the complexities of life. A non-scientist may as well be interested in the Martian probe by Viking as a specialist in the field. In helping him appreciate the achievements of Viking he may learn the history of a space probe.
Let us look at the social history of a country. This will be woven round society as the nucleus. This will deal with the social forces acting on them, religion, industry, the social set up of the family, the ruler and the ruled, the force of law, and in general how the life flowed at that time. It may reveal how a particular incident, discovery, or invention changed the course of history and as such the life of the people in general. Thus the coming of the steam engine changed life, in England; the opening of the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal changed the course of commerce. The discovery of Petroleum and the invention of vulcanized rubber completely revolutionized road transport.
Similarly, a student of the constitution studies the history of the constitution. He could compare and contrast the various constitutions of the world, their historical bearing, and the social forces that went to effect certain constitutional changes. Whatever may be the form of the Government, a student of the constitution must have a competent knowledge of different constitutions to evaluate the constitution he is specializing in.
Then take the history of literature. This is as vast as the political history. Each language of the world has its own history. This will deal with the progress of literary thought of the time as reflected in the writings of poets, dramatists, novelists, and so on. This will help to appreciate the social history of a time because the literature of that time may throw lucid light on the persons, manners, customs and prevailing notions at that time. For example, if one studies Shakespeare he can easily appreciate Elizabethan England; so too if one studies Dickens one can have a clear idea about the England immediately after the Industrial Revolution. The ‘Tales of Two Cities’ for example, portrays France during the Revolution and the horrors of the guillotine can be vividly seen in the fate of Sydney Carton.
Then there is the history of science. Perhaps many are not aware that science to has a charming history of its own. From the time man learnt to make fire till to date, the progress of science has been steady and in recent times it has been so fast that it has overstepped the grasp of the ordinary man. There had been great giants of science whose names are a household word today. Which student of science does not know the name of Newton? One peculiarity about the history of science is, unlike the case of political history where conflicts and ruin are common, here it is one of construction still better knowledge of things and forces around man. The history of science is charming indeed. The importance of studying various histories can be appreciated.
