HISTORIOGRAHY

HISTORIOGRAPHY
Every modern historian should
know how history has been
written
In practical sense would teach
him much more than the
theoretical study of historical
writing

 It is history of historical thought

An independent branch of history
in its own right
It is neither solely political, nor
social, nor cultural, nor moral nor
literary history
But in a way a combination of all
these into one

 Job not examination of

particular object but study of
ideas which prompted a
historian
Approach is to know
psychology of the historian
form an estimate of his work
To know his technique of writing

 Naturally Historiography occupies

unique place different from
theoretical or regular history
Is a separate branch by itself
nature and scope has a special
value to research
Rich market of history with variety
of shops Historiography forms it
own merchandise

 It entered field very late

Before 19th century hardly an
attempt to record the history of
historical writing
Just as all branches of natural
sciences Greeks were pioneers
to lay a firm foundation
History too they were

 The Greeks Romans Christians Jews

and Arabs very strong sense of history
Indian thought conscious of the
controversial nature
Excepting legends, myths and
traditions in Puranas we have hardly a
great historical writing comparable to
the historical literature of either West
or Middle East

ANCIENT HISTORIOGRAHY
GREEK HISTORIOGRAHY
Historiography Product of Greek
mind made it powerful branch
It did not begin until 5th or 6th
century before Christ
Not habit preserving any records
of their pasts

 The Greek mind nothing beyond the

Trojan War
Early writers so close to epic age
The charm of poetry they were
called logographers those who
combined words to make a speech
Job mainly to produce versified
word-puzzle or word-riddle
After Herodotus writers took to

 Earliest Greet Historiographers in

a way the poets whose songs do
contain a sketch of the conditions
of contemporary society
Homer belonged to this category of
poets his poems exhibits lot of
historical material
Hesiod another great poet

 Ballads first instrument for the rise of

historical literature
Thus logographers mark transition

from myth to history

Whereas Greece the growth

witnessed of the change from myth to

ballad ballad to history
In India remained myth and ballad

alone without pushing the ballad to the

next logical stage of history

HERODOTUS
Celebrated father of History
He who the link between the
logographers on the one hand and the
historians on the other
Hailed from Ionia place of great writers
and thinkers
Greek historiography never
predominantly Attica (province of
Socrates, Plato and Aristotle)

 Herodotus chose Persian Wars

subject of his history
He very fond of narrating stories
Croesus first prince of Asia who
attacked the Greeks
Herodotus gives his genealogy,
recounts his greatness and fall and
rise and fall of Median empire

 His narrative becomes more interesting

one central idea leads on to another, one
aspect to another, until the conflict he
narrates between the Greeks and the
Persians becomes a comprehensive
history both of Greece and of Persia
He traces the events after the death of
Cyrus when Persian power passed - to
Cambysses who conquered Asia and
Egypt

 Last two books of Herodotus

composed first in 456 to 445 B.C
Noteworthy feature writing
travel from place to place like
Arab historians obtain first-hand
information
Unity of his writing
First - noticeable in his history
consistence and continuity his entire
work

 Few weakness unavoidable

His ignorance of the language of the
other people
Excusable learning Persian or Egyptian
language not easy

Secondly inherent weakness to believe

what he heard
Serious weakness as a history writer
should know what grave errors likely to
commit

Thirdly his graze for style stood in

 Despite these
Possessed great virtues as intelligent
curiosity
Sincere purist of an object and clear
understanding of problem he could
easily be pronounced not only the
first also a great historian of the
world

Holds high place in respects

A story-teller never be surpassed

 No history has ever had a nobler

exponent than Herodotus says
Thucydides
Herodotus work in nine books
each named after one of the nine
muses or Greek Goddesses reside
over the branches of knowledge
There is coordination- rhythm and
easy flow in his writing it sustains

THUCYDIDES