ANCIENT HISTORY
1. SOURCES
Ancient Texts from a Historical Point of View
An ancient text does not necessarily offer a simple or direct reflection of the society of its time. It
constitutes a complex representation of that society and a refracted image of the past. Information has to be
teased out with care, skill, and ingenuity to make historical inferences.
A text can be read in many different ways from a historical point of view, but certain important issues have
to be addressed while doing so. Foremost among these are its age and authorship of Ancient Texts:
Ancient texts are much older than their surviving manuscripts, and have had a life of their own. They
have grown and changed over time and this process of growth and change the period of composition
could in some cases have lasted for hundreds of years before they were compiled or given a more or
less final shape.
A text can be used as a source of historical information for the period during which it was composed,
but if the composition stretched over a long period of time, it becomes essential to identify its
different chronological layers and the various additions or interpolations made over time.
Many early texts were the work of not one, but many authors. It is important to identify authors'
background and the perspectives and biases they reflect, such as those of class, religion, and gender.
Other questions that can be asked about these texts include: Where were they composed and in which
geographical area did they circulate? What was the place of these texts within prevailing social and
political power structures and cultural traditions?
The information a text provides has to be carefully understood within the framework of the
particular genre or type of literature it represents. In the case of poetry or drama, the analysis
requires sensitivity to the and imagination.
A text may represent an ideal, not an actual situation and it cannot be read as a description of what
was actually happening at the time. Ancient texts often contain myths, and although myths can tell us
indirectly about history, the two should not be confused with each other.
Prakritaprakasha, Tolkappiyam tell us about the structure of ancient languages and they also contain
incidental historical references to their time.
Most of these works were not historical texts, i.e., they were not written with the conscious aim of
maintaining an account of what happened in the past. But, texts of any kind can be used as sources of
history.
,THE NATURE OF ANCIENT INDIAN HISTORICAL
TRADITIONS
View I
• Many scholars described the Indian past as a static society that registered no historical change, and
therefore it had no use for recording the past and used only cyclic time.
Alberuni had said that Indians had no sense of history and any query resulted in story- telling.
Early Colonial historians like V.A. Smith and H.H.Wilson said that art of historiography was absent in
ancient India.
Comparisons were made with ancient Greek and Chinese whose history was recorded by historians in
systematic manner
In China, chronicles of dynasties and rulers were maintained but such trend was absent in ancient India.
In India, there is absence of literature which can be described specifically as historical writing till 7th
century AD.
Though there are historical records inherent in some literature but they cannot be considered as
historical document.
7th century AD onwards, a number of historical biographies were written like Harshacharita by
Banabhatta but many of these were not treated as history writing because of absence of explanations
and critical assessments.
View II (Refuting View I)
Many Indian historians have defined what is sense of history.
According to Romila Thapar, the sense of history is in fact the consciousness of the past event presented
in organised framework but what event is considered relevant varies from one society to another and the
forms they have presented also vary one society to another.
Under this definition, it cannot be said that ancient Indians were devoid of sense of history and it is not
necessary that the document must be a purely historical document and these forms of presentation could
be mixed, genealogical records, historical narratives etc.
There is one significant element of history that is time and ancient Indians were well aware of it. It
followed both cyclic and linear systems of time.
Though there may not have been a conventional form of historical writing, there are nevertheless many
texts that reflect the historical consciousness of Ancient Indians.
There were three distinct historiographies (ways of explaining the past): Bardic tradition, the tradition
of the Puranas and Shramanic traditions.
In both the Puranic and Shramanic traditions, there was a gradual change in form, information and
comment, moving towards creating a historic tradition.
, Is there any evidence of an interest in preserving the memory of the past, of a historical tradition, in
ancient texts?
Romila Thapar has made a useful distinction between ‘embedded’ and ‘externalized’ forms of
history. Embedded history is where the historical consciousness has to be prised out, as in myth,
epic, and genealogy. Externalized history reflects a more evident and self-conscious historical
consciousness, reflected for instance in chronicles and biographies.
Thapar points out that the embedded forms of historical consciousness tended to be connected with
lineage-based societies and the externalized ones to state societies.
Later Vedic Texts:
Later Vedic texts contain certain types of compositions that reflect a historical consciousness.
These include the dana-stutis, gathas, narashamsis, and akhyanas. All these types of compositions
were directly connected with the performance of sacrifices (yajnas).
The dana-stutis are hymns praising the generosity and exploits of kings.
The gathas are songs in praise of kings, sung on the occasion of certain sacrifices.
Narashamsis were used in rituals and are preserved in texts such as the Brahmanas and
Grihyasutras.
Akhyanas are narrative hymns in dialogue form, referring to mythical and possibly
historical events.
Theking-lists in the Puranas and epics represent more substantial evidence of an ancient
Indian historical tradition.
The epics are known as itihasa, and are supposed to record things that actually happened (whether
they did happen in the way in which they are described is another issue).
Bards:
Bards known as sutas and magadhas played an important role in maintaining these historical
traditions.
The poets and bards of the ancient Tamil land who eulogized their royal patrons can also be seen
as creators and transmitters of a historical tradition.
Mythico-historical account: -
The Buddhist Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa ,which offer a mythico-historical account of how
Buddhism travelled to Sri Lanka, represent a historical tradition as well.
Mention may also be made of sacred biographies in the Buddhist, Jaina, and Hindu traditions.
Royal biographies and inscriptions:
Notwithstanding their eulogistic nature, royal biographies too reflect a historical tradition.
Mention can also be made of royal inscriptions, many of which have a prashasti containing the
king’s genealogy and references to his exploits, usually with a view to shower praise on him.
1. SOURCES
Ancient Texts from a Historical Point of View
An ancient text does not necessarily offer a simple or direct reflection of the society of its time. It
constitutes a complex representation of that society and a refracted image of the past. Information has to be
teased out with care, skill, and ingenuity to make historical inferences.
A text can be read in many different ways from a historical point of view, but certain important issues have
to be addressed while doing so. Foremost among these are its age and authorship of Ancient Texts:
Ancient texts are much older than their surviving manuscripts, and have had a life of their own. They
have grown and changed over time and this process of growth and change the period of composition
could in some cases have lasted for hundreds of years before they were compiled or given a more or
less final shape.
A text can be used as a source of historical information for the period during which it was composed,
but if the composition stretched over a long period of time, it becomes essential to identify its
different chronological layers and the various additions or interpolations made over time.
Many early texts were the work of not one, but many authors. It is important to identify authors'
background and the perspectives and biases they reflect, such as those of class, religion, and gender.
Other questions that can be asked about these texts include: Where were they composed and in which
geographical area did they circulate? What was the place of these texts within prevailing social and
political power structures and cultural traditions?
The information a text provides has to be carefully understood within the framework of the
particular genre or type of literature it represents. In the case of poetry or drama, the analysis
requires sensitivity to the and imagination.
A text may represent an ideal, not an actual situation and it cannot be read as a description of what
was actually happening at the time. Ancient texts often contain myths, and although myths can tell us
indirectly about history, the two should not be confused with each other.
Prakritaprakasha, Tolkappiyam tell us about the structure of ancient languages and they also contain
incidental historical references to their time.
Most of these works were not historical texts, i.e., they were not written with the conscious aim of
maintaining an account of what happened in the past. But, texts of any kind can be used as sources of
history.
,THE NATURE OF ANCIENT INDIAN HISTORICAL
TRADITIONS
View I
• Many scholars described the Indian past as a static society that registered no historical change, and
therefore it had no use for recording the past and used only cyclic time.
Alberuni had said that Indians had no sense of history and any query resulted in story- telling.
Early Colonial historians like V.A. Smith and H.H.Wilson said that art of historiography was absent in
ancient India.
Comparisons were made with ancient Greek and Chinese whose history was recorded by historians in
systematic manner
In China, chronicles of dynasties and rulers were maintained but such trend was absent in ancient India.
In India, there is absence of literature which can be described specifically as historical writing till 7th
century AD.
Though there are historical records inherent in some literature but they cannot be considered as
historical document.
7th century AD onwards, a number of historical biographies were written like Harshacharita by
Banabhatta but many of these were not treated as history writing because of absence of explanations
and critical assessments.
View II (Refuting View I)
Many Indian historians have defined what is sense of history.
According to Romila Thapar, the sense of history is in fact the consciousness of the past event presented
in organised framework but what event is considered relevant varies from one society to another and the
forms they have presented also vary one society to another.
Under this definition, it cannot be said that ancient Indians were devoid of sense of history and it is not
necessary that the document must be a purely historical document and these forms of presentation could
be mixed, genealogical records, historical narratives etc.
There is one significant element of history that is time and ancient Indians were well aware of it. It
followed both cyclic and linear systems of time.
Though there may not have been a conventional form of historical writing, there are nevertheless many
texts that reflect the historical consciousness of Ancient Indians.
There were three distinct historiographies (ways of explaining the past): Bardic tradition, the tradition
of the Puranas and Shramanic traditions.
In both the Puranic and Shramanic traditions, there was a gradual change in form, information and
comment, moving towards creating a historic tradition.
, Is there any evidence of an interest in preserving the memory of the past, of a historical tradition, in
ancient texts?
Romila Thapar has made a useful distinction between ‘embedded’ and ‘externalized’ forms of
history. Embedded history is where the historical consciousness has to be prised out, as in myth,
epic, and genealogy. Externalized history reflects a more evident and self-conscious historical
consciousness, reflected for instance in chronicles and biographies.
Thapar points out that the embedded forms of historical consciousness tended to be connected with
lineage-based societies and the externalized ones to state societies.
Later Vedic Texts:
Later Vedic texts contain certain types of compositions that reflect a historical consciousness.
These include the dana-stutis, gathas, narashamsis, and akhyanas. All these types of compositions
were directly connected with the performance of sacrifices (yajnas).
The dana-stutis are hymns praising the generosity and exploits of kings.
The gathas are songs in praise of kings, sung on the occasion of certain sacrifices.
Narashamsis were used in rituals and are preserved in texts such as the Brahmanas and
Grihyasutras.
Akhyanas are narrative hymns in dialogue form, referring to mythical and possibly
historical events.
Theking-lists in the Puranas and epics represent more substantial evidence of an ancient
Indian historical tradition.
The epics are known as itihasa, and are supposed to record things that actually happened (whether
they did happen in the way in which they are described is another issue).
Bards:
Bards known as sutas and magadhas played an important role in maintaining these historical
traditions.
The poets and bards of the ancient Tamil land who eulogized their royal patrons can also be seen
as creators and transmitters of a historical tradition.
Mythico-historical account: -
The Buddhist Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa ,which offer a mythico-historical account of how
Buddhism travelled to Sri Lanka, represent a historical tradition as well.
Mention may also be made of sacred biographies in the Buddhist, Jaina, and Hindu traditions.
Royal biographies and inscriptions:
Notwithstanding their eulogistic nature, royal biographies too reflect a historical tradition.
Mention can also be made of royal inscriptions, many of which have a prashasti containing the
king’s genealogy and references to his exploits, usually with a view to shower praise on him.
