Concealed in Time

Concealed in Time A research topic is the starting point for historians, who then look for the relevant sources to create a credible story that addresses the question. One problem is that although written sources are unquestionably helpful, they frequently omit crucial information. For instance, a lot of them simply discuss the lifestyles of the privileged. Finding knowledge on historical kings, queens, and other rulers is not too difficult, but what about their families? Their attendants? What about the common folks who were subject to their authority? Due to a lack of documentation on their lives and experiences, several groups of individuals are still unknown in our historical narrative. In. the 1960s, historians started to transform the field by approaching history "from the bottom up." That is to say, they started concentrating just on the groups that had been disregarded for a long time. To shed light on the lives of the impoverished and uneducated, they consulted materials such as church records, newspapers, and court proceedings. One setting where people from all walks of life might record their statements as witnesses or accused parties was during court proceedings. Parents also looked for those who could write letters to have loved ones who had been convicted of crimes pardoned. These kind of materials provide light on people whose voices were seldom heard, either during their lifetime or after they passed away. The study of social history, which goes beyond politics to examine the day-to-day activities of people in the past, has advanced significantly. However, it is still challenging to represent minorities, the impoverished, and women on an equal basis with those who have historically occupied positions of power due to a lack of evidence. Certain parts of the world may also be subject to these sorts of restrictions. Historical records from long-standing civilizations are frequently. more comprehensive than those from less established ones. For instance, a great deal is known about the histories of China and Europe, both of which have a strong literary heritage. After all, China had Sima Qian, and Europe had Herodotus. The fifth-century BCE historian Herodotus is regarded as the founder of Western history since he chronicled the Greco-Persian wars. Due to his extensive history of the Han dynasty in Records of the Grand Historian, Sima Qian, who was born in the middle of the second century BCE, is known as the father of history in China. India and the Middle East both have extensive literary traditions. Less historical information is available in Africa and Latin America. When the Europeans came in Latin America, the historical record was drastically changed. The invaders purposefully destroyed the writing of the Indigenous people because they thought that a large portion of it described a religion and society they intended to supplant. Africa's history is difficult to write because of its vastness, complexity, and colonial past. Extreme weather conditions make it difficult to locate extant written records and even archaeological data, and what little is known about written history is sometimes distorted by the prejudice of the colonial observers who recorded it. In all areas, historians who are trying to comprehend history as it was and who are looking with new eyes are producing new scholarship. Read Chinua Achebe on the Value of Indigenous History and think about the questions raised to get some understanding of how history is important to the present.