Maharashtra Board Class 7 History Chapter 1 Sources of History PDF Download

Sources Of History

We studied ancient Indian history last year. This year, we are going to study the medieval period of Indian history. Broadly, the period from the ninth century CE till the end of the eighteenth century CE is considered to be the medieval period of Indian history. In this lesson, we are going to study the sources of medieval history.

History gives us a chronological, scientific and systematic account of past events.

Four factors are very important from the viewpoint of history. They are - Individuals, Society, Place and Time. History must be based on authentic evidence or proofs. These proofs are known as the sources of history.

Let us classify these sources into material sources, written sources and oral sources to learn more about them. Let us also evaluate the sources of history.

We have to consider many factors related to the historical event that we want to study. It is necessary to support our study with historical sources. These sources have to be verified. We have to see whether they are authentic. It is necessary to use these sources judiciously and only after a critical analysis.

Forts have an important place among material sources. Some major types of forts are hill forts, forest forts, sea forts and forts on the plains. Monuments include samadhis, graves, veergala and buildings include palaces, ministerial mansions, Queen's quarters (raniwasa) and also houses of common people. They all provide insights about that period. Looking at them, we come to know about the development of architecture, the economic conditions, the quality of art, style of the building construction and people's standard of living in that particular period.

Teacher's Note

Think about forts near your city. Visit them to see how they tell stories about kings and soldiers from long ago. Forts like Raigad Fort tell us many things about Maharashtra's history.

Exam Trick

Remember: Material sources = things you can touch and see, like forts, coins, and temples. You can hold a coin in your hand but you cannot hold a written story.

Points to Remember

Medieval period is from 9th to 18th century CE.
History needs four things: Individuals, Society, Place, and Time.
Material sources are things like forts, coins, and buildings.
We must check if sources are real and authentic.
Sources help us understand how people lived in old times.

How Do Coins Narrate History?

Since ancient times, coins like kavadi, damadi, dhela, pai, paisa, ana and rupee were used. Some local idioms or proverbs are based on coins. For example:

- 'Phutaki kavadi' means 'the lowest bit of money'.

- 'Solah aana sach' means 'Hundred percent true!'

The coins made by different rulers using metals like gold, silver, copper are important sources of history. From these coins we learn about the rulers, their period, governance, religious ideas, personal details, etc. Similarly, we also learn about the financial transactions and economic conditions prevailing at that time. We also see how far metallurgy had advanced in that period. From the images of Ram-Sita on the coins of Emperor Akbar or Shiva Parvati on the coins of Hyder Ali we see the religious co-ordination of those days. The Peshwas used the Arabic or Persian language on their coins. This throws light on the use of language in that period.

Teacher's Note

Ask your parents or grandparents about old coins they have seen. Try to find out if any older relative has kept old coins. These coins are real history in your hand.

Exam Trick

Remember: Coins show us the religion, language, and beliefs of rulers. If you see Ram and Sita on a coin, it means the ruler believed in Hindu gods. If you see Persian words, it means the ruler used Persian language.

Points to Remember

Coins are made from gold, silver, or copper.
Coins tell us about rulers and their time.
Pictures on coins show what rulers believed in.
Words on coins show what language people used.
Coins also tell us about trade and money in old times.

An inscription is a carving on a stone, or a wall etc. For example, the inscriptions found in the Brihadishwara temple premises in Tanjavur. Many inscriptions of the period of Chalukya, Rashtrakuta, Chola and Yadav kings have been found. An inscription is considered to be a very important and reliable source of history. It helps us to understand features like the language, script, social life of a period. Inscriptions carved on sheets of copper are known as 'copper plates'. Royal edicts, verdicts, etc. are inscribed on copper plates.

Chaityas, Viharas, temples, churches, mosques, agiaries, durgahs, mukbaras, gurudwaras, monuments, sculptures, wells, minarets, village boundaries and gates, weapons, utensils, ornaments, clothes, decorative articles, toys, implements, musical instruments are all material sources of history.

Teacher's Note

Many temples in India have inscriptions on their walls. These carvings tell us about kings and queens from hundreds of years ago. Visit a local temple and look for old carvings on the walls.

Exam Trick

Remember: Inscriptions = writings on stones that are very old. They are like messages from the past that rulers left for us to read. Copper plates are inscriptions made on metal sheets instead of stone.

Points to Remember

Inscriptions are writings carved on stone and walls.
Copper plates are inscriptions written on metal sheets.
Inscriptions tell us about the language and script used long ago.
They show us how people lived and what they believed.
Many inscriptions are found in temples and old monuments.

Written Sources

We learn about significant historical events in the medieval period from sources like the writing styles of scripts like, Devanagari, Arabic, Persian, Modi etc. as also from the varieties of different languages, bhurjapatras, religious manuscripts, treatises, edicts, decrees, biographies, paintings, etc. We can gather information about the food items, attire, conventions and rules of conduct of the people, festivals and about people's life etc. from these sources. Sources of this type are called 'written sources' of history.

During this period, travellers from other countries came to India. They have written travelogues or accounts of their travels. Some of them are Al Biruni, Ibn Batuta, Niccolao Manucci. Babur's biography, 'Shrishivbharat' or the Sanskrit biography of Shivaji Maharaj composed by the poet Paramanand as well as various other biographies of different rulers and their correspondence help us to understand the policies and administrative systems of the rulers and their diplomatic relations with others.

Tavarikh or Tarikh means the sequence of events. Tavarikhs written by Al Biruni, Ziauddin Barani, Maulana Ahmed, Yahya Bin Ahmed, Mirza Hyder, Bhimsen Saxena, etc. are available. Bakhar is a type of chronicle that originated in Maharashtra. Chronicles help in understanding aspects like the contemporary political happenings, linguistic transactions, cultural life, social conditions, etc. Many of the chronicles in Marathi were written many years after the events had occurred. As a result, they are seen to rely on hearsays. Some of these chronicles are Mahikavatichi Bakhar, Sabhasad Bakhar, Chitnisachi Bakhar, Bhausahebachi Bakhar, etc. The works of contemporary western historians like Robert Arm, M.C.Sprengel and Grant Duff are also important.

Teacher's Note

Al Biruni was a traveller from a foreign country who came to India and wrote about what he saw. His writings are like a diary that tells us about India from long ago. You can find his stories in history books.

Exam Trick

Remember: Written sources = books, letters, diaries, stories written by people long ago. If a king wrote an order or a traveller wrote a diary, these are written sources. Think of it like your school diary - it is a written source about your school life.

Points to Remember

Written sources are books, letters, and stories written in the past.
Travellers from other countries wrote about India in their travel books.
Kings and rulers wrote orders on metal sheets called copper plates.
Biographies tell us about the life of important people.
Chronicles are long stories about events that happened over many years.

Oral Sources

Oral sources: We understand various aspects of folk life through folk literature traditionally passed on from generation to generation. Some examples are - owis, folk songs, powadas, folk tales, legends, and myths. Such type of sources are called 'oral sources' of history.

History is written with the help of the three types of sources mentioned above. Even after it has been written down, research on it goes on continuously. New sources and information come to light through this research. Then history has to be rewritten accordingly. We can see that our history books and those of our parents and grandparents, differ to a certain extent.

The Powada Of Tanaji

Given below is an extract from a powada composed by Tulashidas Shahir. He portrays the Kondhana campaign in it. The powada contains beautiful character sketches of Tanaji, Shelarmama, Shivaji Maharaj, Veermata Jijabai, etc.

Teacher's Note

Powadas are old songs that tell stories about brave warriors and kings. In Maharashtra, people still sing powadas to remember their history. Ask your grandmother or grandfather to tell you powadas they know.

Exam Trick

Remember: Oral sources = stories told by mouth from grandparents to parents to children. Like when your grandmother tells you stories about her childhood. These stories are passed from one person to another, not written in books.

Points to Remember

Oral sources are stories told by mouth from old people to young people.
Folk songs and powadas are oral sources that tell stories of heroes.
Legends and myths are stories people tell that may or may not be completely true.
Oral sources help us know what common people believed and how they lived.
Sometimes oral sources are not written down, so we must listen carefully to remember them.

This is a preview of the first 3 pages. To get the complete book, click below.