Characteristics of History is very important for every nation and history student. It is the fascinating tale of man’s evolution, of his march on the road to civilisation, the mirror of what humanity thought and did during the many centuries which have rolled into oblivion. This story of mankind, as reflected in the pages of history, is both thrilling and depressing, no elevating, now inspiring, at once a tribute to the greatness of man and sad commentary on his lapses.
History explores complete records of Political event of Man
History, in the widest sense of the terms, is complete record of man’s activities in every possible, province of life. It embraces literature and philosophy, science and the arts, politics and sociology. A true historian is not concerned only with stirring and spectacular public events, great personages and dignitaries, but his endeavour is to * recapture the spirit of the past, to trace the main currents to thought and principles of conduct which governed and guided the people of a bygone-age.
However, objective and scientific his approach be, the will correlate events as cause and effect and thus discover the factors responsible for the rise and prosperity of a nation or the decline and fall of another. Thus in the course of his investigations he will be led to the knowledge of those basic ideas and principles which are indispensable for success and progress. Conversely, the historian will also throw light on those policies and lines of thought and action which inevitably lead man to his doom. The historian eventually rises to the stature of a philosopher capable of pronouncing a verdict on humanity’s past record. It is thus that history makes man wise.
History Teaches Us Our Mistakes That Is Why, Characteristics of History Are Very Important
It is said that failures are the pillars of success, and there is no better teacher than one’s own mistakes. Man learns through error and failure, and his past failings pave the way for his future success. If this be so, history, which is a storehouse of man’s numerous struggles and failures, must be a supreme teacher and its lessons valuable beyond measure. And one obvious and foremost lessons of history is that man’s salvation lies in unremitting toil, a persistent endeavour to reach his goal, despite all manner of odds, discouragement, frustration and difficulties.
The annals of mankind are rich in examples of men, who achieved success in the face of the most insuperable difficulties, opposition and bitter criticism. Columbus sailed across the Atlantic and discovered the New World, regardless of the opposition and mutiny of his vessel’s crew. Socrates cheerfully drank hemlock for the sake of truth; Jesus ended his life on the Cross and Liaquat Ali Khan braved the assassin’s bullet,, without faltering in the pursuit of their goal. Galileo discovered the truth about the heavens, though he had to pass his life in a dark dungeon. Scores of other scientists devoted themselves to prolonged, laborious research in the solitude of their laboratories, and eventually succeeded in extending the frontiers of human knowledge.
History Is closely linked to Renaissance
The call to ceaseless activity, the desire to know to unknown, to attain she unattainable and march perpetually on the road to progress is the essence of human life. This is the first great lesson that history should teach us. It was this sense of wonder, this insatiable curiosity which set the ancient Greeks to observe the heavens and earth and formulate the first principle of science and philosophy. It was this desire to make life better with every moment that passed which inspired them to build up a civilisation, a standard of art, literature and philosophy which continues to receive the world’s homage even now. It is this same zest of life and passion for progress which enabled the ancient Romans, the Egyptians, the Muslims during the Caliphates the people of Renaissance to reach the pinnacle of unfading glory and fame.
It Brings Great Informative Lesson For Every Nation
History thus brings home the great lesson that the constant endeavour to keep alive the voice of reason and the light of truth and readiness to accept new ideas and the capacity to adapt oneself to changing times have been chiefly responsible for putting nations in the forefront. Whenever man allowed the voice of reason to be drowned in the noise of superstition, conservatism and orthodoxy, developed a sense of self-complacency and consequent indolence * and apathy towards heroic and enterprising ventures in the realm of thought and action, he turned the hands of the clock back, to give up the quest for “fresh woods and pastures new” is to invite stagnation and eventual annihilation. The Middle Ages in Europe are rightly described as the Dark Ages, for during this period man turned a deaf ear to the counsels of reason and concealed the light of truth under the shadow of superstition and ignorance.
The great work done by the ancients in the field of art, philosophy, literature and science was ignored and civilisation became static, Feudalism and the tyranny of an all powerful Church, twisting and perverting the real teachings of Christianity, brought all progress to a standstill. In Pakistan too, the people lost their former vitality and enlightenment. The inspiring teachings of the Holy Quran and other religious books came to be warped by the quasi-religious codes of conduct: formulated by interested Brahmin priests. Hinduism lost its vigour and assimilative power and could not hold its own against the Islamic invaders from the plans of Central Asia. India lost her independence and came to be bound in the shackles of slavery for centuries. India, which had once attained a high water mark of civilisation and culture and established contact with a number of foreign countries became a backward nation.
History, it is said, never repeats itself. If repetition stands for an identical recurrences of past events, the observation is correct for no two events in the world taking place in different ages can be similar in every respect. Now underlying this diversity there is an essential unity. The basic pattern of human activity is often the same, for the fundamental laws, governing human life are eternal and unchanging, though their application and manifestation may vary with the passage of years.
