SCOPE OF HISTORY AND RELATIONS WITH OTHER DISCIPLINES

SCOPE OF HISTORY AND RELATIONS WITH OTHER DISCIPLINES

            The historian’s area of interest in the society as a whole. The holistic approach of history develops out od the understanding of the scope of history. Tehrefore, other disciplines which throw light on societies have their relevance to history, enriching each other.

When we talk of the scope of history, there are two ways in which it is looked at. One way is the Traditional scope which is still very dominant idea even now. This traditional scope of history looks at history of different dynasties, different regimes, i.e dynastic history. This has been dominant for so long and it covers only one aspect of development of the society, that is political. The general masses of the society are nor perceived in the traditional scope.

There began to deveop a challenge to this traditional scope. In an attempt to try and challenge this, a ‘new history’ develops to try and understand a particular area of development in a wider perspective. This tries to reconstruct history based on different section of the American people. The forerunner of this was Charles Beard. His most significant work was his study of the American Constitution, by developing a methodology by looking at it from th people’s perspective.

One of the most recent challenge began from France and Germany. In stead of the traditional scope of history, they tried to reconstruct histry from below. One of the methodology for this was the Subaltern school which tries to study the different aspects of society. But the fact remains that traditional scope of history still remains very important for the historians to grapple with. It is therefore important to atudy the limitations of traditional scope of history.

One of such is that the traditional scope is very limited. Its approach is very limited. There is complete lack of other civilization to their writing. The historians concentrated only on their own civilization. This is a major problem of the traditional scope of history.

That is why, historians have been feeling that the cope of history has to be widened. Other major drawback of the traditional scope s that its perception is very limited. It alsi fails to comprehend that the content of history varies according to the material/methos available to the historian. This is te very basic element of history which the traditional scope of history fails to adjust itself to. It is because the traditional scope of history has not been able to give a very clear idea of the basic element of history.

Till the 16^th century, the materials which were available to the historians are very limited and the methodology of the writing of history were also not very well developed.

From 17^th century, a radical change began to take place in both the availability if materials and methodology. Scientific methods became available to the historians. The materials available began to widened. As a result of geographical discoveries, historians also benefitted from the expansion of knowledge. With the accumulation of knowledge, we find that there Is a big change coming in the methodology of history and these developments gave a new impetus to the scope of history in the post 17^th century.

A lot of new materials came in the 18^th and 19^th century with the collection of so much informations, a lot if new materials become available to the historians. European achives began to be opened. By the 19^th century, there was a pressure on the rulers that theyr were asked to open their archive records. This opening of the archives for the historians came almost as a revolution for history. History was now based on archival material. The archives mainaained records only of the rulers and therefore, they present only the ruler’s perception of thata particular development, so they tend to be one-sided.

The history from the 19^th century began to develop firmlu on their own. (Political history based on archival resources). By the 19^th century, the shape of history became greatly widened, including wider areas on which material is available.

The late 19^th century and 20^th century saw the possibility of arcaheological excavations which led to the expansion of knowledge and information. In the 20^th century, the scope of history began to undergo a change.

Today, the scope of history is very wide. It includes almost all aspect of the lives of the people. The historian of today would study the evolution of society, social formations, politics which govern power relationship, economic life of the people, cultural history of a society, philosophical and literary traditions, science and technological development . All these fall within the range of the historian today.

History is an integral component of world outlook that unites past, present and future, creates an integrated picture of the world and brings out the personal and human perspectives. History enables us to recognize our own fate, and that of the human race, and to become aware of the interconnections of nations and cultures, and provides a possibility of foreseeing the future. History also analyzes such concepts important for historical research as historical fact, historical truth ans the laws of history. It examines the structure and content of historical line and the peculiarities of historical explanation and prediction, and the interrelation of historical and sciencetific knowledge.

Thus, with gradual development in concept and meaning of history, the scope became wider.