History of Bangladesh and World Civilization · Classes 9-10 · Chapter 1
The concept of history and heritage.
Have you ever pulled the word ‘Itihas’ apart? Two pieces sit inside it, and the first piece simply means heritage. That one word already tells you what history is about.
1. From itiho to Itihas
The word ‘Itihas’ (History) comes from the word ‘itiho’, and ‘itiho’ means heritage. Heritage sits at the very root of the word.
What is heritage? In the book’s definition it is the habits, education, language, art, culture and literature of the past, preserved for the future. And it is history that carries this heritage from one generation to the next. Below are eight chips. Sort them against the book’s definition.
sort themchip, then bin
What is heritage made of?
Pick up a chip, then drop it in a bin. What the book’s definition names is part of heritage.
Right. Next one.
Not yet. Ask: is it preserved from the past for the future, and is it named in the book’s definition?
All in place. The first five are in the book’s definition; the last three are not preserved parts of the past.
Now the link between heritage and history. Everything in the present has been built on the evolution and heritage of the past. And the account of that evolution and heritage is history.
2. Taking the word apart
The Bengali word ‘Itihas’ splits into itiho + as. Together they mean: it was like this, or it happened. It is the word for what has already taken place.
The English word ‘History’ did not come from Bengali. It comes from the Greek word ‘Historia’, and its Bengali synonym is ‘Itihas’. Walk through it in three steps.
step by stepeach step adds a piece
Where does the word ‘Itihas’ come from?
Step 1. ‘itiho’ → heritage The root of the word is ‘itiho’, which means heritage.
Step 2. itiho + as → it was like this, or it happened Two pieces joined make ‘Itihas’. It means: what happened.
Step 3. Greek ‘Historia’ → English ‘History’, Bengali synonym ‘Itihas’ The English word has a Greek source. Bengali ‘itiho’ and Greek ‘Historia’ are not the same thing.
3. What history sets before us
History sets out the investigated, researched and established truth of events. Hearsay and guesswork have no place in it. So, to investigate history deeply, one has to know its elements and its classification. That is what the next topics take up. Before that, run the four terms of this section through the cards.
term and meaningflip to see the meaning
Four words, four meanings
Worditiho
MeaningHeritage.
Wordas
MeaningTogether with itiho: it was like this.
Wordheritage
MeaningThe past’s habits, education, language, art, literature and culture.
WordHistoria
MeaningThe Greek source of the English word ‘History’.
4. Check yourself
Three questions in the exam’s style. Start with the first.
check yourselfpick one answer
Question 1
What does the word ‘itiho’ mean?
‘Search for truth’ is the dictionary meaning of the Greek ‘Historia’, not of ‘itiho’, which means heritage.
‘It was like this’ is the meaning of the full word (itiho + as); ‘itiho’ alone means heritage.
The book does not call ‘itiho’ a story; its meaning is heritage, the habits, language and culture of the past kept for the future.
Right. The book’s answer: ‘itiho’ means ‘heritage’.
Think the second one through before you pick.
check yourselfpick one answer
Question 2
The word ‘History’ comes from which word of which language?
Right. The book’s answer: the English ‘History’ comes from the Greek ‘Historia’.
The word ‘Historia’ is right, but the book names the language as Greek, not Latin.
‘Historis’ is the title of Herodotus’s book; the source of English ‘History’ is the word ‘Historia’.
Neither the language nor the word matches the book; the source is the Greek word ‘Historia’.
The last question takes you back to the root of this section.
check yourselfpick one answer
Question 3
To investigate history one has to know-
i. Elements of history ii. Classification of history iii. Scope of history
Right. i and ii: the book’s introduction says one must know the elements and classification of history.
Statement iii (scope) is not in that sentence’s list while ii (classification) is, so i and iii cannot be the pair.
Statement i (elements) cannot be left out; the book names both elements and classification.
Statement iii (scope) is not in that sentence of the book, so not all three, only i and ii.
The whole section on seven cards.
cut from the notetap to turn over
Seven cards
QuestionFrom which word does the word ‘Itihas’ originate?
AnswerFrom ‘itiho’
QuestionAccording to the book, what does heritage refer to?
AnswerHabits, education, language, art, culture and literature of the past, preserved for the future.
QuestionWhat passes heritage from one generation to the next?
AnswerHistory
QuestionOn what have all present matters been built?
AnswerOn the evolution and heritage of the past.
QuestionWhat does ‘itiho + as’ mean?
AnswerIt was like this, or it happened.
QuestionFrom which word of which language does the English word ‘History’ come?
AnswerFrom the Greek word ‘Historia’.
QuestionAccording to the book, what kind of truth does history present?
AnswerThe investigated, researched and established truth of events.
Source: History of Bangladesh and World Civilization, Classes 9-10 (NCTB), Chapter 1 “Introduction to History”, the “The concept of history and heritage” part.