History of Bangladesh and World Civilization · Classes 9-10 · Chapter 1
Classification of history.
One book is about the history of your upazila, another about the history of markets and trade. Both are history, yet they are sorted by two different yardsticks. Which yardsticks, and how many parts does each give?
1. Hard to divide, and still we divide
It is hard to cut history into branches, for three reasons. New subjects keep getting their own histories. History ceaselessly carries the past into the present. And people, society, civilization and life-style lean on each other and complete each other, so none of them fits neatly into a box of its own.
Still, to make study, discussion and research easier, history can be divided into two main groups: geographical history and thematic history.
2. Divided by place
Geographical history is the division of history made for understanding it from the side of geographical situation. Here the basis of the division is place.
It has three groups: local or regional history, national history and international history.
3. Divided by theme
The history written on the basis of one particular subject is called thematic history.
Its scope is very wide. In general it can be divided into five parts: political, social, economic, cultural and contemporary history. So cultural history belongs to thematic history.
See the whole division in one picture. Open the two branches, then count the leaves.
branchescount 3 and 5
Two divisions of history
History
Geographical basis: place
local or regional
national
international
Thematic basis: subject
political
social
economic
cultural
contemporary
4. Which one goes where
It is easy to mix up the three and the five. Ask one question of every name: does it point to a place, or to a subject?
sort themlook at the basis
Divided by place or by theme?
Pick up a chip, then drop it in a box.
Right. Next one.
Not yet. Ask whether the name points to a place (local, national, international) or to a subject.
All in place. Three by place, five by theme.
Now tell the kind from the title. The titles are imaginary. Decide first: place or theme? Then tap to check.
imaginary titlesplace or theme?
Tell the kind from the title
Local or regional history. It is about one small area, so the basis is place: geographical history.
National history. The whole country is the place here, so this is geographical history too.
International history. The place stretches over the whole world: the third group of geographical history.
Economic history. Here the subject, not the place, is the basis: thematic history.
Cultural history. This too is divided by subject, so it belongs to thematic history.
All five seen. A place in the name gives one of the three, a subject gives one of the five.
5. Check yourself
Three questions in the exam's style. Start with the first.
check yourselfpick one answer
Question 1
Into how many parts can thematic history be divided?
Two is the number of main divisions; thematic history has five parts.
Three is the number of parts of geographical history.
Not four; the book gives five parts of thematic history.
Right. The book’s answer: thematic history is divided into five parts.
In the second, pin down the basis of the division.
check yourselfpick one answer
Question 2
How is thematic history written?
Right. The book’s answer: thematic history is written on the basis of a particular subject.
Not a single event; the basis of thematic history is a particular subject.
Not a story; the basis is a particular subject.
A place is the basis of geographical history, not of thematic history.
In the last, do not mix up the three and the five.
check yourselfpick one answer
Question 3
According to the book’s classification, cultural history belongs to which history?
Right. The book’s answer: cultural history is one of the five parts of thematic history.
Regional history is part of geographical history; cultural history is a thematic one.
National history is part of geographical history; cultural history is a thematic one.
International history is part of geographical history; cultural history is a thematic one.
The whole note on seven cards.
cut from the notetap to turn over
Seven cards
QuestionWhy is it hard to divide history into branches?
AnswerBecause history is ceaseless and people, society, civilization and life-style are close to and complete each other.
QuestionInto how many main parts can history be divided for study and research, and which?
AnswerTwo: geographical history and thematic history.
QuestionWhat is meant by geographical history?
AnswerThe division of history made for understanding from a geographical angle: local, national and international.
QuestionInto how many parts is geographical history divided?
AnswerThree: local or regional, national and international.
QuestionWhat is thematic history?
AnswerHistory written on the basis of a particular subject.
QuestionWhat are the five parts of thematic history?
AnswerPolitical, social, economic, cultural and contemporary history.
QuestionWhich history does cultural history belong to?
AnswerThematic history.
Source: History of Bangladesh and World Civilization, Classes 9-10 (NCTB), Chapter 1 “Introduction to History”, the “Classification of history” part.