History of Bangladesh and World Civilization · Classes 9-10 · Chapter 1
Necessity of studying history.
The past is over, so why study it? The book answers with a list of five jobs history does. The reason closest to home is already written on its first page.
1. What history is, and why we study it
Start with the definition: history is the representation of research-based facts of the evolution of human society and civilization. Facts found by research, laid out in order, are history.
Studying it helps people understand the present in the light of the past. It also helps them make assumptions about the future.
Through history we learn how society grew and how civilization evolved. So, in the interest of the country and the nation, and for the need of the individual, studying history is very important.
2. The five jobs of history
The first job is to increase knowledge: narrating the past widens the scope of what people know. The second is to increase self-esteem: knowing historical events, or how people's social life progressed, raises self-esteem.
The third is to enhance awareness. Once people know the ups and downs of civilizations, and the causes of their growth and fall, they tell good from bad more easily. They also stay aware of the consequences of their own deeds.
The fourth is to give lessons from examples. People learn from examples of past events and put those lessons to work for the present.
The fifth is to build the power of judgement and analysis. That power helps form a philosophical outlook, and an interest in acquiring knowledge follows.
Now four imaginary cases. Decide which job each one shows, then tap to check yourself.
imaginary casesrecall the four headings
How did it help?
Knowledge and self-esteem. Knowing events and the progress of social life widens knowledge and raises self-esteem.
Awareness. Knowing the causes of a fall lets you tell good from bad and stay aware of consequences.
Lessons from examples. A lesson was taken from a past example and applied to a present need.
Judgement and analysis. This power forms a philosophical outlook and brings an interest in knowledge.
All four seen. When an exam asks you to explain the necessity, write these headings.
Here are the five jobs and their results in one grid. Tap any row and the full sentence appears below.
gridmatch five pairs
Use and result
use
result
increases knowledge
the scope of knowledge widens
self-esteem
knowing events and the progress of social life
awareness
telling good from bad, awareness of consequences
examples
learning from the past, applying it to the present
judgement
philosophical outlook, interest in knowledge
Narrating the past helps increase the scope of human knowledge.
Knowing historical events or the progress of people’s social life increases self-esteem.
Knowing the causes of ups and downs, people tell good from bad and become aware of the consequences of their deeds.
People learn from examples of past events and apply them to better the present.
Judgement and analysis help form a philosophical outlook, and an interest in acquiring knowledge grows.
All five pairs seen.
3. To find the identity of a nation
The chapter's opening paragraph is itself an answer. To know the Bengali nation's struggle for self-determination, the liberation war and the identity of the nation, one has to study and practise history. It is also the way to self-discovery.
Figure 1.1 shows the Bengali celebration of victory on 16 December 1971. So the war and its victory belong to 1971.
4. Asked in exams
These two facts are not on the book's pages, yet board papers have asked them. So they sit in a box of their own.
Turn the two cards and check the answer against the question.
beyond the booktwo facts from outside the book
Asked in exams
QuestionWhy is history called an ‘instructive philosophy’?
Three questions in the exam's style. Start with the first.
check yourselfpick one answer
Question 1
Which subject helps to increase public awareness?
Anthropology is not in this chapter; in the book history raises awareness.
Psychology is not in this chapter; in the book history raises awareness.
Physics is not in this chapter; in the book history raises awareness.
Right. The book’s answer: knowledge of history makes people aware.
In the second, watch which of the five jobs it asks about.
check yourselfpick one answer
Question 2
Reading which makes the glory of the Bengali nation known?
Economics is not in this chapter; one reads history to know the nation’s glory.
Right. The book’s answer: to know the Bengali nation’s struggle and glorious history one must read history.
Civics is not in this chapter; in the book history raises awareness.
Geography is not in this chapter; in the book history raises awareness.
The last one comes from the book's first page.
check yourselfpick one answer
Question 3
Figure 1.1 of the book shows the victory celebration of 16 December of which year?
Not 1970; the figure’s caption says 1971.
Right. The book’s answer: Figure 1.1: 16 December 1971, the Bengali celebration of victory.
Not 1972; the caption of Figure 1.1 says 16 December 1971.
Not 1973; the caption of Figure 1.1 says 16 December 1971.
The whole note on seven cards.
cut from the notetap to turn over
Seven cards
QuestionIn the light of the past, what does studying history help people do?
AnswerUnderstand the present and make assumptions for the future.
QuestionHow does history increase knowledge?
AnswerNarrating the past widens the scope of human knowledge.
QuestionHow does history increase self-esteem?
AnswerBy making us know historical events and the progress of people’s social life.
QuestionHow does history enhance awareness?
AnswerKnowing the causes of rises and falls, people tell good from bad and are aware of the results of their deeds.
QuestionBy what means does history teach?
AnswerThrough examples of past events.
QuestionWhich ability grows from studying history and helps form a philosophical outlook?
AnswerThe ability of judgement and analysis.
QuestionWhich day’s victory celebration does Figure 1.1 show?
Answer16 December 1971.
Source: History of Bangladesh and World Civilization, Classes 9-10 (NCTB), Chapter 1 “Introduction to History”, the “Necessity of studying history” part.