Importance of History - Learning What's in Store for Us?




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We have often heard that Violence and war lead only to death...  But how did we reach this basic notion that Wars never lead to anything peaceful? Isn’t it because we have seen or heard about similar instances in our history textbooks?  

The answer predominantly remains to be yes as we have witnessed written records of every event. In fact, History is a lot more than just knowing when and where did a particular event take place. It is about how that event happened and the aftermath of that event. What could have been done to change the outcome, or what could have been done to prevent the particular tragedy from happening? History covers everything.

1. Scope for Learning

Moreover, with the study of historical events such as World War I and II, many countries and their leaders have realized that wars only result in an economic loss as well as the loss of human life. The living conditions become terrible and people suffer for a long period of time even after the war ends. One person’s power for hunger brings about destruction for many. 

When nations engage in a dispute, the outcomes are terrible. This statement reminds us of the tragedy that took place in Japan during the Second World War. Atomic bombs were dropped on the city of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the whole city and nearby areas were completely destroyed. Countless people died on the spot and those who survived died of terrible diseases and infections caused by the radioactive waves. 

The impact has been so terrible and it is regarded as one of the most tragic events of History as even after generations, many people still have abnormalities due to the radioactive waves that affected their ancestors. Since then, even after more than 70 years, no nuclear weapons have been used in warfare. This wouldn’t have been possible considering people didn’t learn from their early mistakes. 

2. History Repeats Itself

Apart from this history can help you predict the future. Well, you can trace the prevalent conditions and with knowledge of previous events trace the pathway of all the events occurring in present. By computing and analyzing the similarities and differences among both the events can be observed. 

We can take the example of COVID and Spanish Flu for instance. Spanish Flu occurred as a deadly pandemic during the 1918 period. Both are communicable diseases whose vaccines were unknown at the time they spread. The Spanish Flu ended up killing millions of people and remained as a deadly pandemic in history. Even though COVID was on similar lines (being a communicable disease), it was still not considered a threat by other countries. 

We are all aware of how COVID first spread in China in January 2020. If other countries had taken precautions then and there, the outcome could have been a lot different since Spanish Flu already remains as a proof of the deadly outcome by the spread of such a disease. Also, it is a popular observation that such a pandemic occurs after nearly every 100 years which can also be taken as a precautionary measure in the future.

3. Knowing the Past 

Archaeology is an important field of history that traces the past and studies about how previous civilizations and kingdoms functioned. Firstly it gives an insight into the life of our ancestors. We get to know about how they developed language as a means of communication and thus get answers to questions that we take as given. It also shows the kind of architecture the early civilizations used to follow and how modern they were even though it was centuries ago. 

The pyramids of Egypt for example have been a subject of debate because of its massive size and near-perfect proportions. It provides evidence that early Egyptians were so advanced in their approach. We still make discoveries and create history because these in themselves contain a whole set of ideas that motivates the future generation to think of the impossible.

 4. Understanding Yourself and the World Around

History helps us to understand ourselves and gives us a sense of understanding about how everything came into being. It is like building a story and placing the characters that are the various nations, cities, communities, and identifying your role in the same. History enables us to appreciate our country’s cultural and social diversity, ethnicity, and ancestry. Apart from that, global and regional history books help us to understand how particular cultures and nations were formed and how they helped in shaping our own nation. 

 5. Lessons From Revolutions

One of the most important aspects of History is Revolution. It tells us the story of how different nations changed the way things happened and brought reform. India freed itself from British rule in 1947 and became an independent nation. But what brought this wave of revolution?

It was because of the revolutions taking place around the world. From the French Revolution to the Russian one, each one has its own story and the struggle put in by the people of the nation. It acts as proof that when people come together and stand united motivated by the feeling to bring change, anything can happen. 
In Indian History, the revolution led by Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev is one of the best examples. Read more about the history of this was manipulated in 2011


Conclusion

History is a very interesting, engaging, and exciting subject open to interpretations and different perspectives. It has great potential to transform our way of thinking and learning from the mistakes of the past. They help us to know how different nations came to existence and how the modern world shaped itself. One should focus on analyzing the different outcomes and see what could have happened in different circumstances. Getting yourself well versed with the subject will help you make your learning process effective. 

Read about the perks of studying History as a subject. 


Written By - Bhanu Jain
Edited By - Neha Kundu