01.
History
– An Introduction
v Polybius, the ancient Greek historian had said that: “the knowledge
gained from true history is the best of all educations for practical life.”
v Various Sources help us in the study of history and its true facts.
1.1. Classification of pause Sources
What are the two main sources to study history?
ü Literary
sources
ü Archaeological
sources
Literary Sources
What are literary sources?
Books and documents written at different time periods by the people
who lived in the past are considered literary sources.
State the two categories of literary sources.
ü Local literary
sources
ü Foreign
literary sources
What are local literary sources?
The texts, written by Sri Lankans in the forms of prose and verse
(poetry), from time to time about two thousand years ago, are considered as
"local literary sources"
Among local literary sources are the categories of
chronicles, epic poems, Pali commentaries, religious anthologies and texts,
canons, odes, medical texts and grammar book etc..,
What are the important texts among
local literary sources in Sri Lanka?
v Mahawamsa
v Deepawamsa
v Annotation of
the Mahawamsa (Teekawa)
v Bodhiwamsa
v Thupawamsa
v Dhathuwamsa
v Poojawaliya
v Saddarmalankaraya
v Sandesha Kawya
·
Mayura Sandeshaya
·
Thisara Sandeshaya
·
Selalihini Sandeshaya
v Pashasthi Kawya
·
Perakumba Siritha
v Hatan Kawya
·
Seethawaka Hatana
·
Constanteenu Hatana
·
Ingrisi Hatana
Variety of
books written during various periods of Sri Lanka's history help to study
historical facts and factors.
The following are some of the example
Anuradhapura
Period - Dampiya Aruva Gctapadaya, Heranasikha, Silktha
Valanda, Vinisa, Siyabas Lakara.
Polonnaruwa
Period - Buthsarana,
Amawathura, Muwadevdawatha, Sasadavarha, Dharma Pradeepikawa, Rasavahiniya.
Dambadeniya
Period - Kav Silumina,
Pujavaliya, Sadhdharmaratnavaliya, Sidath Sangarawa, Visuddhi Marga Sannasa.
Kurunegala
Period - Pansiya Panas
Jarhakaya, Ummagga Jathakaya, Sinhala Bodhiwansaya, Dalada Siritha.
Gampola Period
- Mayura
Sandeshaya, Tisara Sandeshaya, Elu Aththanagalu Wanasaya, Balavataraya, Suwisi
Vivaranaya.
Kotte Period - Parevi, Gira, Kokila, Hansa and Selalihini Sandeshayas (epistles).
Buduguna Alankaraya, Guththila Kavya, Kaavyasekaraya, Waidya Chinthamani
What are the
facts to be considered, when we form our history using literary sources?
1. The time in which the sources were written.
2. The author of the source.
3. The author's objectives.
4. The way in which facts were obtained for the source.
What are foreign literary sources?
The texts written by foreign authors
about our country are called foreign literary sources.
Name the texts
and their foreign authors who wrote about Sri Lanka (Visiting the country).
v Fa-Hsien
Thero's travelling accounts
v Iban Bathuta's
travelling accounts
v Ribeiro's Lanka
History
v The Sri Lankan
chronicle of Baldaeus
v Robert knox's
"Eda Heladiva"
Name the texts
and their foreign authors who wrote about Sri Lanka (Not visiting this
country).
|
Writer
|
Book
|
|
Aristotle
(Greece)
|
Demondo
|
|
Megasthenes
(Greece)
|
Indica
|
|
Pliney
(Italy)
|
Naturalis
Historia
|
|
Caludius
Ptolemy (Greece)
|
An
introduction to Geography
|
|
Iban Batuta
(Arabian)
|
An account
his tour
|
|
Fa-Hsiten
(Chinese)
|
An account
his tour
|
|
Rubeiro
(Portuguese)
|
History of
Lanka
|
|
Phillips
Boldius (Dutch)
|
Legends Of
Lanka
|
|
Robert Knox
(English)
|
An Historical
relation of Ceylon
|
|
Megasthinis
|
Indica
|
|
Ptolemy
|
Approach to
Geography
|
|
Ptolemy
|
Sri Lankan
map
|
|
Hsuan-Tsang
Thero
|
The book on
records of tours
|
|
Fr. Fernao De
Queiroz
|
The book
about Sri Lanka
|
What are the
uses of literary Sources?
1. To prepare
the historical chronology
2. To obtain
information about political, economic and sociocultural affairs in each era.
3. To
substantiate the information provided, by one source with another source.
4. To study the
international relations of a country.
Archaeological Source
What are
archaeological sources?
v Archaeological
sources which help to study history are of different categories such as
epigraphs, clay boards, gold and copper plates etc.,
v Human skulls,
statues, carvings, bones, crude implements, pottery, metallic implements,
drawings, ruins of buildings, irrigation structures such as tanks and bunds,
ornaments worn by people etc.,
v The ruins,
inscriptions, coins monuments, antiquities discovered through archaeological
excavation and research are known as archaeological sources.
What is "epigraphy"?
v Epigraphical
sources are an important category of archaeological sources.
v This is the
word used commonly to introduce writing on stones (shila), Clay slabs, walls,
copper plates, golden plates, wood and on various urns.
v They fall under
the categories of clay inscriptions, cave incriptions, slab inscriptions, rock
inscriptions and pillar inscriptions.
v Epigraphical
sources carry written intstration given by ancient kings and lords and
important facts.
Give examples
of different media of epigraphy found in Sri Lanka.
·
Inscnptions-king Nissankamalla's Galpotha inscription
·
Walls-The graffio in Sigiriys.
·
Copper plales Panakaduwa copper plate of king Vijayahaihu I.
·
Golden plales- Wallipuram golden plate
·
Wood writings on the wooden posts of the Ambekke Devalaya.
·
Clay slabs scripts written on tiles and bricks.
·
Urns-scripts written on clay pots and alms bowls
What are
inscriptions?
The writings
inscribed on stones are called inscriptions (sellipi). According to the shape
as the stones on which writings have been inscribed, the inscriptions can be
categorized as cave inscriptions, rock inscriptions (Giri Lipi), pile
inscriptions (Tam Lipi), slab inscriptions (Puwaru Lipi) and seat inscription
(Asana Lipi). The oldest inscriptions in this county are named "Brahmi
inscriptions".
Give examples
of various inscriptions according to the nature of the place where written.
§ Cave
inscriptions - Inscription written near the drip ledges of caves
§ Rock
inscriptions - written on rock surfaces or top of the rocks
§ Pillar
inscriptions - written on arranged stone pillars
§ Slab
inscriptions - written on arranged stone slabs.
§ Seat
inscriptions written on stone slabs like altar or pulpit
Describe coins
which give out ancient details about Sri Lanka.
The oldest
coins found in this country are called "Kahapana" The names
"Purana" or "Dharana" too were used for them. The tusker
and Swastika coins, Lakshmi coins and a type of golden coins named
"Aka" were used here. The copper coins (Thamba Massa) were used
during the Polonnaruwa Kingdom. The coins needed for the country were produced
in the country itself and even the moulds which were used to produce coins,
have been discovered in excavations.
Apart from the
local coins, Roman, Chinese and Indian coins are found in Sri Lanka. The study
of ancient coins is called "numismatics"
What are
ancient ruins?
Many ruins such
as ancient buildings, stupas, stone pillars, tanks and ponds can be seen in Sri
Lanka. These ruins which are called historical sites or archaeological
monuments, are a very good source to study the history of this country. These
ruins help us to gain a clear knowledge on various aspects such as creative
ability, technology, architecture, craftsmanship, ability to conserve the
environment and water management of the ancient people.
How to reveal
history through engravings?
Engravings are
live evidence that drawings, sculpture and Ancient drawing, sculpture and
display our culture. They are helpful to gain information on various aspects of
the ancient people such as their cloths, artistic skills, using colours, use of
jewellery and religious beliefs ete...
What are
antiquities?
The objects
which remain at the moment, after being created or used by the ancient people
can be introduced as antiquities. They are in museums, religious places various
institutions and in care of some people in the county. Many antiquities are
also discovered in excavations. They help us understand the different abilities,
skills, the culture, technology foreign relations and the life style of ancient
people.
1.2. Importance of Learning History
What are the
benefits of learning history?
·
Proper understanding of society and the world in which one lives.
·
Constructing future by understanding the present through the past
experiences.
·
Recognizing the national identify.
·
Building up national reconciliation by loving humanity.
·
Respecting other cultures
·
Tolerating different views.
·
Personality development.
·
The development in critical and analytical thinking.
1.3 Protecting Archaeological Sources
What are the
reasons for the destruction of remaining archaeological sources in Sri
Lanka"?
§ Rapid
urbanization.
§ Expansion of settlements
§ Constructing
roads.
§ Construction of
buildings.
§ Agricultural
activities.
§ Scribbling and
drawing on antiquities.
§ Digging out and
destroying antiquities with the hope of getting treasure.
Why should we
protect archaeological sources?
The
archaeological sources help us prove the historical details given in literary
sources. Therefore it is a responsibility of the citizens of the country to
protect them for the future generations. So it is compulsory to protect the
remaining archaeological sources.
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