Historiography And Historical Method
Synthetic audio, Automated braille
Summary
The textbook Historiography and Historical Method, part of the M.A. History First Year program at Madurai Kamaraj University, offers a comprehensive exploration into the philosophy, development, and methodology of history. It begins by probing the fundamental question, “What is history?”,… and introduces learners to a wide range of historiographical traditions—from ancient Greek and Roman writings to Eastern, Arab, and Indian contributions. The text delves into key theoretical approaches such as Idealism, Historicism, Relativism, and Marx’s Dialectical Materialism. It emphasizes the historian’s role in interpretation and objectivity, and presents a rigorous framework for historical research, including heuristics, criticism, synthesis, and documentation. Additionally, it discusses whether history should be seen as an art or a science, analyzes various types of history (political, economic, social, diplomatic), and explores its integration with allied subjects like geography and political science. The book equips students not only to understand past events, but to critically analyze how history is written and used in society.