Long-type questions
(a) Describe in brief early Indian notions of history.
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Answers
Answer:
According to Romila Thapar, history is of two types, i.e., embedded history and external history.
Embedded history can be studied from the sources like myth and epic genealogy from itihasa-puranas traditions, which encapsulates features of what might be seen as historical experience, the eulogies and hero-lauds which were gradually expanded into epic literature. The genealogical sections or vamsanucharita of the puranic texts which, by implication, carry a commentary of the social status of the ruling families. Vamsavali assimilates myth and genealogy to other events.
The Greek-o-Roman people had the concept of linear time which was opposite to the Indian notion of cyclic time. The linear notion of time denied the recurrence of the events. This distinguished between history and myth. Thus a close connection was postulated between time concepts as pointers to the centrality of history in the society. In terms of eschatology, there is an evident difference of form between cyclic and linear time. But not only does cyclic time have a genesis and a predicted termination, it can also encompass segment of time consisting of historical chronologies.
Explanation:
describe in brief Indian notion of history