What are the problems of using official sources in writing about the history of peasants?
Official sources of the Company Raj are not regarded as reliable source of history when it came to the lot of Ryots. Following are the main problems associated with official source of history.
1.The official records reflect only the Company raj perspective. They did not look at events from different angles. For example when the Deccan Riot Commission was instituted, it was required to find out if the land revenue was just or not. Other issues of Ryots were not taken into account.
2.The British people looked down upon the local people, their culture and tradition as lowly. They ended up giving a lowly picture of peasants even if without intention of the same.
3.The record of the Company Raj was created by the officials in such a manner that it suits their masters. Thus, evidences were tempered with. For example the Deccan Ryot Commission concluded that Ryots were angered not by the high land revenue but by moneylenders.
4.Thus, official sources are to be read alongwith other sources and need to be weighed before we take them to our stride.
Popular Questions of Class 12 History - Themes in Indian History - III
- Q:-
How did the Paharias respond to the coming of outsiders?
- Q:-
Why was the jotedar a powerful figure in many areas of rural Bengal?
- Q:-
What were the concerns that influenced town planning in the nineteenth century?
- Q:-
Why was the charkha chosen as a symbol of nationalism?
- Q:-
What do visual representations tell us about the revolt of 1857? How do historians analyse these representations?
- Q:-
How did the American Civil War affect the lives of ryots in India?
- Q:-
How did women experience Partition?
- Q:-
In what way was the livelihood of the Paharias different from that of the Santhals?
- Q:-
Why was the revolt particularly widespread in Awadh? What prompted the peasants, taluqdars and zamindars to join the revolt?
- Q:-
What historical forces shaped the vision of the Constitution?
Recently Viewed Questions of Class 12 History - Themes in Indian History - III
- Q:-
What connection did some of the members of the Constituent Assembly make between the political situation of the time and the need for a strong Centre?
- Q:-
What were Mahatma Gandhi’s arguments against Partition?
- Q:-
Examine the strengths and limitations of oral history. How have oral-history techniques furthered our understanding of Partition?
- Q:-
What were the concerns that influenced town planning in the nineteenth century?
- Q:-
Why was the revolt particularly widespread in Awadh? What prompted the peasants, taluqdars and zamindars to join the revolt?
- Q:-
What historical forces shaped the vision of the Constitution?
- Q:-
What did the rebels want? To what extent did the vision of different social groups differ?
- Q:-
How did the Constituent Assembly seek to resolve the language controversy?
- Q:-
What are the different colonial architectural styles which can be seen in Bombay city?
- Q:-
What do visual representations tell us about the revolt of 1857? How do historians analyse these representations?
- NCERT Chapter