Why are newspapers an important source for the study of the national movement?
Contemporary newspapers are an important source of the study of national movement. Following points lay bare their importance as source of history with reference to Indian Freedom Movement.
(a)Many contemporary newspapers were published by those who were involved in the freedom struggle. For example, National Herald was issued by Motilal Nehru, further Mr Jinnah issued Dawn. These nespapers were mouthpieces and represented important voices of the movement. Hence, they made important source of information regarding the freedom movement.
(b)Newspapers do daily reporting, hence, their reporting is more detailed than perhaphs any other source can be. As they report on extremely recent events, the chances of misreporting is less. Reading different nespapers further makes our reading balanced and free from bias.
(c)Many newspapers were in local Indian languages, i.e. in vernacular languages and their circulation was limited. Hence, they published newspaper from local perspective which other sources of history may not have.
(d)They reflect the mood of the people too. These newspapers shaped what was published and the way events were reported. Accounts published in a London newspaper would be different from a report in an Indian nationalist paper.
What are the problems of using official sources in writing about the history of peasants?
How did the Paharias respond to the coming of outsiders?
Why was the jotedar a powerful figure in many areas of rural Bengal?
What were the concerns that influenced town planning in the nineteenth century?
Why was the charkha chosen as a symbol of nationalism?
What do visual representations tell us about the revolt of 1857? How do historians analyse these representations?
How did the American Civil War affect the lives of ryots in India?
How did women experience Partition?
In what way was the livelihood of the Paharias different from that of the Santhals?
Why was the revolt particularly widespread in Awadh? What prompted the peasants, taluqdars and zamindars to join the revolt?
How were urban centres transformed during the eighteenth century?
Examine any two sources presented in the chapter, choosing one visual and one text, and discuss how these represent the point of view of the victor and the vanquished.
Why was the jotedar a powerful figure in many areas of rural Bengal?
To what extent are census data useful in reconstructing patterns of urbanisation in the colonial context?
What were the arguments in favour of greater power to the provinces?
Why did some people think of Partition as a very sudden development?
Why was the charkha chosen as a symbol of nationalism?
Examine the strengths and limitations of oral history. How have oral-history techniques furthered our understanding of Partition?
How was non-cooperation a form of protest?
What are the problems of using official sources in writing about the history of peasants?