Examine the strengths and limitations of oral history. How have oral-history techniques furthered our understanding of Partition?
Oral history techniques help historians to write experiences of people during the time of partition. In fact, history of partition has been reconstructed with the help of oral narratives. It is not possible to extract such kind of information from government records. Government would not provide such information which paint them in bad colour. It will also not tell about the daily development of the events during the partition. Moreover, Government was involved in negotiation. Documents of government deal with policy matters and throw light on efforts of major political parties.
But the oral history tells the day to day account. It is told by the people who have actually gone through the trauma and pains of the partition.But the oral data is not free from limitations. Oral data lacks concrete details. It does not have the chronological order. Oral accounts are concerned with tangential issues and that small individual experiences are irrelevant to the unfolding of the larger canvas of history. In oral history people may not talk their personal aspects. They can hide even their fault or fault of their community as a whole. Many people may not remember all events. People tend to forget also. Accuracy of narration can also be questioned.
Popular Questions of Class 12 History - Themes in Indian History - III
- Q:-
What are the problems of using official sources in writing about the history of peasants?
- 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?
Recently Viewed Questions of Class 12 History - Themes in Indian History - III
- Q:-
What did the rebels want? To what extent did the vision of different social groups differ?
- Q:-
On an outline map of the subcontinent, mark out the areas described in this chapter. Find out whether there were other areas where the Permanent Settlement and the ryotwari system were prevalent and plot these on the map as well.
- Q:-
Why is Partition viewed as an extremely significant marker in South Asian history?
- Q:-
Why were many zamindaris auctioned after the Permanent Settlement?
- Q:-
What are the different colonial architectural styles which can be seen in Bombay city?
- Q:-
What historical forces shaped the vision of the Constitution?
- Q:-
Why was the charkha chosen as a symbol of nationalism?
- Q:-
In what way did Mahatma Gandhi transform the nature of the national movement?
- Q:-
Why was British India partitioned?
- Q:-
What do the terms “White” and “Black” Town signify?
- NCERT Chapter