Hello class! Today, we are going to talk about history, which is like a big, interesting story about things that happened a long time ago.
1.1 What is History?
Imagine, people have been living on Earth for a very, very long time. They lived in different parts of the world, made their places comfortable to live, and had friendships and connections with each other. All these stories about what happened in the past make up history. So, history is like reading and learning about the details of people who lived a long time ago.
1.2 How to Study History...
Now, none of us were around a thousand years ago, right? So, we don't personally know what happened back then. But there are cool ways to find out!
For example:
- I haven't seen my grandfather's mother, but my dad told me stories about her.
- I haven't seen how my school was built, but there's an article in our school magazine that explains it.
- I don't know about the elders who served our village, but our principal talked about them in the school assembly.
These events are part of our personal history. When we want to know about history more broadly, we ask questions like:
- What did the thrones of our kings look like?
- What kind of money did people use in our country a long time ago?
To find answers, we have special things called "sources."
Sources for Learning History:
Literary sources: These are old written records, like ancient books and folktales.
- Example: Books like Deepawamsa and Mahawamsa tell us stories from a long time ago.
Archaeological sources: These are things that are left from the past, like old items, buildings, and their remains.
- Example: At Galvihara in Polonnaruwa, we have archaeological sources like buildings and sculptures made by King Parakramabahu I in the 12th century.
Examples of Sources for Studying Sri Lankan History:
Deepawamsa (Literary Source):
- Time of Composition: 4th Century AD
- Author: Not known
Mahawamsa (Literary Source):
- Time of Composition: 5th Century AD
- Author: Mahanama Thero of Diksanda Senewiya Pirivena, affiliated to Mahaviharaya
Galvihara in Polonnaruwa (Archaeological Source):
- Time of Construction: 12th Century AD
- Author: King Parakramabahu I