Saturday, November 8, 2008

Probably A Postivist Thesis Vindicated

Rise and Fall of Chinese Dynasties Tied to Changes in Rainfall: Scientific American
It is a proverbial teaching leasson in history that geography and time are the two eyes of the history. Geological knowledge advancement is helping history in redifining its thesis which is an ongoing process in history. However, I, as student of history, believe that our stress should be on the activity of man. We should ask that what actually man did in response to the climate change. That will provide us better answers. I believe Taoism may be the result of such experiences in Chinese history. In short, the question should remain confined to the activities of man. It should ask that when the given premises changed, what did the man do.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Economic Crisis Makes you Nostalgic

BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | History: Royal Bank of Scotland

It is a policy of this blog that the news items which are based on remembering history at the time of anniversaries, commemoration, obituaries etc, will not be included on this blog. However, this news item is of a different nature. It is making news out of history by recollecting the times when a bank came into existence, at a time of crisis. It is bit different from commemoration of different types mentioned.

On the whole, there is nothing much of history about the bank in question. But, it is amusing to a student of history that crisis makes to remember history whereas the good times always make you to talk about future. On the other hand, this blog works on the theory that a news in past is a present history. A news in present will be history of future. Hence, if the history is made a news, then it is to be brought on this blog. This news report, which tries to recollect the history of Royal Bank of Scotland, though in a very clumsy manner, from the perspective of a student of history, qualifies to become an entry on this blog.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Bulls(Bulldozer) in a China Shop

The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News

I believe such a news items appear only because of lack of Historic Thinking.

Recently, when Sultanpur Lodhi was bestowed upon heritage town status, it was commented that the history should be taken more seriously in preserving heritage. Recently, while editing an article on Ludhiana, a wikipedia editor removed the Tourist places of Ludhiana. I thought of introducing the places of historic places on that page. However, to my dismay, I was not able to locate the Bungalow of Shah Shuja of Afghanistan who was kept in Ludhiana, and latter became a cause of opposition by the army of Lahore Subha when Captain Broadfoot misbihaved with the Lahore army while taking back Shah Shuja back to Afghanistan.

Now, in case of some better preserved meomries of Sikh history, such a bulldozing is being carried out. I find it omnious.

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