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History Grade 10 Short Note O/L.
Grade 10 O/L History lesson on sources of studying history, focusing on literary and archaeological sources in Sri Lanka.
Key Takeaways
- History is reconstructed by logically studying literary and archaeological sources.
- Mahawamsa is a unique continuous historical text of Sri Lanka with credible events.
- Local and foreign literary sources complement archaeological findings for comprehensive history.
- Understanding the context, authorship, and purpose of sources is vital for accurate historical interpretation.
- Sri Lanka’s historical knowledge is enriched by Buddhist religious texts and foreign trade records.
Summary
- History studies past human activities through various sources.
- Sources are classified into literary and archaeological types.
- Literary sources include local and foreign texts, such as Deepawamsa and Mahawamsa.
- Deepawamsa is the oldest local literary source, written around the 4th century A.D.
- Mahawamsa, composed by Bhikkhu Mahanama in the 5th or 6th century A.D., is a continuous historical chronicle.
- Archaeological sources include relics, monuments, coins, inscriptions, and ruins.
- Local literary works span from the Anuradhapura to Kandyan eras, often with religious objectives.
- Foreign sources provide information due to trade and cultural ties, including Indian and Tamil texts.
- Caution is needed when using literary sources due to time gaps, author bias, and objectives.
- Important texts like Mahawamsa Teekawa provide annotations and additional historical information.
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
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Sources of Studying History
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Classification of Sources
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What is history? History is a subject that studies past human activities.
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What are sources in history? Writings and various creations made by people in the past are called 'sources' because information about past human activities can be extracted from them.
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What do sources tell us about the past? Sources provide a good understanding of different eras, their social backgrounds, and the lives of people during those times.
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How is history formed using sources? When the information from sources is studied logically, the history of people's lives in each period is formed.
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How are sources for studying history classified?
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Sources are mainly divided into two types: 1. Literary Sources 2. Archaeological Sources
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What are literary sources? Books and documents written at different time periods by people who lived in the past are considered literary sources.
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What are archaeological sources? Relics, monuments, coins, inscriptions, and various ruins unearthed from archaeological excavations and experiments are called archaeological sources.
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Why are literary and archaeological sources important?
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They help to study the history of Sri Lanka by providing valuable information about the past.
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How are literary sources used to study the history of Sri Lanka categorized?
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Literary sources are categorized into two types: 1. Local literary sources 2. Foreign literary sources
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What are local literary sources? Texts written by Sri Lankans in prose and poetry form from about two thousand years ago are considered local literary sources.
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What are foreign literary sources? Books written by foreigners who were interested in Sri Lanka or books that include information about Sri Lanka written by foreign writers are called foreign literary sources.
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What is the oldest local literary source in Sri Lanka? Deepawamsa is considered the oldest local literary source in Sri Lanka.
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When was Deepawamsa written?
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Deepawamsa was written around the 4th century A.D.
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What historical information does Deepawamsa contain?
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Deepawamsa includes: 1. Historical information of Sri Lanka up to the end of King Mahasen's ruling period.
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2. Descriptions of the history of the Buddhist order (Sasana) in Sri Lanka.
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On what material were ancient literary and religious information written in Sri Lanka?
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Ancient literary and religious information, as well as the Wamsakatha, were written on ola leaves.
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What tradition does Sri Lanka inherit regarding ancient writings?
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Sri Lanka inherits a tradition of talipots, which belonged to a long period of time.
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How were some historical events recorded in Deepawamsa?
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Some historical events were recorded briefly in Deepawamsa.
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Why was Mahavamsa composed?
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Mahavamsa was composed as a historical chronicle with fewer mistakes than Deepawamsa, addressing issues like brief recordings and repetitions.
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Who wrote the first part of Mahawamsa?
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The first part of Mahawamsa was written by a Bhikkhu named 'Mahanama' who lived in the 'Diksanda Seneviya' Piriwena (monastery).
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What does the first part of Mahawamsa cover?
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The first part of Mahawamsa consists of historical information of Sri Lanka from the arrival of the Lord Buddha to the end of the ruling time of King Mahasen.
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When was the first part of Mahawamsa written?
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The first part of Mahawamsa was written in the 5th or 6th century A.D.
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What similarity exists between Deepawamsa and the first part of Mahawamsa?
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There is a certain similarity between Deepawamsa and the first part of Mahawamsa due to the influence of early texts such as Seehala Attakatha, Mahawamsa, Uttara Vihara Attakatha, and Vinaya Attakatha, which were written before these two sources.
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What is the reason for the similarity between Deepawamsa and Mahawamsa?
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The similarity may be due to the influence of early texts like Seehala Attakatha, Mahawamsa, Uttara Vihara Attakatha, and Vinaya Attakatha, which were foundational sources for both Deepawamsa and Mahavamsa.
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Who extended Mahavamsa after Mahanama Thero?
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After Mahanama Thero, other writers extended Mahawamsa by adding information about their contemporary time periods from time to time.
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Why can Sri Lankans be proud of Mahawamsa?
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Sri Lankans can be proud because Mahawamsa is one of the limited number of countries whose history has been written in one continuous text.
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What makes Mahawamsa a credible historical source?
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Mahawamsa is considered a credible historical source because some historical events recorded in it have been substantiated by inscriptions and other sources.
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What is Mahawamsa Teekawa?
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Mahawamsa Teekawa, also known as Wansattappakasini, is an annotation compiled to interpret Mahawamsa by explaining certain areas.
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What makes Mahawamsa Teekawa significant?
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Mahawamsa Teekawa consists of a lot of information not available in some other sources, making it a valuable historical text.
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What are some examples of ancient literary sources with different content?
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Types of source examples: Types of source Sandesha Kawya, examples such as Mayura, Thisara, Salalihini Sandesha.
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Prashasthi Kawya, examples such as Perakumba Siritha.
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Hatan Kawya, examples such as Seethawaka Hatana, Constantinu Hatana, Ingirisi Hatana.
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From which eras were local literary works written in Sri Lanka?
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Local literary works were written from the Anuradhapura era to the Kandyan era of Sri Lankan history.
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Name some important Buddhist religious texts mentioned in the note.
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Some important Buddhist religious texts include Bodhiwamasa, Thupawamsa, Dhatuwamsa, Poojawaliya, and Saddharmalankaraya.
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What is the significance of these literary works?
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These literary works provide valuable insights into the history of Rajarata civilization.
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And are essential for understanding the cultural and religious aspects of Sri Lanka's history.
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How do these texts contribute to historical studies?
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These texts contribute by preserving and documenting the religious, social, and political aspects of ancient Sri Lankan civilization, making them crucial for historical studies.
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What are the two important sources for studying history from the Gampola to Kotte period?
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The Nikaya Sangraha, which covers the history of the Buddhist order (Sasana), and Rajawaliya, which includes political information of the country, are important sources for studying this period.
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What sources are significant for studying the history between the Kotte and Kandy periods?
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Sandesha Kawya, Prashasthi Kawya, and Hatan Kawya are important sources for studying the history between the Kotte and Kandy periods.
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What was the primary reason for writing books from the Anuradhapura era to the beginning of the Kotte era?
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The primary reason for writing books during this period was religious objectives.
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Why do we need to be cautious when referring to literary sources for history?
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We need to be cautious because some books were written a few centuries after the historical incidents they describe.
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Therefore, when forming history using these sources, we must consider: 1. The time in which the sources were written 2. The author of the source 3. The author's objectives
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4. The way in which facts were obtained for the source Understanding these factors helps ensure a more accurate interpretation of historical events.
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Why did foreign sources include information about Sri Lanka?
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Foreign sources included information about Sri Lanka because the country maintained trade relations with foreign countries from the early period of the Anuradhapura era.
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Many foreigners engaged in trade activities in the Indian Ocean.
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Were aware of Sri Lanka and recorded it in their books.
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How did India contribute to foreign information about Sri Lanka?
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India had a close relationship with Sri Lanka, and some Indian books mentioned information about Sri Lanka due to the historical and cultural ties between the two regions.
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Which Tamil books include information about Sri Lanka?
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Tamil books such as Seelappadikaram, Manimekalai, and Padirruppattu include information about Sri Lanka.
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When did some foreigners start writing books with separate information about Sri Lanka?
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After the arrival of the Portuguese in Sri Lanka in the 16th century, some foreigners began writing books with separate information about Sri Lanka.
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What type of foreign writers are identified in relation to Sri Lanka?
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There were two types of foreign writers regarding Sri Lanka:
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1. Writers who came to Sri Lanka and studied the country firsthand.
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2. Writers who did not visit Sri Lanka but inquired information about the country from others and then wrote about it.
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What are the uses of literary sources in studying history?
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Literary sources are used for:
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1. Preparing the historical chronology.
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2. Obtaining information about political, economic, and social affairs in each era.
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3. Substantiating the information provided by one source with another source.
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4. Studying the international relations of a country, where foreign sources are very important.
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Which foreign authors came to Sri Lanka and wrote about it?
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Chinese sources: Fa-Hsien Thero's travelling accounts (Account on Buddhist Kingdom).
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Arabian Sources: Iban Batuta's travelling accounts.
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Portuguese Sources: Ribeiro's book on Sri Lanka (Ribeiro's Lanka History).
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Holland Sources: The book of Philippus Baldaeus (The Sri Lankan Chronicle of Baldaeus). English Sources: Robert Knox's book (An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon - Sinhala translation: Eda Heladiva).
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How can archaeological sources be divided?
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Archaeological sources can be divided into the following categories: 1. Epigraphy 2. Coins 3. Ruins 4. Drawings 5. Sculptures 6. Antiquities
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What does the term "Epigraphy" refer to?
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Epigraphy refers to writings inscribed on stones (Shila), clay slabs, walls, copper plates, golden plates, wood, and various urns.
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What are inscriptions on stone slabs or rocks called?
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Inscriptions on stone slabs or rocks are called Sellipi / Shilalipi inscriptions.
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How can inscriptions be categorized based on the shapes of the stones?
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Inscriptions can be categorized into:
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1. Cave Inscriptions 2. Rock Inscriptions (Giri Lipi) 3. Pile Inscriptions (Tam Lipi) 4. Slab Inscriptions (Puwaru Lipi)
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Who was Claudius Ptolemy?
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Claudius Ptolemy was a Greek-Roman geographer who lived in Alexandria between 90-168 A.D.
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What was Claudius Ptolemy's contribution related to Sri Lanka?
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Claudius Ptolemy drew a map of Sri Lanka.
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Topics:Grade 10 HistoryO/L HistorySources of HistorySri Lanka HistoryDeepawamsaMahawamsaLiterary SourcesArchaeological SourcesHistorical StudiesAncient Sri Lanka
