MODULE 1

INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY

LESSON 1: Meaning and Relevance of History

Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
1. Appreciate the importance and relevance of history;
2. Categorize concepts of history and;
3. Create and organize timeline.

READ

HISTORY DEFINED

The word ’history’ is derived from the Greek noun ’historia’ meaning ’inquiry
or research.’ Aristotle regarded it as a "systematic account of a set of natural
phenomena, whether or not chronological ordering was a factor in the account." The term
"history" has now come to be applied to accounts of events that are narrated in a
chronological order, and deal with the past of mankind.

Learning by inquiry about the past of mankind was later developed into a discipline
by the Greek historians Thucydides and Heredeotus (who is popularly known as ’Father
of History’). E. H. Carn defined history as an "unending dialogue between the present and
the past." Jawaharlal Nehru observed that man’s growth from barbarism to civilization is
supposed to be the theme of history." Will Durant called history "a narrative of what
civilized men have thought or done in the past time.
 More often historians used timeline to mark significant events. They explain what
happened during a certain period of time or to a particular person, starting with the earliest
event and moving forward through time.

RELEVANCE OF HISTORY

According to Stearns (1998) history will give you a combination of skills and
insights that will help you to:

1. Understand People and Societies. history offers a storehouse of

information about how people and societies behave.

2. Understand Change and How the Society We Live. Only through

studying history can we grasp how things change; only through history can
we begin to comprehend the factors that cause change; and only through
history can we understand what elements of an institution or a society
persist despite change

3. Expand Moral Understanding. History also provides a terrain for moral

contemplation. Studying the stories of individuals and situations in the past
allows a student of history to test his or her own moral sense, to hone it
against some of the real complexities’ individuals have faced in difficult
settings. People who have weathered adversity not just in some work of
fiction, but in real, historical circumstances can provide inspiration. "History
teaching by example" is one phrase that describes this use of a study of the
past—a study not only of certifiable heroes, the great men and women of
history who successfully worked through moral dilemmas, but also of more
ordinary people who provide lessons in courage, diligence, or constructive
protest.
4. Assess Conflicting Interpretations. Learning history means gaining
some skill in sorting through diverse, often conflicting interpretations.
Understanding how societies work—the central goal of historical study—is
inherently imprecise, and the same certainly holds true for understanding
what is going on in the present day.
5. Develop the Ability to Assess Evidence. The study of history builds
experience in dealing with and assessing various kinds of evidence—the
sorts of evidence historians use in shaping the most accurate pictures of
the past that they can. Learning how to interpret the statements of past
political leaders—one kind of evidence—helps form the capacity to
distinguish between the objective and the self-serving among statements
made by present-day political leaders. Learning how to combine different
kinds of evidence—public statements, private records, numerical data,
visual materials—develops the ability to make coherent arguments based
on a variety of data. This skill can also be applied to information
encountered in everyday life.
ACTIVITY 1.1:

CREATE YOUR OWN TIMELINE

➢ Directions: In the matrix below list down 10 significant events in your life along with
its date and description.

NO. DATE OF EVENT DESCRIPTION SOURCE/EVIDENCE

example July 11, 2000 The day I was born Birth Certificate
Testimony from my
parents
1

10
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY

LESSON 2: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
1. Enumerate the different historical perspectives
2. Discuss factors that affect one’s perspective and its effect in analyzing
history
3. Formulate one’s own historical interpretation based on the data analyzed

READ
Understanding the past is an ardent task as nobody knows exactly what really
happened unless we have a primary and reliable information about the subject being
studied. It is a huge challenge for students to understand the past as they are being feed
with so many information and some of it came from secondary sources. Nonetheless,
they are being feed with information that already been subjected to primary authors point
of view and interpretation.

Historical perspective means understanding the social, cultural, intellectual, and

emotional settings that shaped people’s lives and actions in the past. At any one point,
different historical actors may have acted on the basis of conflicting beliefs and ideologies,
so understanding diverse perspectives is also a key to historical perspective-taking.
Though it is sometimes called “historical empathy,” historical perspective is very different
from the common-sense notion of identification with another person. Indeed, taking
historical perspective demands comprehension of the vast differences between us in the
present and those in the past.

Perspective is the 'point of view' from which the creator of a source described
historical events.Every person sees and understands events differently depending on
their age, gender, social position, beliefs and values. Even modern historians have their
own perspectives which can influence how they interpret the past.

For example:
Two groups of fans at a football match will see the same game differently. Fans of
the winning side will have a positive view and will usually talk about how great their team's
actions were. The fans of the losing side will be quite negative and may blame the result
on referees or 'cheating' by the opposing team. How can two groups see the same event
differently? The answer is 'perspective': they had a different point of view.

Perspective works the same in history. Two opposing in sides in war, or politics, or
social struggles, will see the same event differently. They will talk about it with different
language.

FACTORS THAT AFFECT ONE’S PERSPECTIVE

The first step in determining perspective is the know who the creator was. Once
you have sufficient knowledge about who made the source, you can work out something
about how they viewed the past.
1. nationality (e.g. American, Japanese, etc.)
2. profession (e.g. university professor, soldier, etc.)
3. political persuasion (e.g. conservative, Communist, etc.)
4. cultural background (Egyptian, European, etc.)
5. gender (male, female, etc.)
6. religious beliefs (Christian, Muslim, etc.)
7. educational background (e.g. what university they work for)

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE ABOUT FILIPINOS

Before the coming of the Spaniards, as we have hinted, the Philippines

were backward in civilization as compared with most of the rest of the Far East…. The
Filipinos were still but partly removed from the primitive stages of culture…. They had
 no elaborate political organization… Kenneth Scott Latourette, A Short History of the
Far EastFourth Edition (Nueba York: The Macmillan Company, 1964), p. 287.

Filipinos have no elaborate political organization as described in this book

KASAYSAYAN IN THE LANGUAGE AND PERSPECTIVE OF FILIPINO

History or Kasaysayan can be inferred in the perspective of the filipinos in

two ways: one is saysay or salaysay which means narrative and the other is saysaywhich
means relevance or importance and its for whom it is relevant?

Zeus Salazar defined History or Kasaysayan as: Salaysayna may saysay

para sasinasalaysayanggrupongmgatao (Relevant stories/ narrative of the people).
As Nelson Mandela once said ““If you talk to a man in a language he understands,
that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”
 ACTIVITY1.2: UNDERSTANDING ONE’S PERPECTIVE

AUTHORS PERSPECTIVE YOUR OWN PERSPECTIVE

(support your answer with fact or evidence)
1. Before the coming of the Spaniards,
as we have hinted, the Philippines
were backward in civilization as
compared with most of the rest of the
Far East…. The Filipinos were still but
partly removed from the primitive
stages of culture…. They had no
elaborate political organization…
Kenneth Scott Latourette

The early Filipinos before are naked.

The males, large and small, have their
penis pierced from one side to the other
near the head, with a gold or tin bolt as
large as a goose quill. All of the women
from the age of six years and upward,
have their vaginas [natura] gradually
opened because of the men’s penises-
Antonio Pigafetta
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY

LESSON 3: HISTORICAL SOURCES (PRIMARY AND SECONDARY)

Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
1. Differentiate primary from secondary sources of history
2. Analyze the content and context of different kind of sources
3. Evaluate sources for their credibility and authenticity.

DISTINCTION BETWEEN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES

According to Aggawal a primary source may contain secondary information e.g.,

newspapers are usually considered primary sources but the information provided by the
newspaper is not all based on primary sources. Such as certain incidents reported by the
paper may be such which the correspondent saw or he actually took part while certain
offer information may be based on official information or sources considered reliable.

Primary sources include documents or artifacts created by a witness to or

participant in an event. They can be firsthand testimony or evidence created during the
time period that you are studying. Primary sources may include diaries, letters, interviews,
oral histories, photographs, newspaper articles, government documents, poems, novels,
plays, and music. The collection and analysis of primary sources is central to historical
research.

Secondary sources analyze a scholarly question and often use primary sources
as evidence. Secondary sources include books and articles about a topic. They may
include lists of sources, i.e. bibliographies, that may lead you to other primary or
secondary sources.
 Image Courtesy of https://arhs-freelake.libguides.com/c.php?g=715406&p=5282963

TWO CATEGORIES OF SOURCES

To simply in categorize the sources, historians used this simple category and it is
divided into two types: the written and non-written sources:

A. Written Sources
1. Published materials (Ex. Books, magazines, journals, Travelogue, transcription of
speech)
 2. Manuscript(which is any handwritten or typed record that has not been
printed) Ex. Archival materials, Memoirs, diary)

B. Non- written Sources (Oral history, Artifact, Ruins, Fossils, Art works, Video
recordings, Audio recordings)

OTHER CATEGORIES OF PRIMARY SOURCES

According to Aggarwal the primary sources can be classified into the following
categories:

(1) Contemporary Records

These types of primary sources are in the form of the instruction documents,
stenographic and phonographic records. The business and legal paper and
autobiographies, etc. The instruction documents may be in the form of an appointment
notification, and direction from a foreign office to the ambassador, etc. Generally, such
documents have very little chance of error but it is essential to ascertain their authenticity.

(2) Confidential Reports

The confidential reports are not intended for a general audience and are less reliable than
the contemporary sources. These types of reports are generally in the forms of military
and diplomatic dispatches, Journals, diaries or memoirs, and personal letters.

(3) Public Reports

The public reports are meant for the general public and less reliable. There are
three types of public reports and each possesses a different degree of reliability, such
as— Newspaper reports and dispatches are more reliable which depends upon the
agency from which it originated and the newspaper in which it is published; Memoirs and
autobiographies are another public reports which are written for the public at the close of
the life when the memoirs of author is fading and are, therefore, not very reliable and the
official histories of the activities of government or business house are also an important
kind of public reports. They possess incriminating material and less reliable.

(4) Government Documents

Numerous government documents are compiled which are also a source of vita!
importance to historians such as statistics about the fiscal, census and vital matters which
can be made use of by the historians. All these reports have first-hand importance but
require proper evaluation before the use.

(5) Public Opinion

The public opinion as expressed in editorials, speeches, pamphlets, letterto the
editor is another important source available to the historian, But the authenticity of this
must be corroborated by other evidence because public opinion may not be always
reliable,

(6) Folklores
These are the collection of oral traditions and other non-written customs. The
folklores which reveal the stories of legendary heroes are also an important source of
history. They tell us about the aspirations, superstitions, and customs of the people.
To make the use of these folklores the historian should not only possess a
thorough knowledge of the history of the period but also able to distinguish between the
legendary and authentic elements. Similarly, proverbs can give us an idea but scholars
must have a thorough knowledge of the customs and traditions. Epic, songs, oral
traditions and other similar forms are example for these categories.
 HISTORICAL CRITICISM

The task of a historian is to prove the authenticity and credibility of every document
and information. In order for a source to be used as evidence in history, basic matters
about its form and content must be settled, meaning it should be critically tested.
Neuman, (2003) distinguish the two types of historical criticism, namely the External
(form) and the Internal (content) Criticism.

by: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Internal-and-External-Criticism-from-Neuman-
2003-p421_fig1_279943052
(1) External Criticism:
The ‘External Criticism’ is of a less intellectual type of criticism of the documents
sometimes referred as lower type of historical criticism. It includes examinations of
documents like manuscripts, books, pamphlets, maps, inscriptions, and monuments. This
test is to prove the authenticity of a document arises more in the case of manuscripts
than the printed documents because the printed document has already been
authenticated by the editor.

TEST ON THE AUTHENTICITY OF DOCUMENT

Historian has to resort to a number of tests to determine the authenticity of a

particular document in his proposed area of research such as—

1. Authorship, the first question while examining the authenticity of a document is

its author. Even the anonymous writings can provide us useful and important
knowledge. But the discovery of an author’s or writer’s name adds the authenticity
of the information because of the character, connections and trustworthiness of
the author determine the authenticity.

2. Date of Document, i.e. the time, place of publication of the document must be
inquired to determine the authenticity of the document. In the modern publications
year and place of publication is indicated on the book or document on the title page
or backside (overleaf). However, in the old manuscript where the data and place
are absent, it can be found out from the language or from the date of birth and
death of the author.

3. Textual Errors the historian confronts the textual errors which may be either
unintentional or deliberately committed. Unintentional error can take place in the
copies of the documents (originals are not available). These mistakes may be
 caused by the scribe, typist or printer. An intention error may creep in when the
effort is made to modify, supplement or continue the original. This problem can be
overcome through textual criticism. Under this technique, the effort is made to
collect as many copies of dubious text as possible and they are compared. If the
ideas and style do not match or resemble the idea and style of the author it can be
safely assumed that they were not parts of the original manuscript and were forged
by the later ones. Further’ more, the textual accuracy can be solved with the help
of “sciences auxiliary” to history such as “Paleographists” have authenticated
numerous documents of the medieval period by their handwriting and have
published easily legible printed versions.

4. Semantics The meaning of words often changes from generation to generation.

Therefore, historians must find out the meaning and sense in which it has been
used in the document. The misinterpretation of terms may lead to a
misunderstanding of historical development. In this way, even after the historian
established the authenticity of the documents and discovered the meaning of the
text his duty is not over. He is confronted with another important problem with the
credibility of the document.
 by: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Internal-and-External-Criticism-from-Neuman-
2003-p421_fig1_279943052

(2) Internal Criticism:

While the external criticism deals on the object or the manuscript itself the internal
criticism focuses more on the man who wrote the manuscript. Sometimes, internal
criticism referred as higher hype of historical criticism. This test is to prove the credibility
of the author who wrote the manuscript. A historian must analyze the contents of the
documents with a view to determining the real meaning. The following are ways to
determine the credibility of the author and the document:
 TEST OF CREDIBILITY

1. Identification of the author- determine his reliability, mental process and

personal attitudes

2. Determination of the approximate date- determine the date trough his

handwriting, signature and seal.

3. Ability to tell the truth- determine the competence of witness, degree of attention.

4. Willingness to tell the truth- determine if the author consciously or

unconsciously tells falsehoods

5. Corroboration- this can be done by using other historical facts particulars which
rest upon the independent testimony of two or more reliable witnesses.

ACTIVITY 1.3

Read and analyze the transcription of TejerosConvention from the accounts of

the following:

1. Santiago Alvarez’ The Katipunan and the Revolution :Memoirs of a General

by Paula Carolina Malay, Quezon City : Ateneo de Manila University Press,
1992. pp 82-91
2. TeodoroAgoncillo’sRevolt of the Masses, (http://malacanang.gov.ph/tejeros-
convention/)
 WORKSHEET ON TEJEROS CONVENTION
PRIMARY VS. SECONDARY SOURCES

Santiago Alvarez’ TeodoroAgoncillo’s

Memoirs of a General Revolt of the Masses

Author’s Background

Mention of Dates

Difference Between the

two accounts

Your Own Analysis

MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY

LESSON 4: SELECTED PRIMARY SOURCES OF PRE-16th CENTURY AND ITS

REPOSITORIES

Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
1. Determine the contribution of primary sources in understanding the Philippine
History
2. Point out the different perspective of authors in narrating the Philippine History
3. Discuss the contribution of different authors in understanding the Philippine
History.

READ

The following are the some of the sources of Philippine History before 16 th
century:

1. NON-WRITTEN ACCOUNT- FOLKLORE - this refers to traditionalcustoms,

beliefs, stories, and sayings (Webster). This includes manner, customs,
observances, superstitions, ballads, proverbs, etc. which would throw light about the
past. Folklore is a non-written source of history which knowledge, tales, saying, ballad,
songs or chants are transmitted from one generation to other. In this manner, it is
possible for the early ancestors to transmit history, law, literature and other knowledge
from one generation to other without any writing system.

Why Folklore?
• Culture is always changing; folklore is relatively stable and resilient.
• Folklore is the foundation of culture. Understanding folklore can show the
why’s, how’s, and where’s of current cultural changes
 • Folklore transcends recent changes in history, including political strife and war
that may have divided the nation.

2. WRITTEN ACCOUNT (Description about the Early Filipinos)

The following are the some of the written accounts which are important
in understanding the Philippine history, culture and heritage:

A. Description of Barbarous People (Hu fan zhi) by Chao JuKua (1170-

123)
• The first to write accounts and analysis of the foreign goods and the
places he saw during his term as trade commissioner in the twelfth
century.
• Hu Fan Zhi variously translated as A Description of Barbarian
Nations, Records of Foreign People is a 13th-century Song
Dynasty work by Zhao Rukuo. The work is a collection of descriptions of
countries and various products from outside China, and it is considered
an important source of information on the people, customs and in
particular the traded commodities of many countries in South East Asia.

B. Tao I Chih Lio by Wang Ta-yuan 1346

• Tao-I ChihLiotranslated as “A Short Account of the Barbarian Isles.
The account is generally believed to be the most complete and important
account in understanding the customs and history of the Philippines.
• In this manuscript says that : the men often take [our] ships
to Ch’iian-chou, where brokers take all their goods to have
them tattooed all over, and when they get home, their countrymen
regard them as chiefs and treat them ceremoniously and show
them to the highest seat, without even fathers and elders being
able to compete with them, for it is their custom so to honor those who
have been to Tang [ie., China].
C. Book of the Marvels of the World, also known as The Travels of Marco
Polo, 1300 .
• This book is also known as “The Travels of Marco Polo”,
Polotravels along the Silk Road and the various Asian regions and
cities that he traverses, including China.
• In 1292, they party sailed to the port of Singapore, travelled north
to Sumatra.

D. Ar-Rihla/Riḥlah by Muhammad Ibn Battuta (1304 – 1368 or 1369)

• Ar-Rihla/Riḥlah is the Arabic term for quest or voyage. It is also a
form of travel literature based upon the experiences of the travelers.

• Ibn Battuta then sailed to a state called Kaylukari in the land

of Tawalisi, where he met Urduja, a local princess. Urduja was a
brave warrior, and her people were opponents of the Yuan dynasty.
She was described as an "idolater", but could write the
phrase Bismillah in Islamic calligraphy. The locations of Kaylukari
and Tawalisi are disputed. Kaylukari might referred to Po
KlongGarai in Champa (now southern Vietnam), and Urduja might
be an aristocrat of Champa or the Trần dynasty. Filipinos widely
believe that Kaylukari was in present-day Pangasinan
Province of the Philippines. In modern times, Urduja has been
featured in Filipino textbooks and films as a national heroine.
Numerous other locations have been proposed, ranging from Java to
somewhere in Guangdong Province, China. However, Sir Henry
Yule and William Henry Scott consider both Tawilisi and Urduja
to be entirely fictitious.

E. The Suma Orientalby Tomé Pires (1465? –1524 or 1540)

 • First written account of the 'Spice Islands' of Banda in Maluku,
the islands that first drew Europeans to Indonesia.
• Compilation of a wide variety of information: historical,
geographical, ethnographic, botanical, economic, commercial, etc.,
including coins, weights and measures.
• Information collected from merchants, sailors and others with
whom he had contact.

3. MISCELLANEOUS SOURCES: ISLAMIZATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (PRE-

16TH CENTURY)
• Tombstones- early evidence is furnished by a tombstone
found in Mt. Data, Jolo, Sulu. The tombstone bears the inscription
710 A.D., or 1310 in the Christian calendar.

• Sulu Code- guide for the proper execution of the duties of

office in accordance with the law and rules of the country. It is
concurred in by all, and is promulgated with the general consent of
all the datus, panglima, and subordinate officers of state.

• Tarsilas/Salislas–written genealogical accounts of Sultans

and Datus ruler.

• Khutbahs—sermon/oration delivered by Imam during Friday

congregational worship service.

• Kitabs—” booklet or notes that show not only the list of

Sultans who reigned but also some of the salient features of their
characters and exploits.
 REPOSITORIES OF PRIMARY SOURCES

The following are the repositories of primary sources:

1. National Archive of the Philippines

2. National Library of the Philippines
3. National Historical Commission of the
Philippines
4. National Museum of the Philippines
5. U.P. Main Library
6. ADMU Rizal Library
7. DLSU Library
8. UST Library
9. Library of Congress
10. National Archives and Records of
the Philippines
11. Archivo General de Indias
12. Archivo General de la Nación
13. American Historical Collection
14. Lopez Memorial Museum
15. Ayala Mus
ACTIVITY 1.4

SOURCES OF HISTORY

List down all the possible primary sources about the information of the Philippines
along the following:

Information Possible Primary Sources and its

Explanation
1. Statistics, Data about economy

2. Population count

3. Legislation and ordinances

4. Location of the place

5. Daily news
 Complete the table below by providing answer to what is being asked.

IMPORTANCE TO
SOURCES OF HISTORY KINDS OF SOURCES
HISTORIOGRAPHY
1. MARRIAGE
CERTIFICATE

2. Hu fan zhi
3. Ar-Rihla/Riḥlah

4. Tarsilas/Salislas

5. Tombstones
 REFERENCES

Aggarwal, Mamta, https://www.historydiscussion.net/history/important-sources-of-

history-primary-and-secondary-sources/626

David W. Koelle. Using Historical Resources, http://www.thenagain.info/ Classes/

Basics/Using Sources.html

Dunn, Ross E. The Adventures of Ibn Battuta. Berkeley: University of

California Press, 1989.

Gottschalk Louis, Understanding History A Primer ff Historical Method, University of

Chicago, New York: 1963.

https://historicalthinking.ca/historical-perspectives

https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and
archives/historical-archives/why-study-history-(1998)

https://www.historyskills.com/source-criticism/analysis/perspective/

Neuman, An Exploration of Historical Methods for Information Systems Research.

Internal and External Criticism, 2003, p. 421

Kenneth Scott Latourette, A Short History of the Far East: Fourth Edition
New York: The Macmillan Company, 1964, p. 287.