A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past. Over the centuries, famous historians have given their own definitions of history. Although their words differ, they all agree that history is the study of true past events, not fiction.
Some famous views
- Herodotus (Greece, 5th century BCE) is often called the Father of History. He wrote a work called Histories and stressed the importance of inquiry and gathering information.
- Ibn Khaldun (14th century), a great Muslim scholar, said history is a record of human society and the changes that happen within it. His book Muqaddimah examined the causes behind the rise and fall of nations.
- E. H. Carr, a modern historian, described history as a continuous dialogue between the present and the past, meaning historians ask questions of the past using the ideas of their own time.
What they share
Even though these thinkers lived in different times and places, their definitions have common points. History always deals with the past, always studies human life and society, and must always be based on facts and evidence. This is why we can trust history as a serious field of knowledge.
Key idea
Herodotus = Father of History (inquiry). Ibn Khaldun = society and its changes. E. H. Carr = dialogue between present and past. All agree: history studies the true human past.
Remember
- Herodotus is the Father of History.
- Ibn Khaldun wrote the Muqaddimah.
- All historians agree history must rest on evidence.