Last updated: April 16th, 2025 at 12:21 pm · Est. Reading Time: < 1 minute
History is the art and science of studying the past. Historians reveal the past by assembling various evidence available to them about bygone events. These pieces of evidence are called sources. Archaeologists help historians in the formidable task of discovering sources. Their job is to dig out historical material and analyse it objectively. Generating history is a cumbersome process, like making a picture from pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Each source works as one piece of the puzzle. A historian has to pick up numerous such pieces and put them together to make a recognizable picture. Often, all pieces are still not available at the time of history being generated. It means the final picture of history will remain incomplete until further pieces are discovered.
Any science deduces from evidence that can be examined objectively. History, being a science, has nothing to do with dogmas or beliefs. The task of a historian is to bring sources to light, scrutinize them impartially and make an unbiased hypothesis. Enthusiasts of history are aware of this process very well. And those who are aware understand the disclaimer: History can change at any time without prior notice.
Further Reading
History of Islam, Preface, 2025. https://historyofislam.org/