History is the memory of the ancient past, teaches religious tolerance, is a source of inspiration, promotes patriotism, a laboratory of social sciences, infuses noble ideals, helps to broaden one’* outlook, has professional uses and removes prejudices.
1. History is the memory of the past events: The study of history gives us information about the biographies of great men and a record of major events of the world. According to Will Durant, “A country’ past is like an individual’ memory. If memory goes, sanity goes with it”. Hayes and Moon wrote “As memory is to man, History is to mankind”.
2. History helps to broaden our outlook: The study of history helps us to get knowledge about the people of different countries, traditions, customs, cultures, and civilizations. Thus it broadens the outlook of mankind. The details recorded in history relating to Art, Architecture, Literature, and Religion expands one’* horizon of knowledge.
3. History promotes international peace: The world has already witnessed the misgivings of the two World Wars, ff another war takes place in the future, it would ** the whole world. History has pointed out that unawareness of the culture of other countries and narrow nationalism has lead to such wars. Today, there is a great deal of competition among different countries in possessing nuclear weapons and war equipment’. For the development of cordial relations between nations, the study of world history is the need of the hour.
4. History nurtures and instills nationalistic feelings: (in every nation has a past and ‘ there definitely would have been a golden era under some enlightened ruler in-the part. Knowing about that makes the people of a nation to be proud of their ancestors and spun them on to regain the part glory, (e.g) Mussolini could unite the warring Italian states by highlighting the roman empire and its glory.
5. History has Professional uses: It is a competitive world. History is the main core-subject for the competitive examinations like IAS, IPS, IFS, KAS, etc. Historical knowledge is a matter of necessity for Students, Teachers, Lawyers, Journalists, Administrators, and Statesmen. Thousands of historians are working in the Department of Archaeological survey of India under central and state governments. New job opportunities have opened up for the students of history at Museums, Archives, Tourism development, and related fields.
