Category: Blog

We read history as academic discipline, but a very few know of the steps involved in presenting the past events as historical records. When we talk of construction of past events to be presented as ‘history’, we come across the term ‘Historiography’. Historiography is the study of the methods, historians adopt to study and reconstruct past to make it acceptable as attested chronicle.

 Talking from the point of view of Historiography, the historians take these steps to develop or propound a historical theory:

1)    collection of source material

2)    studying the source material

3)    applying process of induction and deduction

4)    drawing inference

5)    presenting the hypothesis

6)    propounding the theory

If we look at the steps involved, we observe that a scholar of science also adopts the same methods while carrying out an experiment. He too takes the source material into account, applies the process of induction and deduction, draws inference and propounds a theory. That is why the act of constructing history has often been compared to carrying out a scientific experiment. Philosophers like Hegel and Kant suggest that ‘Historiography’ could be categorised under a science subject. The only hitch in accepting it as a science subject is the accuracy of the result or conclusion.

 In the premise of history, source material consists of two categories

a)    Primary Source

b)    Secondary Source

Primary Source:

Historical data contained in inscriptions, ancient texts, paintings, murals, sculptures, coins or any other source of information that was created at the time under study.

Secondary Source: 

Historical data that gives information about a primary source. These sources are one or more steps away from the event. Accounts presented after the time of study with the benefit of hindsight (and possible misrepresentation) are secondary. Obituaries and eulogies are categorised under secondary source.

Thus art and literature constitute an important part of history. While studying history of an era it is impossible to neglect art of the period. It shows many symbols or represents elements which may throw light on social, political, economic, cultural conditions of the period.

Same holds true for the literature. It can be even more vital than art while constructing history. Literature can be both secular or religious. while secular literature serves as the very important source material, sometimes even religious literature can throw light on the conditions of the era.

For example:

A famous abhanga (devotional verse) in the 13th century religious text, Gyaneshvari says that “Humans are worthless as leather till the time the seal of Hari naam (God’s name) is inscribed on them… as a piece of leather is worthless without the royal seal”

In spiritual term it might have its own implications but in terms of economic history it implies that there was prevalence of leather currency during the era.

Famous painter Paul Gauguin had said, “Art requires philosophy, just as philosophy requires art. Otherwise, what would become of beauty?”

 In a certain sense, art, like philosophy, reflects reality in its relation to man. Art portrays man, issues of his world, his inter-personal and intra-personal relations and at times his relations with the divine.

Talking of portraying philosophy through art one is reminded of the words of Pablo Picasso, “The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls”

This dust of ignorance/materialism is often discussed in Bhagavadgita. In chapter III verse 38 in Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna says,

dhumenavriyate vahnir

yathadarso malena ca

yatholbenavrto garbhas

tatha tenedam avrtam               

(As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, similarly, the living entity is covered by different degrees of this desires)

 The dust on the mirror here refers to the covering of ignorance on soul or spirit. If we do not clean and polish that mirror regularly, it gathers dust, and one is not able to see oneself in its pure form i.e. the soul. For the realisation that we are not perishable bodies but imperishable/eternal souls, a cleansing process of the mirror of the mind by subliminal processes is recommended. Then that can be any therapeutic process like art, music, poetry, writing etc.

In the realm of word-power, the rhetoricians classify expressions as Abhidha, Lakshana and Vyanjana:

Abhidha implies direct/ literal/primary meaning. For example ‘Ball is in your court’ will mean ‘the ball is lying in the opponent’s court in the game of tennis.’

In Lakshana the literal/primary meaning is rejected and removed while indicative/ implicative meaning is projected. For example the ‘Ball is in your court’ through the power of Lakshana will mean ‘It is up to you to make the next decision or step.’

Further through the power of Vyanjana both, literal and indicative meanings are taken off and suggestive/intentional meaning comes forth. For example ‘Ball is in your court’ through the power of vyanjana will mean that the ‘onus is on you.’

Vyanjana or suggested meaning is the soul of the writings.

Thus the meaning of the words denoted by abhidha (verbal meaning), or hinted by lakshana (indicative meaning) or suggested by vyanjana (suggestive meaning) finally terminates into rasa (essence). 

The same theory applies in the premise of visual art where ‘lines, forms and colours’ replace ‘words’ in expressing a particular sentiment. Thus visual art is a kind of ‘nonverbal communication’ (communication through sending and receiving wordless clues). Nonverbal communication involves the conscious and unconscious processes of encoding and decoding. 

Only a small percentage of the brain processes verbal communication. Nonverbal communication represents two-thirds of all communication. That is why visual arts become the more powerful tool of expression than writings. Hence, there is an English idiom “A picture is worth a thousand words”.

In the words of Oscar Wilde “No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist.” Through this, it is meant that artists are required to go beyond the obvious and direct (abhidha) and through indications (lakshana) should bring out the suggestive and allusive (vyanjana) to give the essence (rasa) to the viewers.