How do historians think? And on what basis do they make claims and arguments? An enquiry into the historical method is urgent in our times, since many claims and counterclaims are being continuously made on all media, and in all public spaces.  

This series of videos: 

explains the kinds of sources that historians use

(eg. stone inscriptions, material remains, art, texts), 

recounts the questions they ask of these sources

(eg. who produced the source and why?), 

asks who is included and who is excluded from these sources

(eg. what were women doing when cave paintings show men hunting?),

discusses the importance of corroboration 

(eg. do other kinds of sources confirm what one source says? Or do they contradict what is said? If so, what does the historian do?) 

emphasizes the importance of historical interpretation (eg. do those sections of Indian society who did not have/were not allowed access to forms of communication also have a past and a history?). 

Thus, students may develop important skills of reading history as

'an argument about the past'.  

The Historically Tempered Collective––Janaki Nair (historian; former professor, JNU), Meera Iyer (heritage researcher; convenor, INTACH Bengaluru chapter), Saisudha Acharya (children’s & YA nonfiction author, educator), and Ajay Cadambi (educator)––have initiated a project entitled Indian History: Thali by Thali that emphasizes the historical method.  The first video in this 15-part series asks: What were the Harappans Eating? (YouTube Video attached below)

Attempts at discussing what the Harappans ate has attracted controversy in the recent past––in 2020, the National Museum  abruptly struck all non-vegetarian items from its menu offering an 'Indus Dining Experience'. In this video, Professors Jaya Menon and Supriya Varma provide arguments as archaeologists, based on their understanding of evidence, to discuss what people in the Harappan civilization ate nearly 4500 years ago. What has been found in archaeological digs, and how have archaeologists interpreted these finds? Menon and Varma also draw attention to what we don't know and how future research can help answer some of those questions.