history

History is the study of past events in human societies. It seeks to understand what happened, why it happened, and how those events influenced later developments. Historians examine a wide range of sources, including written records, oral traditions, inscriptions, archaeology, and artifacts, to reconstruct sequences of events and the contexts in which they occurred. History covers politics, society, economy, culture, technology, and environment, and it can be approached at local, national, regional, or global scales.

The practice of history involves critical analysis of sources, assessment of reliability, and interpretation of causes and consequences. Historians consider how different kinds of evidence complement or conflict with one another, and they construct narratives that connect events to broader processes such as state formation, trade, migration, or cultural exchange. History is distinct from related fields like archaeology, which emphasizes material culture, and from prehistory, which relies on nonwritten evidence for earlier times. The study of historiography—the methods and frameworks used to write history—helps illuminate how interpretations change over time and why perspectives may differ.

Historical inquiry is organized into various branches, including political, social, economic, cultural, intellectual, diplomatic, and environmental history. It informs public memory, policy debates, and education, and it raises questions about bias, legitimacy, and ethics in the interpretation of the past. As new sources emerge and methodologies develop, history remains a dynamic field that connects past experiences with present understanding.