The modern concept of history has the following characteristics

The modern concept of history has the following characteristics:

1. It is now realised that history is a scientific study and faithful record of the past, chiefly in the social and cultural fields.

2. History deals not merely with the events but with the forces which lie behind those events. Ideas are considered to be the basis of all actions of great personalities. They are behind the occurrence of all events.

3. History does not deal only with the lives of great individuals, but with the lives of the people in general.

4. Today, history is conceived not in the form of a study of the past but rather the study of the present in the light of the past. “History is an unending dialogue between the present and the past”.

5. History is not static; it is dynamic, changing and developing.

6. Modern concept of history lays emphasis on history as an evolution, growth and development of human civilisation through the ages. In the words of Pt. Nehru, “Man’s growth from barbarism to civilisation is supposed to be the theme of history”.

7. History is a social science, dealing with the complex phenomenon of social evolutions.

8. History is considered to have four dimensions-people, place, time and ideas, as all of these are indispensable to trace the story of mankind in its aspects.

Thus, history is no longer considered to be a chronicle of wars and battles fought by the kings as it was previously conceived. Now, the scope of history is considered to be wide and its theme is the whole life of mankind.