History is truth

Recently, statements about certain historical facts have given rise to controversies and polemics among readers. After all, what is history? History is a documentation of facts, events, and happenings in the past.

One on-line dictionary defines history as ‘A usually chronological record of events, as of the life or development of a people or institution, often including an explanation of or commentary on those events’.  Thus, history is documentation of events, people and institutions. This process of documentation is undertaken by historians, scholars in the field of history.

We should never dispute any facts of history. For example, Malacca fell to the Portuguese in 1511, subsequently to the Dutch in 1641. Finally, Malacca was ceded to the British, according to Anglo-Dutch Treaty in 1824.

Likewise, JWW Birch, the Resident of Perak was murdered by Maharaja Lela, a Malay chieftain in Perak. All these are historical facts.  Of course, history is always interpreted by many from their own perspective. From the Malay perspective, Maharaja Lela is a hero and Birch, a villain, but from the British point of view, it is otherwise. Points of view always differ from different perspective, but history is statement of truth, the actually happening of events.

The task of writing history lies in the shoulders of historians, without prejudice, bias or from his or her personal point of view. Historians should rely on historical records based on written records for evidence to support their claims. Sometimes, photographs, films, or other forms of artefacts can be used to substantiate their documentation. 

Trouble often brews when history is interpreted by many. Of course, everyone including a layman can interpret events and happenings. But, interpretation is not history. Normally, interpretation is considered as one’s point of view.

Disagreements raised today can be put to rest, if history is seen as truth. Therefore, I suggest let history be the concern of the learned in the field of history, i.e. the historians. History should not be distorted or misinterpreted and written in a biased and from the personal view-point.