The First in Digital History

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The First History Site on Internet:

The site by Lynn Nelson of University of Kansas was probably the first history site on internet. It was released by Lynn Nelson in September 1993.

The method of use of web started among the Physicists in 1991. The actual shape of the web world emerged only by 1993 as developed in University of Illinois.

The First History Department Website:

"In November 1994, Morris Pierce, ..., created one of the first departmental websites for the University of Rochester."*

Morris Pierce launched the first website for a History Department of University of Rochester.

First Computer Course for History:

"In the fall of 1994, (George) Welling developed a course in computer skills for American history students and asked them to construct an American Revolution website."*

First Most Popular Website on History:

"Welling’s site, From Revolution to Reconstruction, quickly became one of first popular history websites."*

Welling's site, "From Revolution to Reconstruction" was first such site on History which became popular.

First History Discussion List:

"In the late 1980s, Joni Makivirta, a student at the University of Jyvaskyla, Finland, started an online history discussion list."*

It was Joni Makivirta from Finland who started an email listing for history on web. He followed the model of similar email listings in the field of general sciences. Later, Richard Jensen, one of the participants in the email list of Joni Makivirta started the H-Net email listing. It has now more than 100 such email listings. It can be accessed at h-net.org

First Display of Historic Material on Internet:

The first regular display of history material on Internet was done by Library of Congress in the year 1994.

Year 1995:
The year 1995 is a historic year because in that year Marc Andreesen and James H. Clark launched Netscape browser. It replaced the earlier method of Internet which was done through Mosiac, the first most popular web browser developed by National Centre of Supercomputing at University of Illinois. The same year is important for the history related sites as since than, History related sites have continued be launched on Internet.

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Source and Acknowledgement:

* Cohen and Rosenzwelg"Digital History - Guide to Gathering Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web" Print, Chapter 1, Exploring the History Web.

Also online version at http://chnm.gmu.edu/digitalhistory/

Centre de Sciences Humaines New Delhi

Centre de Sciences Humaines ( CSH ) is based in New Delhi. It has a wesbite at www.csh-delhi.com.

According to the site description, “The Centre's activities are primarily oriented towards the study of issues concerning the contemporary dynamics of development in India, in its regional and international context.”

As per the history of the Centre given of the site, it has shifted to New Delhi from Kabul. At that time, it was working as the French Archaeological Delegation in Kabul and on arriving in India, it became French Archaeological Mission in India. The CSH was created by it in 1990. It is stated there that “n 1995, there was a shift in the research focus and the CSH became a centre specialising in contemporary India and South Asia.”

It is part of 27 research centres of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The object of the Centre is and I quote from the site that “As a research centre, the overall objective of the CSH is to examine India as an emerging power on the international scene, and to analyse the various transition processes that affect India and the South Asian region.”

It conduct many research projects with a pre-defined objectives already given on the site.

It provides the information on its activities through a news magazines which is interestingly titled “Pattrika” which is a Hindi term for magazine. The Pattrika is available online.

There are no online full length papers available on the site. However, the papers which are being produced by the Centre through research has been mentioned there with required glimpse of the contents of the papers.

I have come across the activities of the centre through the email listing of H-Asia and edited by Frank Conlon on November 3, 2010.

In battle of Wandiwash, the British company defeated the French company. I continue to read about the British empire especially its rule in India. The question comes to mind again and again that what scenario would have been there if British did not win that battle. Well, in history, you can not think like that. Even then, there remains a streaks of French presence in India. The times have changed. Now, India as a nation has matured. However, it attracts attention rooted in fascination for those nations which once ruled over India. The activities of the present governments of erstwhile imperial powers in their erstwhile colonies attract attention of any student of history. I have not gone through whole of the site and papers displayed there. But, the presence of such an institution in India definitely attracted my imagination and curiosity. The aim of the blog is to collect the the material/source on history at one place. No doubt, the institutions which are engaged in undertaking the research also come under such intellectual interest. Therefore, I include it in the list.

Emancipation Proclamation Breaths to Life

The oath taking ceremony of Barack Obama, as the 44th President of United State of America is going to take place today that is January 20, 2009. I am writing this in India at 7.49 pm in way to feel the history as it breaths to life. I remember that it was Lincoln who spoke what latter became as Emancipation Proclamation. It read that on first day of 1863 all persons held as slaves in areas in rebellion against the United States were to be then, thenceforward and forever free.


The slaves mentioned in there were African Americans. However, nothing changed for them. In 1865, there took place the Amendment XIII which read, “Section 1, Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall existed within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.


Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.



Then came the Article XIV adopted in 1868. It read, “Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to ay person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.




Section 2. Representatives Shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of person in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of Electors for President and Vice-President of the Unites States, Representatives in Congress, the executive and judicial officers of a State, or the members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty one years of age and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.


Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or Elector of President and vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officers of any State, support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in the insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each house, remove such disability.


Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States, or any claim for the loss of emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations, and claims shall be held illegal and void.


Finally Article XV was adopted in 1870.
It read, “Section 1. The right of citizens of the Unites States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, colour, or previous condition of servitude.



The above mentioned terms and vision has been nurtured further by the blood of Martin Luther King. However, finally, today, it has starting breathing.


It is for the Europe to see that the democratic principles and the human rights as envisaged by them are made to work in North America. It is for Islamic world to see that if there is to be fight then it should be against the divisions based on colour, race, and place of origin.

However, I believe this is again a stage in gradual revelation of thought through man in nature. The process will continue and United State will soon bring in female President. It will be the final Emancipation and culmination of Abolitionism.


I love my country Bharat. I am proud to be an Indian. I admire United States of America for the achievement which she has shown now in the 21st century.

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Sources used: Bailyn, Davis, Donald, Thomas, Wiebe, Wood, The Great Republic: A History of the American People, Oxford and IBH Publishing Co. New Delhi.

Kumrahar Palibothra, Patliputra, Patna

Urbanization is an important subject in itself. In making of history of any region, country and social group, the urbanization and its process determine the contours of the development effecting every aspect of the life of inhabitants.

Similarly, to know the history in right order is as important as making of a nation and its existence. This statement may not be comprehensible to many people and nor it is going to be further dilated upon here. However, there is need to emphasis that there are some cities which are more important for remembering the history and heritage of ones own country than remembering and establishing the title of the property papers of your plots in which you have indulgently invested your hard earned or luck earned money. One of such city is Kumrahar and Rajgriha.

It is Kumrahar, from where the very political identity of India as a nation has started emerging. That is other thing, many scholars will object to this statement because there is a group of scholars who believe that the very concept nation is nineteenth century concept and in India, the India as a nation started emerging only after 1870. There is need of debating on Euro-Centric and Euro-Defined and Euro-Oriented paradigm and I am ready to debate on what I have said here. This very Kumrahar then became the Patliputra of Ajatsatru, then of Sungas, Dhana Nanda, Vishnu Gupta and finally of Chandragupta Maurya. It was the same Patliputra, which was Palibothra of Sandrocotus in the Indica of Magasthense as referred to in the writing of Strabo. It is the same Pataliputra which later became the Patna.

In a news item of Times of India, it is being announced that the Bihar Government is about to bring out a book titled ‘Patna: A Monumental History’. It is coming out at a time when Bihar is suffering from the curse of Kosi. Any how, some of the extracts of the news item is reproduced below.

“Patna is pioneer among selected towns of India having run horse-drawn trams as urban mode of transport.”

“Now trams run only in Kolkata.”

“The founder of Kolkata Job Charnock spent more than a decade as the chief of Patna factory before founding the city of Kolkata in 1699 AD by integrating three adjoining villages — Sutanati, Kolikata and Govindpur.”

“The present day Patna Saheb is the oldest station of Patna. Its name changed several times, starting from Begampur, to Patna, to Patna City and now Patna Saheb.”

“The Danapur railway station, just outside Khagaul, later became the headquarters of the then `Company of East Indian Railway Volunteers.”

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It is a reposting of the post which has already appeared at History in News.

Evoke History to Seek Heritage Status

In a report appearing in The Hindustan Times, dated August 27, 2008, Chandigarh Edition, page 4, it is conveyed that Punjab Government will claim heritage status for Sultanpur Lodhi because it has historic association with Guru Nanak. The Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal stated “that the original architecture and grandeur of the town of great religious and cultural importance would be preserved while implementing various development projects.
It is added here that Sultanpur Lodhi and Ludhiana came into existence during the period of Sikandar Lodhi in order to counter the attack of Khokhars. Such historic facts should also be given due place while getting motivation for preserving heritage which is the only surety of preserving ones existence.

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If Hindustan Times people happens to this post, then it is requested that they should not insist the users of their internet users to register first in order to access the links. There is no such bar in case of The Tribune and The Hindu. As a result, one may find numerous references to those newsprints on this blogs as well its associated blog like sumir-history.blogspot.com


It is a reposting of a post which appears on History in News.