This resource by Dr Agnes DCosta will help you learn how Primary sources should be analysed objectively.
Lesson Overview
This lesson will help you understand how primary sources are analysedusing the Six Cs
Lesson Preparation
Primary Sourcesare materials that have survived the past. Examples include letters, photographs, buildings, articles of clothing etc. Primary sources are analysed using the six C approach. The six Cs involved are content, citation, communication, context, communications, conclusion.
Contentrefers to the main idea of the source. It is important to know why it was created. In case of analyzing a document one must look at important phrases, sentences to understand the document.
Citation: Locate the citation of the source to know who created the same and when. A source can be analysed better if one knows the creator and time.
Communication: The source must be checked to see if there is any bias or point of view provided by the author of the source.
Context: Context helps to understand what is going on in the region of in the world at the time of the creation of this source. It helps to understand the source is better light. It adds a background to the source and helps to construct history more authentically. The language used in the source needs to be carefully interpreted as it may not be the modern version of the language. To understand a source better, one can look at other reliable sources of that period and try to connect how these sources support one another. Different views are got multiple perspectives can be examined.
Connections: Connections help one to correlate the information got from the source to what one already knows. It helps to bring the element of continuity. It helps better interpretation of the source.
Conclusions: While drawing conclusions from a primary source we look out for how the source improves our understanding of History. We also explain how we have drawn our conclusions. One reflects upon how the concerned source has helped to consolidate what was known previously about the topic.
The six Cs help one to look at sources in an objective manner. A holistic view is taken and the source helps the learner to reconstruct History. Facts are not just received from the teacher or the textbook, but the learner is involved and hence understanding is better. Critical thinking, impartial views and scientific attitude are promoted through the six Cs.
The source chosen for analysis is a map of Vasai in the early 16thcentury.
Content: This is a map of Bassein. The map has some words in Portuguese. It shows the fort of Bassein which was also the main town of the Portuguese. The fort is surrounded by sea on three sides. One learns that the name for Vasai was Bacaim in those days. The source has some Portuguese text on it. The name nuno dacunha appears on the source and it probably refers to the Portuguese Governor of that time.
Citation: This is a material source probably created in 1530 as is seen on the map. A name Barcelor de lima is seen at the bottom left of the map and it could be the name of the person who has made this map.
Communication: This map is a pictorial representation of the town of Bassein. It shows the boundaries of the town, the structures within. It seems to be a very objective representation of the layout of the town. A bazaar and a hospital are seen. The intended audience could be those in government service as the name of the governor appears in the source.
Context: Around 1530 when the map was created, the Portuguese already had their colonies in India. When the Portuguese arrived, Bassein was under the rule of Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat. In 1530 Antonio de Sylveria burnt the city of Bassein and continued the burning and looting to nearby Bombay, when the King of Thana surrendered islands of Mahim and Bombay. Subsequently, the towns of Thana, Bandora, Mahim and Mombaim (Bombay) were brought under Portuguese control. In 1531, Antonio de Saldahna while returning from Gujarat to Goa, set fire to Bassein again – to punish Bahadur Shah of Gujarat for not ceding Diu. In 1533 Diogo (Heytor) de Sylveira, burnt the entire sea coast from Bandora, Thana, city of Bassein and areas up to Surat. Diogo de Sylveira returned to Goa with 4000 slaves. On 23 December 1534, the Sultan of Gujarat, signed a treaty with the Portuguese and ceded Bassein with its dependencies of Salsette, Mombaim (Bombay), Parel, Vadala, Siao (Sion), Vorli (Worli) (Worli fort photo), Mazagao (Mazgao), Thana, Bandra, Mahim, Caranja (Uran). In 1536, Nuno da Cunha appointed his brother-in-law Garcia de Sá as the first Captain/Governor of Bassein. The first corner stone for the Fort was laid by Antonio Galvao. In 1548 the Governorship of Bassein was passed on to Jorge Cabral.
Connection: The source is useful to understand the sequence of events that occurred in Vasai during the early 16thcentury. The Fort was the focal point of many activities. Later the Portuguese rule was overthrown by the British and then the Marathas conquered the place. After the Treaty of Vasai, the town went back to the British.
Conclusion: the map helps to understand the strategic importance of the fort of Vasai. It gives an idea regarding the condition of the fort in the early 16thcentury.
The history of Vasai in the 16thcentury can be reconstructed with the help of this map and other records such as the engravings in the fort, the documents and reports written during that period.
