Why we need to go beyond the history of war and conflict in our education

Winning is so deeply embedded in our psyche that history is generally considered a chronicle of power; a list of who crushed whom and descriptions of rivalries amongst the strong. The destruction of Troy in 1193 BCE, Alexander’s defeat of Raja Purushothaman in 326 BCE, the Norman conquest of England in 1066, the fall of Constantinople in 1453, and the First Battle of Panipat in 1556. The siege of…the war of …the sacking of… After all the fiery wars came the Cold War.

The history of war and conflict is a focus on the political trends and divisive forces of the world and has traditionally been a part of the political agenda of education. “Students need to know the history of their nation,” is the foundation of this study programme. They do, they do. But is that all?