You Can Not Understand History without this | Difference between BC & AD & BCE ? | Prashant Dhawan

StudyIQ IAS

7 Mar 202412:12

Summary

TLDRThe video script discusses the importance of the BC/AD dating system in historical context and its gradual replacement with the more secular BCE/CE system in academic circles. It explains the origin of the BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini) system, tracing it back to the Gregorian calendar reform by Pope Gregory XIII. The script also touches on other calendar systems like the Islamic Hijri and the Chinese lunar calendar, highlighting the global acceptance of the Gregorian calendar and the reasons behind the shift towards a secular time-reckoning system.

Takeaways

📚 History is an important subject that helps us understand past mistakes and great deeds.
🔍 There is a debate in the academic world about whether to completely stop using BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini) and switch to BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era).
🌏 The script mentions that the use of BC/AD is being phased out in favor of BCE/CE to promote a secular mindset in academic fields.
📖 The difference between BC/AD and BCE/CE is not just terminological; it reflects a shift in how we perceive historical timelines without religious connotations.
📆 The Gregorian calendar, which is widely used today, was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII to correct inaccuracies in the Julian calendar.
🌐 Despite the existence of other calendars like the Islamic and Chinese calendars, the Gregorian calendar has been globally accepted for trade, travel, and communication.
🗓️ The Saka calendar, used in India alongside the Gregorian calendar, starts 78 years after the Gregorian calendar, making the current year 1945 in the Saka calendar.
👑 The system of dividing time into BC/AD was created by a monk named Dionysius Exiguus, who used the birth of Jesus Christ as a reference point.
🌟 The transition from BC/AD to BCE/CE is happening gradually in various universities and encyclopedias to align with a secular academic approach.
📝 The script emphasizes the importance of having a proper era system for understanding and communicating about historical events accurately.
💡 The change from BC/AD to BCE/CE is not just about academic preference but also about inclusivity and recognizing diverse perspectives on time.

Q & A

What is the main subject of the provided video script?
-The main subject of the video script is the importance of understanding historical dating systems, specifically the shift from using BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini) to BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era).
Why is history considered an important subject according to the script?
-History is considered important because it allows us to understand past mistakes and great achievements, helping us to learn and make informed decisions in the present.
What do BC and AD stand for, and what are their equivalents in the modern system?
-BC stands for 'Before Christ' and AD stands for 'Anno Domini' (in the year of our Lord). Their modern equivalents are BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era).
Who created the BC/AD dating system, and why was it created?
-The BC/AD dating system was created by a monk named Dionysius Exiguus about 1500 years ago. It was created to provide a clear reference point for historical events, using the birth of Jesus Christ as the central point.
Why is the calendar system referred to as the Gregorian Calendar?
-The calendar system is called the Gregorian Calendar because it was commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII to address inaccuracies in the Julian Calendar, particularly related to leap years.
What are some alternative calendar systems mentioned in the script?
-The script mentions the Islamic calendar, the Chinese calendar, and the Indian Saka calendar as alternative systems to the Gregorian Calendar.
How does the Islamic calendar determine its year zero?
-The Islamic calendar determines its year zero based on the Hijra, the migration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina.
What is the significance of the Chinese calendar's year zero?
-The Chinese calendar's year zero is based on the reign of Emperor Huang Di and follows lunar and solar cycles.
What is unique about India's Saka calendar in relation to the Gregorian Calendar?
-India's Saka calendar, which is also a national calendar, starts 78 years after the Gregorian Calendar. For example, the year 2024 in the Gregorian Calendar corresponds to 1945 in the Saka calendar.
Why has there been a shift from using BC/AD to BCE/CE in academic fields?
-The shift from BC/AD to BCE/CE in academic fields aims to adopt a more secular and inclusive approach, removing religious connotations from the dating system while maintaining the same chronological framework.

Outlines

00:00

📚 History and the Transition from BC to CE

The script discusses the importance of history and the evolution of dating systems. It explains the shift from using BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini) to the more secular BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era). The speaker emphasizes the need for a universally accepted dating system and how the Gregorian calendar became the global standard. The paragraph also touches on the historical use of BC and AD, the introduction of the Gregorian calendar by Pope Gregory XIII, and the gradual replacement of BC with BCE and AD with CE in academic and cultural contexts.

05:03

🌏 Global Calendar Systems and Their Acceptance

This paragraph delves into the global acceptance of the Gregorian calendar and the reasons behind it. It mentions the Julian calendar's inaccuracies and the Gregorian calendar's rectifications. The script also explores other calendar systems like the Islamic calendar, which starts with the migration of Prophet Muhammad, and the Chinese calendar, which is based on lunar and solar cycles. The paragraph highlights how different civilizations, including India, have adopted the Gregorian calendar for global consistency, despite having their own calendars like the Saka calendar.

10:05

🔄 The Shift to Secular Timekeeping and Its Impact

The final paragraph addresses the ongoing transition from BC/AD to BCE/CE in academic and scholarly works to promote a secular mindset. It discusses the reasons for this change, including the desire for a non-religious dating system that can be universally accepted. The script notes that many universities and encyclopedias have started using BCE and CE, and that this change reflects a broader movement towards secularism in academic fields. It concludes by emphasizing the historical significance of the shift and its implications for understanding time and history.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡History

History is the study of past events, particularly in human affairs. It is central to the video's theme, as it discusses the importance of understanding history to learn from past mistakes and achievements. The script mentions history in the context of the BC and AD dating system, emphasizing how historical knowledge shapes our understanding of time and events.

💡BC (Before Christ)

BC stands for 'Before Christ' and is used to denote years in the Gregorian calendar before the birth of Jesus Christ. The script explains that BC is part of the dating system that has been used for centuries to measure historical time, with the transition from BC to AD marking a significant shift in the timeline of recorded history.

💡AD (Anno Domini)

AD, which stands for 'Anno Domini', means 'in the year of our Lord' and is used to label years in the Gregorian calendar following the birth of Jesus Christ. The video discusses the shift from BC to AD as a way to divide history into two parts: before and after the birth of Christ, which has been a traditional method in Western historiography.

💡Gregorian Calendar

The Gregorian Calendar is the most widely used civil calendar today, introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. The video script discusses its significance, explaining that it replaced the Julian Calendar to correct inaccuracies, especially regarding leap years, and has since become the global standard for dating years.

💡Leap Year

A leap year is a year with an extra day added to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year. The script mentions the issues with the Julian Calendar's handling of leap years, which led to the creation of the Gregorian Calendar to provide a more accurate timekeeping system.

💡Common Era (CE)

CE stands for 'Common Era' and is a secular alternative to AD, used to label years in the Gregorian calendar without religious connotations. The video discusses the shift from AD to CE as part of a broader movement towards secularization and inclusivity in academic and historical contexts.

💡BCE (Before Common Era)

BCE stands for 'Before Common Era' and corresponds to years before the Common Era, similar to BC but without religious implications. The script uses BCE as part of the discussion on the secularization of the historical dating system, suggesting a move away from religiously influenced terminology.

💡Secular

Secular refers to something not connected with religious or spiritual matters. In the context of the video, the term is used to describe the shift towards a more inclusive dating system that does not favor any particular religion, such as the transition from BC/AD to BCE/CE.

💡Islamic Calendar

The Islamic Calendar, also known as the Hijri Calendar, is a lunar calendar used predominantly by the Islamic world. The video mentions this calendar as an example of an alternative dating system that is based on significant events in Islamic history, such as the migration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina.

💡Chinese Calendar

The Chinese Calendar is a lunisolar calendar primarily used in China and other East Asian countries. The script refers to the Chinese Calendar to illustrate another example of a culturally specific calendar system that is based on lunar and solar cycles and has its own unique method of marking years.

💡Saka Calendar

The Saka Calendar is the national calendar of India, which is used alongside the Gregorian Calendar for official purposes. The video script discusses the Saka Calendar as an example of a regional calendar system that has been adopted by a nation as part of its cultural identity and historical continuity.

Highlights

History is an important subject that helps us understand past mistakes and great deeds.

Understanding the difference between BC, AD, BCE, and CE is crucial for interpreting historical events.

The Gregorian calendar, introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, is widely used today due to its accuracy and simplicity.

The term BC stands for 'Before Christ', indicating years before the birth of Christ.

AD stands for 'Anno Domini', which means 'in the year of our Lord', counting years from the birth of Christ.

BCE and CE represent a secular approach to dating, with BCE meaning 'Before Common Era' and CE 'Common Era'.

The transition from BC/AD to BCE/CE reflects a move towards secularism in academic and historical contexts.

The Julian calendar, used before the Gregorian calendar, had inaccuracies, especially with leap years.

The Islamic world also has its calendar, based on the Hijri year, which starts from the migration of Prophet Muhammad.

China uses a lunisolar calendar that combines lunar and solar cycles, different from the Gregorian calendar.

India officially recognizes two calendars: the Gregorian calendar and the Shaka calendar.

The Shaka calendar is considered India's national calendar and is used alongside the Gregorian calendar.

The adoption of the Gregorian calendar was facilitated by European explorers and colonizers.

The global acceptance of the Gregorian calendar is due to its widespread use for trade, travel, and communication.

Despite the global acceptance of the Gregorian calendar, the BCE/CE system is gaining traction in academic fields.

The shift from BC/AD to BCE/CE is part of a broader movement towards secularism and inclusivity in historical study.

Understanding the historical context of different calendar systems is essential for accurate historical interpretation.

The video concludes with a discussion on the importance of recognizing the diverse calendar systems used around the world.