Answer the following in 25-30 words.

(1) What is historiography?

(2) What did René Descartes insist upon?

(3) Why is Voltaire said to be the founder of modern historiography?

(1) The study of the method of writing history in a critical manner is known as Historiography. It covers the study of sources, different approaches, techniques, etc.; that requires to write the history. The one who writes is known as a historian. For example, there are different schools of historiography such as - Modern school of Historiography, Feminist school of Historiography, etc.

(2) René Descartes insisted upon to check the authenticity of the historical documents that have been collected from various sources. Before, writing or collecting any historical record through various sources, it is important to clear the doubts. He explained about this, in his book ‘Discourse on the Method’ which includes the rules that are more helpful in creating the scientific method of research.

(3) Voltaire suggested that to write history, all the aspects of the human life should be taken into consideration and not just the chronology or objective truth. Social traditions, trade, economy, agriculture, etc. are also equally important to write the history. This is the reason he is said to be the founder of the Modern Historiography.