Think As Historian: THINK AS A HISTORIAN: IDENTIfY CLAIMS

A claim is a statement asserted to be true. It differs from provable fact, such as “Baghdad was the largest city in the Abbasid Empire” or simple preference, such as “World history is more interesting than algebra.” Instead, in modern scholarship, a claim expresses a viewpoint with which thoughtful people can reasonably disagree. It forms the basis of an argument—reasoning backed up with evidence.

A claim is often a somewhat general statement that reflects a judgment shaped by the point of view of the writer. In some historical texts with a clear bias, the claim may simply be the author’s main idea, and it may be based more on opinion or overgeneralization than rigorous reasoning. In modern scholarship, however, claims should be grounded in facts and informed opinions. While claims are general, the evidence used to support them should be specific.

Reread the excerpt by the Muslim scholar Al-Beruni on page 30. Determine which sentence below best expresses his claim by looking for the most general statement. Then explain whether the claim is based on informed opinions or overgeneralizations.

1. [Hindus] are haughty, foolishly vain, self-conceited, and stolid.

2. The Hindus believe that there is no country but theirs, no nation like theirs, no kings like theirs, no religion like theirs, no science like theirs.

3. The present generation of Hindus is narrow-minded.

4. If you tell them of any science or scholar in Khorasan and Persia, they will think you to be both an ignoramus and a liar.