The Persistence of Eurocentric Bias in Historical Accounts
R. Murugan
Research Scholar of History, Deptt. of History, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar -608002, Chidambaram, Tamilnadu, India
This study interrogates the enduring presence of Eurocentric bias in historical narratives, tracing its roots to colonial and imperial ideologies that shaped mainstream historiography. It explores how Europe has been positioned as the centre of global historical progress while marginalising the contributions, knowledge systems, and agency of non-European societies. Through analysis of textbooks, archives, academic discourse, and public memory, the paper reveals how these biases persist in both educational content and institutional structures. The study critically examines contemporary efforts to dismantle Eurocentrism, including decolonial scholarship, curriculum reform, and inclusive historiography. While notable progress has been made in challenging dominant narratives, the research highlights persistent structural and epistemological barriers. It calls for a fundamental reimagining of historical frameworks that transcend Western paradigms and embrace pluralistic, transnational perspectives. Ultimately, the paper advocates for a historiography grounded in multiplicity and historical justice, promoting a more balanced and equitable understanding of the human past.
1. RM Bhat, P. Rajan, and L. Gamage, “Redressing Historical Bias: Exploring the Path to an Accurate Representation of the Past,” Journal of Social Science, 2023.2. CB McCullagh, “Bias in Historical Description, Interpretation, and Explanation,” History and Theory, 2000.3. TJ Luce, “Ancient Views on the Causes of Bias in Historical Writing,” Classical Philology, 1989.4. GM Trevelyan, “Bias in History,” History, 1947.5. IS Lustick, “History, Historiography, and Political Science: Multiple Historical Records and the Problem of Selection Bias,” American Political Science Review, 1996.6. Y Vella, “Teaching Bias in History Lessons: An Example Using Maltese History,” History Education Research Journal, 2020.7. A Mukharji and R. Zeckhauser, “Bound to Happen: Explanation Bias in Historical Analysis,” Journal of Applied History, 2019.8. S Lang, “What Is Bias?” Teaching History, 1993.9. K. Iordanou, P. Kendeou, and M. Zembylas, “Examining My-Side Bias During and After Reading Controversial Historical Accounts,” Metacognition and Learning, 2020.10. C. Robertson, “In Pursuit of Life Histories: The Problem of Bias,” Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 1983.11. M. Romanowski, “Problems of Bias in History Textbooks,” Social Education, 1996.12. JD Mackie, “Bias and the Historian,” Library Review, 1935.13. AN Boyce, “Bias in History,” accessed from wiredspace.wits.ac.za.14. R. Sandwell, “Reading Beyond Bias: Using Historical Documents in the Secondary Classroom,” McGill Journal of Education, 2003.15. JB Isacoff, “Writing the Arab-Israeli Conflict: Historical Bias and the Use of History in Political Science,” Perspectives on Politics, 2005.
