Give a brief description of the new sources of history from the 8th to 18th centuries.
The period from the 8th to 18th century witnessed many new sources of history. They include compositions of the poet-saints. Most of these poet-saints expressed themselves orally. They used regional languages which were often used by ordinary people. Their compositions were a set to music and were compiled by their disciples or devotees who sometimes modified their original message to fit in different political, social, and cultural contexts.The historians also use the hagiographies or biographies of these saints. All these sources provide us an insight into the dynamic and diverse lives of these path-breaking poet-saints.
