What is Historical Geography?
The geographical factors, both physical and cultural, change in space and time and thereby changing the character of a region. The study of these geographical changes through time constitutes the focus of a Geographer.
You know what, geographers are primarily concerned with places and their attributes, maybe in the past or in the present. Historical Geography is a very important branch of Geography. It was an age-old practice of scholars to write on historical geography.
If I state in simple words, the geography of an area/ region on the earth's surface as it had been in the past times - is the prime concern of historical geography.
Let's consider an example.
Suppose, you want to ascertain the cropping patterns and distribution of settlement during the medieval period in India, then it should be considered as an aspect of historical geography. So, historical geography examines the interrelationship of phenomena in space of the past period. It takes into consideration the influence of geographical factors on history - way of life in the past times.
Whittlesey and East asserted that historical geography means the reconstruction of past geography as a part of the necessary context within which the flow of historical events can be understood better. To some others, it also means the control/ effect/ influence of the Physical environment on man's activity in past historical events and accidents. But this concept has been criticized for setting out to clarify history, not geography: "adding the missing environmental notation to the work of historians".
There can be numerous types of historical geographies, namely: regional geography, urban geography, social geography, agricultural geography, and Industrial Geography.
In due course of time, the present Geography will become historical geography. Thus, the present geographical account is properly documented and preserved intact, it will help a historical geographer in the future.
Mackinder has put historical geography in interesting words as the study of the historical present: "The geographer has to ... put himself back into the present that existed...one or two thousand years ago; he has got to try and restore it".
By the way, the reconstruction of the past geography of a region or country is not everybody's cup of tea - it's a difficult task and demands lots of enthusiasm and energy to complete the task.
But remember, the reconstruction of the geography of the past periods is essential to understand the relationship between the past and present distribution of phenomena.