About the Department

The Department of History is one of the oldest Department in the College. It runs a prestigious programme of under-graduate studies, which was launched in 1978. This group envisaged a departure from conventional history programmes at the time, with emphasis laid on the importance of theory and analytical concepts in reconstructing the past, along with a thorough understanding and command of relevant primary sources.

The History department took the lead in shifting focus from politico-administrative history to socio-economic history while such approaches were still at an incipient stage in other parts of India. Within the wider rubric of socio-economic history, the courses and research themes have broadened and deepened the relatively neglected areas of popular protest movements, and “history from below”, histories, in short, of the mass of Indian people, such as peasants, artisans, workers and other marginal groups. In addition, there were courses, which branched out into the history of ideas, and of art, architecture and literature.

By adhering to the system of tutorials, which involves intense discussions of student papers in small groups with the teacher concerned, The Department has nurtured a high quality of student preparedness for independent research and writing. The faculty of History also organizes and participates in a wide range of conferences, workshops and seminars, in order to acquaint themselves, and students, with new approaches and themes in the study of history and culture.