History

Overview

Key facts:

• The History programme is offered at the Panjab University.
• In 1921 the first university professors were appointed as also a Dean University Instruction. In 1925 a much larger Honours school embracing the subjects of English, History, Philosophy and Economics was instituted but this could not take off due to the complexity involved in coordination between the different subjects. Then in 1932 a distinct Honours school in History was begun with Professor J F Bruce at its head. Other subjects, Economics, English, Philosophy and Political Science too set up their separate Honours school which came to be known as 'departments'. Local historical archives were set up under the guidance of the department of History with Mr. H L O Garrett, the Keeper of Panjab Government Records being given the task of collecting and arranging the archives.

• The independence of India in 1947 also resulted in the partitioning of the Panjab University. The department of History reassembled after partition at Hoshiarpur. With the construction of the present campus at Chandigarh the department shifted to its present premises in 1956.
• Currently the Department of History offers M.A. and M. Phil courses and opportunities for doctoral research. The range of teaching and research includes Ancient, Medieval, Modern and Contemporary Indian History. Given its geographical location most of the research concerns the study of the broad North-Western Region (including the present Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh and Pakistan Punjab). Our researches have included inquiries into the polity, economy, society and culture since the earliest times in a pan Indian, integrated and inter-disciplinary perspective. This region is being studied comparatively and in relation to the neighbouring areas within India (i.e. Rajasthan, Utter Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir) and countries outside India (i.e. Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia) that interacted closely with North-Western India.