The Department of Historical Studies and Archaeology offers the students an advanced system of knowledge full of new epistemological and ontological foundations and research explorations in the realm of historical studies. The reconstruction and the understanding of the past is of paramount importance to protect and preserve the cultural and intellectual heritage and also to know about the true spirit of a nation. India, as a nation, has traversed a tortuous trek on the cultural, civilizational and historical course. India abounds in stupendous historical events in different spheres of human existence from cultural to socio-economic and politico-administrative fields. Moreover, India has a distinction of waging the greatest mass movement in the form of the National Freedom Struggle, unparalleled in the world history, and unique amongst the third world countries. The colossal sacrifices of Indian masses, intelligentsia, commoners including peasants, tribeshave been unprecedented in the world history. The uniqueness and vastness of India’s past prompts the Department to endeavor towards further exploring the erstwhile historical phenomena entailing newer and innovative approaches exploiting the ever growing interface between education and technology. The Department endeavors to explore new frontiers of research and knowledge-creation within the existing pool of knowledge in History. Inculcation of commitment to India’s culture and tradition within the contending frameworks of contemporary ‘Idea of India’ remains the central focus of Department’s teaching-learning method.

Objectives:

• The primary objective of the Departmentis to emphasise the importance of theory and analytical concepts in reconstructing the past.
• To promote researches in hitherto unexplored areas with a focus on the primary sources in languages ranging from Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit to modern Indian languages, along with the archaeological sources.
• To focus on the study of contemporary Indian History along with exploring the history of other countries.
• To focus on historiography and the philosophy of history and to follow new global historiographical trends such as oral history, gender history, intellectual history, cultural history, subaltern history and the post-modernistic perspectives.

Department Overview