A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.
The founding of Bharati College in 1971 marked the beginning of teaching history as a part of the BA (P) course. However, the Department of History as a distinct entity made its beginning in 1990 when BA (Honours) was introduced. The founding objective of the Department was to inculcate a critical and rational understanding of the past among the students.
The Department of History offers History Honours and Programme courses with different combinations, namely BA (Honours) History and BA Programme. Courses offered can be broadly categorised as thematic and cover a time period ranging from the earliest times to the contemporary period. The major focus is on enhancing an understanding of Indian History along with the history of Europe, America, China, Japan, Korea, etc. Thematically speaking, the primary focus is placed on economic, social, political and cultural history, ranging from gender to science, technology, medicine and environmental studies. The broad themes enable students to gain an understanding of elements of changes and continuity over time and space. It enhances their critical aptitude and therefore helps them make more reasoned and logical arguments or analysis.
The department has renowned, dynamic, experienced and dedicated faculty members. Along with teaching acumen, faculty also possess diverse research interests such as Gender History, History of China, Social History of Fisheries, History of Tribes, Migration, Refugee and Diaspora studies, History of Religion and Spirituality, Hagiological Studies, Military History, Social History of Science, Technology, Environment and Medicine and many more interdisciplinary aspects.
History teaching goes beyond the classroom- in the form of various educational trips and tours. Moreover, regular visits are organised to museums, archives, and heritage sites in order to enable students to enrich their knowledge regarding the importance of nation, nationalism and the national heritage.
A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.
The vision of the Department of History revolves around the above saying of Mahatma Gandhi. The department prepares students for an extensive range of careers through the study of various interdisciplinary aspects across a broad chronological and geographical spectrum.
The department values a rational, skilled, aware and knowledgeable human being with humaneness. Students are taught to be honest academics. They are trained to understand the meanings and consequences of their public engagement with the past. The department supports the promotion of history and social science at the undergraduate level for students of all streams.
Through teaching and research, the history department seeks to build its students’ intellectual inquisitives, and critical thinking skills, along with raising public awareness about the past and its legacies. The Faculty, besides sharing their theoretical and experiential knowledge with students, also prepare them to face larger challenges of life and participate in building a strong and knowledgeable nation.
The History Department has an elected student body named ‘PRAVAH- the FLOW / STREAM’. The elected body has the following office bearers - the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary and class representatives. The elected student association is responsible for organising various inter- and intra-college talks, seminars, workshops, history competitions, social awareness walks. Along with academic events the student body also organises educational trips to various historical sites within and outside Delhi. A history film festival, a book review club and heritage walks are some of the regular features of the history association.
Students of History are trained to develop critical and analytical skills. These skills are in high demand in various employment sectors. As history encompasses a number of different disciplines/ subjects, it also opens up job avenues in most sectors.
Thus History graduates are equipped to compete in various services and they mark their entry in civil, defence, judiciary services. Apart from central and state services history graduates also succeed in the fields of Tourism, Conservation and Preservation sectors (archives, museums and library), Media (print and digital), and Fashion industries.
History is all about who we are and why we are, the way we are.
