School of Social Sciences

Department of History

Welcome to the Department of History at Bharathidasan University.

The present Department of History was established in 1995 as Centre for History. During the short span of Eighteen years, the Department has received the national professional attention. The Epigraphical Society of India, an highly acclaimed academic association in India was invited and the Nineteenth Annual Conference of the Epigraphical Society of India, a national Conference, was hosted by the Bharathidasan University during 12, 13 and 14 February, 1993. Dr. N. Rajendran, the present Professor & Head, Department of History was the Local Secretary for that national Conference. On the heels of this national Conference, Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi - which having a constant and continuous understanding with the Department of History in the path of its progress – has selected Bharathidasan University as one among the three centres all over India to host a two week workshop on “Historical Methods” for teachers of history. The Workshop was inaugurated by the doyen among historians and two-time Vice-Chancellor of Goa and Mangalore Universities Dr. B. Sheik Ali. Dr. M.G.S. Narayanan, then Member Secretary and later Chairman of I.C.H.R., New Delhi, Dr. R. Champakalakshmi, Professor, J.N.U., Dr. Y. Subbarayalu and Dr. Rajan Gurukkal are some of the other noted Resource Persons. The workshop aimed at providing an updated historical methodology to the teachers of History. In the year 1995 the Post Graduate history programme was started with 20 students. The very next year the Department of History was officially inaugurated with the hosting of Third Annual Session of the Tamil Nadu History Congress. Participants were drawn from as far as Delhi. Among the important historians who participated in the Congress was Dr. Eugene F. Irschick, Professor, Department of History, University of California, U.S.A.

The Department of History has been regularly publishing at international, national level. Prof. N. Rajendran’s book on “National Movement in Tamil Nadu” published by the internationally reputed OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS. His book Nationalism and Swadeshism in Tamil Nadu, (Tamil) published by the Clio Publications, Tiruchi has been given the best book award by Collector Tiruchirappalli. He published another book Historiography (Tamil), Clio Publications, Tiruchi, aspire to assist the P.G & M.Phil. Students. His monograph Shifting Paradigms of Nationalism, Ethnicity and Language in Tamil Nadu, has been published by the Indian Council of Historical Research Southern Centre, Bangalore. He edited a book entitled Sources: Construction and Reconstruction of History, published by the Indian Council of Historical Research Southern Centre, Bangalore. Besides, articles are published in reputed academic journals and national newspapers. More than 45 such articles have been published which includes the recently published articles such as: “Uprising in the South (1857)” which was published as a part of the cover story in the Front line on 29th June 2007 issue and in Rethinking 1857 “The Revolt of 1857: Rebellions Prelude and Nationalist Response in Tamil Nadu”, edited by Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, Chairman, ICHR, and published by the Orient Longman; Moreover, Prof. N. Rajendran has served as the editor of Tamil Nadu History Congress Proceedings for six continuous years from 2002 to 2007. Prof. N. Rajendran of the Department of History has been the honorary consultant for the District Gazetteer Project of the Tamil Nadu State Archives, Government of Tamil Nadu. Prof. N. Rajendran has been nominated member, Indian council of Historical Research, Human Resource Development Ministry New Delhi. Prof. N. Rajendran has served as the Chairman for Tamil Nadu Plus Two History text Book, Government of Tamil Nadu. The Department has also completed 5 UGC Minor Research Projects. Besides, Prof. N. Rajendran has presented more than 120 papers in regional, national and international seminars and conferences.