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GC University, Lahore
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History
History

Academic Programmes

Our postgraduate teaching reflects our faculty’s strengths in South Asian history across several historical periods and themes, including the Mughal Empire; literary and cultural history; Sufism; the history of emotions; postcolonial Pakistan, and colonial India. Thematic and theoretical strengths reflect our commitment to staying connected with the cutting-edge discourses. Our graduate programme features courses on Religious Pluralism, Nineteenth-Century India and Colonial Interception, Colonial Punjab, History of Emotions, Movement in the Modern Historical Discourse, and Approaches to Cultural History. International collaborations allow our students to be taught by instructors from leading universities, and exchange knowledge with their peers across the world.

Our faculty is committed to ensuring that research students receive a high standard of supervision. Our students’ research engages contemporary debates and considers the currents trends in publications. Throughout the period of their degree, students are encouraged to participate in workshops and attend special lectures and seminars to develop their research skills.

The BS Honours degree at the Department of History is one of most renowned one’s in the country. Taught by a combination of senior faculty and young scholars, we offer a rigorous degree program that encompasses in-depth courses ranging from South Asian history and culture to Russian, American, and Central Asian history. In the first semester, students topically study history alongside general education and distribution courses offered by other departments of sciences, social sciences and languages. In the second half of the degree, students opt for one or two minor subjects alongside history as their major and end their degree with a thesis on a topic of their interest.

Year - I
Semester - I
Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
HIS-1101 Ancient India 3
HIS-1102 British India (1707 - 1857) 3
HIS-1103 A Global History 3
HIS-1104 History of the Americas 3
HIS-1105 British History 3
HIS-1106 Muslims in Spain 3
Semester - II
Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
HIS-1201 Ancient Europe 3
HIS-1202 Freedom Movement 3
HIS-1203 Modern Central Asia 3
HIS-1204 Modern China 3
Year - II
Semester - III
Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
HIS-2101 State and Society in Medieval India 3
HIS-2102 European History-I (1789 - 1871) 3
HIS-2103 History of World Religions 3
HIS-2104 Umayyads and Abbasids 3
HIS-2105 Safavid Empire 3
HIS-2106 Ottoman Empire (13th to 20th Century) 3
HIS-2107 South Asia since 1947 3
HIS-2108 History of Australia 3
Semester - IV
Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
HIS-2201 History of South Asian Art 3
HIS-2202 Medieval Europe 3
HIS-2203 Social and Intellectual History of Modern Europe 3
HIS-2204 European History-II (1871 - 1945) 3
HIS-2205 Modern South-East Asian History 3
HIS-2206 Themes in African History 3
HIS-2207 History of Russia 3
HIS-2208 History of Middle East 3
HIS-2209 History Writing Skills 3
Year - III
Semester - V
Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
HIS-3101 Key Concepts in Social Sciences 3
HIS-3102 Research Method 3
HIS-3103 Medieval India - I 3
HIS-3104 Introduction to US History 3
HIS-3105 Political Economy of Pakistan 3
HIS-3106 Challenges to Islam in Modern World 3
HIS-3107 Historical Sources in Arabic Language 3
HIS-3108 Themes in Art & Architectural History 3
Semester - VI
Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
HIS-3201 Introduction to Philosophy of History 3
HIS-3202 Medieval India - II 3
HIS-3203 Modern History of Afghanistan 3
HIS-3204 Islamic History 3
HIS-3205 Modern Asia 3
HIS-3206 Sufi Shrines and Identity Construction in South Asia 3
HIS-3207 Sufis and Colonial States 3
HIS-3208 Ancient Civilizations 3
HIS-3209 History and Literature 3
Year - IV
Semester - VII
Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
HIS-4101 History of Colonial Punjab 3
HIS-4102 Discourses of History in the 19th and 20th Centuries 3
HIS-4103 Social and Cultural History of Medieval India 3
HIS-4104 International Relations 3
HIS-4105 Social Sciences; Key Concepts 3
HIS-4106 Historical Sources in Persian Language 3
HIS-4107 Cultural Institutions in Colonial India 3
HIS-4299 Research Project / Internship 3
Semester - VIII
Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
HIS-4201 New Trends in History 3
HIS-4202 Emergence of USA as Global Power 3
HIS-4203 Pakistan and the Contemporary World 3
HIS-4204 Early Indian History 3
HIS-4205 Social and Intellectual History of India 3
HIS-4206 Nationalism in Europe 3
HIS-4207 Historical Sources in Pakistani Languages 3
HIS-4299 Research Project / Internship 3
History as Allied Subject
Semester - I
Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
HIS - 1102 British India 1707-1857 3
Semester - II
HIS - 1202 Freedom Movement 3
Semester - III
Course Code Course Title Credit Hours
HIS - 2102 European History-I 1789-1871 3
Semester - IV
HIS - 2204 European History II 1871-1945 3

The Department is dedicated to training students to an advanced level of research and offers a diverse range of courses in the MPhil programme. This helps students to establish a strong base in research methodology, critical thinking, and scholarly writing. The courses are designed to impart necessary skills and knowledge to the students to conduct independent research at an advanced level. One of the hallmarks of this programme is its interdisciplinary approach. Students are encouraged to think beyond traditional boundaries, interact with diverse perspectives and collaborate across different fields of research. This approach not only broadens the intellectual horizons of the students but also provides them practical skills which are highly valued globally.

Year – I
Semester – I
Course Code Course Title
Credit Hours
HIS – 7101 Philosophy of History
3
HIS – 7102 Research Methodology
3
HIS – 7103 Nineteenth Century India and Colonial Interception
3
HIS – 7104 Transformation of Europe from Medieval to Modern Age
3
Semester – II (The students will study Four Courses)
Course Code Course Title
Credit Hours
HIS – 7201 International Political Economy with Specific Reference to Pakistan
3
HIS – 7202 Agrarian System under Mughal (1526 – 1707)
3
HIS – 7203 Government and Politics in America
3
HIS – 7204 Domestic and Foreign Policy of USA since Second World War
3
HIS – 7205 Specialized Study of World Civilizations
3
HIS – 7206 Movement in the Modern Historical Discourse
3
HIS – 7207 Foreign Policy of Pakistan in the Post Cold War Era
3
HIS – 7208 State and Society History of Muslims in India  1206 – 1707 A.D.
3
HIS – 7209 Cultural and Social History of Muslims in India 1206-1707 A.D.  
HIS – 7210 International Relations
3
HIS – 7211 History of Feminism  
HIS – 7212 Religious Pluralism
3
HIS – 7213 Economic History of India under British Colonial Rule
3
HIS – 7214 Colonial Punjab
3
HIS – 7215 History of Knowledge
3
HIS – 7216 Research Methodology
3
HIS - 7217 Approaches to Cultural History
3
Year – II
Semester – III & IV
Course Code Course Title
Credit Hours
HIS – 7499 Thesis
12

The PhD programme in History offers an advanced and comprehensive academic pursuit, spanning 3-5 years. Designed to foster a research-intensive environment, this doctoral-level programme delves into the profound intricacies of the Philosophy of History, research methodology, and the refinement of scholarly writing skills. Students are immersed in a stimulating academic atmosphere, engaging in interactive discourses, scholarly debates, and lectures conducted by esteemed national and international Professors and scholars within the Department. Embracing a unique approach, this programme not only imparts knowledge but also cultivates essential skills and competencies necessary for both professional and academic pursuits.

Semester - I
Course Code Course Title
Credit Hours
HIS - 8101 History As A Discourse
3
HIS - 8102 State and Society in Pakistan
3
HIS - 8103 Economic History of India Under British Colonial Rule
3
HIS - 8104 Sufi Shrines and Identity Construction in South Asia
3
HIS - 8105 Preliminary Persian Language
3
HIS - 8106 Islamic Science: A Critical Study of Sources
3
Semester - II
Course Code Course Title
Credit Hours
HIS - 8201 History of Mystical Thought
3
HIS - 8202 History of Colonial Punjab
3
HIS - 8203 Pakistan Foreign Policy Imperatives
3
HIS - 8204 Tasawwuf: A Critical Study of Sources
3