History

INTRODUCTION

One of the leading places for historical research and teaching in Pakistan, Department of History GCU can justifiably boast of its golden past and the present holding forth promise for the bright future. A blend of experience and youth in the faculty is working hard in dissemination as well as production of knowledge. We train our students to achieve the requisite competence required of scholars and teachers of history today. H.L.O Garrett, Dr Abdul Hameed and Prof. Razi Wasti represented academic excellence in the past; the legacy is being passionately sustained by the succeeding generation of academics in the discipline of History.

Established in 1864, the Department of History has always made an impact by inculcating intellectual panache and the quest for learning among the students. Now it is bracing itself up for new challenges in the realm of academia posed by the changed scenario in the epistemic contours of the discipline. In view thereof, the courses offered at GCU have been radically re-worked in accordance with current trends, incorporating postcolonial debates crosscutting disciplinary boundaries of Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology, Philosophy and Cultural-Studies, etc. That multi-disciplinary approach of expanding intellectual range and specialized competence is being employed not only at the MPhil/PhD studies but also at the undergraduate level.

We have very vibrant and enthusiastic teaching staff and we intend to enhance their capabilities by equipping them with the necessary tools of cognitive excellence and pedagogic expertise. Our major and allied subjects share the common intellectual value.

The following renowned historians and scholars served the Department as Heads at various times since the inception of Pakistan.

Prof Mian Namdar Khan	(1947-54)
Prof Dr Abdul Hameed	(1954-65)
Prof M. Amjad Butt	(1965-67, 1982-88, 1989-90)
Dr S. Razi Wasti	(1967-82, 1988-89)
Dr Farhat Mahmud	(1990-96)
Prof Syed Masood Raza Rizvi	(1996-99)
Prof lftikhar Ahmad Ch.	(1999)
Prof Javaid Ahmed Shiekh	(1999-2003)
Dr. Tahir Kamran	2003–2010
Dr Farhat Mahmud	2010-2011
Mohammad Ibrahim	2011-2015
Dr. Tahir Kamran	2015–2019
Dr. Tahir Mahmood	2019-todate

FACILITIES

Research

For the past several years, the faculty at the Department of History has been engaged in a number of research projects like the Sufism and its impact on the Cultural History of the Punjab, Regional Studies such as the History of districts, Historiography in Pakistan: Trends and critique, Role of Bradari System in Power Politics of Lahore, Ranjit Singh: A Discourse analysis of th orientalist in the 19 Century Punjab, Religion and Politics in Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Colonial Education in Punjab: A case study of History of FC College Lahore etc.

Research Journal

Apart from other publications, “The Historian” is the main research journal of the Department and has become a regular feature providing material for debate and discussion here at GCU. The journal has encouraged young teachers to conduct research in different areas. The Historian is a Bi-Annual HEC recognized journal.

Seminars, Lectures, Workshops

Distinguished historians, political activists and scholars from various disciplines are invited at seminars, extension lectures and workshops. Recently, the Department organised a Lecture of Prof Francis Robinson on South Asia and West Asia from the Delhi Sultanate to the Present: security, resources and influence. Garrett History Society invited Raja Anwar , Advisor to the Chaief Minister of the Punjab, to deliver a lecture on Turmoil in Afghanistan. Dr Mohammad Waseem delivered a lecture on Impediments to the functioning of Democracy in Pakistan. Dr Uzma Rehman, Foreign Faculty Professor, delivered a lecture on Sufi Shrines and the Identity Crisis in Pakistan. Besides, the Department also organised a Two-Day International Conference, “Punjab and the Raj”, at which reputed scholars from Europe, East and South Asia presented their papers. The Department also organised a one-day “National Conference on the State of Social Sciences in Pakistan” in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission, Pakistan.

Future Work

History has in its fold many specialized branches. It has a lot to offer to youngsters in the realms of education, Journalism, Museology, Historical Research and Professional Writing etc. Furthermore, history still has its relevance along with Anthropology and Economics in non-governmental sectors.

Academic Programs

The Department of History offers following Degree Programs:

BA (Hons.)
MA (Evening Programme)
MPhil
PhD

Objective

The vision of the Department of History is to establish itself as the premier social sciences program at the M.A., M. Phil., and Ph.D., levels in Pakistan, at least in the public sector. In a social sciences program, the principal determinants of research output are the strength of the faculty, both in qualitative and quantitative aspects, and the level of enthusiasm and competence of the students enrolled. That is why the students from several parts of Pakistan flock to the department. Our mission is to produce a class of conscious educated people, who are also mindful of the pitfalls of history. We shall cater our students, who have passed their Bachelor of Arts (2 year programme). A blend of experience and youth in the faculty is working hard in dissemination as well as production of knowledge. A graduate of the Department should be capable of recognizing how study of the past may be used for the betterment of the future. They should be able to demonstrate sufficient capability to be objective, analytical and methodic individuals.

CURRICULA

BA / BSc – Four Years (Hons) Program

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

TOP

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

MPhil History

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

PhD History

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