HISTOBLOG: Kerala Council for Historical Research

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Kerala Council for Historical Research

KCHR

         Kerala Council for Historical Research [KCHR] is an autonomous institution committed to scientific research in history and social sciences. Funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Government of Kerala, KCHR is a recognised research centre of the University of Kerala.

         KCHR is located at Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala State, India, in the multi-purpose cultural complex Vyloppilly Samskrithi Bhavan, at Nalanda. It is housed in the blocks dedicated to the memory of pioneering researchers of Kerala history, Sri.K.P.Padmanabha Menon and Prof. Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai.

         KCHR offers doctoral, post-doctoral and internship programmes and short term courses in social theory, research methods, epigraphy, palaeography and numismatics. Research, publication, documentation, training and co-ordination are the major domains of KCHR activities.

         KCHR has a well-equipped library and research resource centre with a fairly large collection of books on Kerala history and society.KCHR publications include twenty-seven volumes on Kerala society that are of vital research significance.

         KCHR has a three tier organizational set up with a Patrons Council, Advisory Council and Executive Council.

         The Chairman of KCHR is Prof. K.N.Panikkar, former Professor and Dean, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and former Vice-Chancellor, Sree SankaracharyaUniversity, Kalady. The Director is Prof. P.J. Cherian, former State Editor, Gazetteers Department and Professor of History, Union Christian College, Alwaye. The Executive Council of KCHR has nine distinguished social scientists along with the Principal Secretaries of the Departments of Culture and Finance, Government of Kerala and the Directors of the State Archaeology and Archives Departments, Government of Kerala.

Aims and Objectives

To form a forum of professional historians to promote research and exchange of ideas on history;
To create a comprehensive worldwide database of research on Kerala History;
To publish source materials and studies to further historical research;
To set up a library and resource centre with the latest facilities;
To identify important research areas and initiate and encourage research in those areas;
To organise and sponsor seminars, workshops and conferences for the promotion and dissemination of historical knowledge;
To institute and administer fellowships, scholarships and sponsorships on historical research;
To provide professional advice and direction for the proper conservation of archival materials and archaeological artefacts as a nodal agency of the State Archives Department and the Archaeology Department;
To facilitate exchange programmes for teachers and scholars of history to provide exposure to advanced scholarly practices;
To attempt to historicise areas like science, technology, industry, music, media etc. conventionally held to be beyond the range of historical analysis;
To assist and aidthe Education Department in restructuring history curricula and syllabi, so as to instil the critical component in teaching and learning practices;
To restore local history to its rightful position and help set up local museums and archives;
To develop popular and non-reductive modes of historical writing;
To undertake the publication of a research journal on Kerala History;
To optimally utilise the electronic media and information technology in the dissemination of historical knowledge worldwide;
To undertake projects entrusted by the Government.

Organisational Structure

Patrons Council

Governor of Kerala [Chief Patron]
Chief Minister, Government of Kerala
Minister of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala
Speaker, Kerala Legislative Assembly
Leader of Opposition, Kerala Legislative Assembly
Chief Secretary, Government of Kerala

Advisory Council

Executive Council Members
Three Senior historians or social scientists
Four Members of the Legislative Assembly
Two Members of the Parliament
President of a District Panchayath
Chairpersons of two Municipal Councils
Presidents of six Grama Panchayath

Executive Council

Chairman, Kerala Council for Historical Research
Nine Professional Historians
Vice Chancellor, University of Kerala
Secretary, Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala
Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Government of Kerala
Director, Archaeology Department, Government of Kerala
Director, Archives Department, Government of Kerala
Director, Kerala Council for Historical Research....

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JOBS 4 HISTORY STUDENTS

Career options for students who have finished their graduation in history are quite high.Students can appear for the UPSC or the state wide PSC tests.Almost 40 % of I.A.S examination questions are taken from history.Those who like the teaching profession can get the B.Ed (after BA) or M.Ed (after MA) degree and apply for teacher or Assistant Professor positions. Many other job options are available for B A history Student. A few include:Archivists,Information Managers, Librarians, Public Relations officer,Records Managers, Teaching,Law, Research, Diplomacy,Public service,Journalism, Ministry,Insurance, Politics,Publishing,Archaeologist,Archivist,Historical researcher, Museum work,Secondary school teacher,Tour guide,University lecturer etc.

"Gandhi as the ascetic defender of property,the mascot of the bourgoisie and in actual achievement -statistics as the Jonah of Revolution"..By R P Dutt.... “I became the stage for the great argument between Nietzsche and Rousseau. I was the extra ready to take on all the roles”.by Jacques Derrida."History is the witness of the times, the torch of the truth, the life of memory, the teacher of life, the messenger of antiquity."- By Cicero, Roman Oratore "All the ancient histories, as one of our wits say, are just fables that have been agreed upon" By Voltaire.“D D Kosambi and R S Sharma,together with Daniel Thorner,brought peasants into the study of indian history for the first time”.Comment of Irfan Habib."I only accept awards from academic institutions or those associated with my professional work,and not state awards".[Romila Thapar on her refusal to accept padma bhshan in 1992.......]"If HUME and other English liberals hoped to use Congress as a SAFETY VALVE ,the Congress leaders hoped to use HUME as a lightening conductor".[Words of BIPIN CHANDRA...]

HISTORICAL FACTS.

1-Facts are importand for the constuction of history.2-Anything which gives us some idea about the past or present or future can be termed as fact.3-it is also called sources.4-sources are two kinds PRIMARY AND SECONDARY.5-Primary or Direct sources are anything which gives us information directly.6-Secondary sources or Indirect sources provides information indirectly.7-TERTIARY sources are used to describe a work which is a compilation of primary and secondary sources.It focused on the identification of scholarly work than on content. For example :bibliography,library catalog,directories etc.8-That is why RANKE said”NO SOURCES,NO HISTORY”.9-To Ranke “all kinds of sources should be subjected to criticism.10-HEURISTICS means searching of facts or sources.11-HERMENEUTICS aims to find out the authenticity or veracity of the sources.12-DEDUCTIVE METHOD is a type of reasoning from general to particular.13-INDUCTIVE METHOD is a reasoning from particular to general.

HISTORIAN OF THIS MONTH

K.P.PADMANABHA MENON Born in October 1857. Father: Diwan Peshkar Sankunny Menon. Mother: Parvathy Amma. K.P. Padmanabha Menon was the son of Diwan Peshkar Sankunni Menon who for the first time attempted to write the history of Travancore. Through his work Kerala Charithram (History of Kerala), Padmanabha Menon surpassed the talents of his father. Padmanabha Menon was an eminent Advocate, Judge and Historian. He also wrote Kochi Rajya Charithram (History of Cochin). He was also the Advocate General of Madras Government and member of Marumakkathayam Committee. He died on 1 May 1919.

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Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Kerala Council for Historical Research

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